NCJ Number
109042
Journal
Security Management Volume: 31 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1987) Pages: 33-36
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
As a result of company expansion, USAA, a major automobile insurance company, decided to redesign its security system, particularly the access control systems.
Abstract
USAA needed an access control system suitable for 70 entrances that accommodated a flow of 5,000 people during opening and closing. The new system permits monitoring of all entrances, 24 hours a day, via closed-circuit TV (CCTV). The system uses access control cards that permit entrance through a door-to-ceiling turnstile. Educating employees in the use of the new system required a major public relations effort for the security department, as well as efforts to quell rumors that the turnstiles were a time-clock system. A special access system is used for handicapped persons, and the system does not require use of the cards for exiting during the busiest periods or in case of fire. Although the security system collects a lot of information on individuals' arrivals and departures, this information usually is kept confidential. Additional security precautions that have been implemented include CCTV surveillance of some elevators to prevent attacks, parking lot control, and traffic control, including control of speeding. The new system has resulted in significant reductions in thefts and in moving traffic accidents.