Pedestrians, staff and deliveries are responsible for the most headaches among security managers in residential estates and complexes. That's according to Ariel Flax, who explains how to overcome the "Tricky-Triad" of access control.
"As most people charged with overseeing residential security will confess, the trickiest types of access control are those which involve pedestrians, domestic workers, and collections or deliveries. Each comes with its own set of challenges that must be overcome to ensure the integrity of the overall security ecosystem," Ariel explains.
On-Foot Visitor Management
Pedestrians—whether intentionally or not—frequently "buck the system", says Ariel. He explains that someone on foot will most likely attempt to gain entry when a guard is otherwise engaged, often with visitors in vehicles.
For this reason, Ariel recommends setting up a "self-service" access control system that offers one or all of the following features.
- Guests register themselves via a mounted device connected to the pedestrian gate.
- Hosts pre-register guests by sending an OTP (one-time pin) or QR code to gain access on arrival.
- Allows hosts to grant or deny entry remotely.
In doing so, pedestrian access is controlled without expecting a security officer to divide their attention.
Identity Management for Employees (Domestic and Garden Workers)
Unlike unfamiliar pedestrians, domestic and garden workers are easily recognisable. Often, someone will forget their identity tag and pressure the security officer to forego protocol by claiming that they will lose their job if they are late or absent.
"It's an enormous weight to put on another person," Ariel sympathises. He continues, "It makes sense to shift control of opening and closing the gate to an automated system to alleviate the pressure from the guards."
Ariel suggests approaching this challenge as one would with any other workplace:
- Biometrics, such as facial recognition.
- NFC (Near-field Communication) cards with pre-set days.
- Providing an employee number or ID number for positive verification.
Verifying Collections and Deliveries
With the proliferation of online shopping from Takealot and Checkers60 (as examples), access gates are overwhelmed with a flurry of helmeted guys in a hurry!
Ariel: "For years, fast-food delivery bikes gained access to complexes on goodwill—but you can understand why someone with a concealed face and a top box can pose a threat to security.
"To overcome this challenge, it's best to make residents accountable, as only they can verify if they are or are not expecting a delivery. Something like ATG's scan-to-call that requires the host to permit entry is ideal."
Ariel adds that tracking time spent on-site is a must. A system that will alert the guard or control room when a vehicle exceeds a time limit can mean stopping a robbery (by bogus delivery person) in action.
QR codes are among the many options available to work around typical access control problems in residential estates.
In conclusion, Ariel says that data analytic are vital in helping estate security managers to understand their visitor traffic. Thus managers are in a better position to improve measures cost-effectively.
Writer: ATG Digital.