Issue link: https://securitytechnologyexecutive.epubxp.com/i/618378
6 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE • November/December 2015 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com MY POINT OF VIEW B y Steve L as k y, Edi to rial Dire c to r If you have any comments for Steve Lasky regarding this or any other security industry-related issue, please e-mail him at slasky@ southcomm.com. W e have just completed our 7 th Secured Cities Conference this past month in Houston. And if there was one overriding theme that permeat- ed the more than 40 presentations and panel discussions it was that public-private part- nerships remain essential for today's municipal and regional public safety agencies. City, county and state police departments across the country have felt the brunt of budget cuts and increased media focus on community relations that exacerbate both personnel and technology limitations. Having an opportunity to share best practices, lessons learns and technology advancements in a peer rich environment allows law enforcement, emergency management and private security professionals to learn that a spirit of coopera- tion can bring success. Adrian Garcia, the former Sheriff of Harris Coun- ty who ran an unsuccessful bid for the Mayor of Houston this fall, talked about the spirit of part- nership in his keynote address at the conference's Security Innovation Awards luncheon. He stressed that the cooperative efforts among agencies helps strengthen overall Pubic Safety in urban communi- ties and that the sharing of information is essen- tial to taking a proactive approach to law enforce- ment. "The true strength of partnership comes when the private and public sectors join forces to change hearts and minds and protect their commu- nities," said Garcia. "The advancement of technol- ogy and improved information sharing has given law enforcement the ability to be more proactive in protecting citizens and our businesses than ever before. But it will take long term partnerships to ensure we stay ahead of today's emerging threats." Assistant Chief of Police for the City of Hous- ton Matt Slinkard shared Sheriff 's Garcia's vision of cooperation and partnership as he opened the conference with an overview of how Houston and neighboring Harris County, along with several pri- vate partners teamed up to create a unique solution that should serve as a model for Public Safety tech- nology implementation. Our keynote sponsor from IBM had Robert Griffin, their General Manager for IBM's Safer Planet division, discussed the impact cybersecurity and law enforcement is having as cit- ies plan for 21 st century security policy. Perhaps more than any other previous host, the City of Houston and Harris County, provided tre- mendous hands on narratives of how their respective entities have taken UASI funded projects and turned them into showcases for not only technology sharing, but models of progressive public-private partnering. As conference director, I would personally like to thank the more than 65 Secured Cities sponsors and partners, including IBM, EMC, Verint and Axis Communications and association partners IAHSS, IAPSC, InfraGard, SPF, the Houston and North Texas chapters of ASIS and Friends of Chuck, that helped make this the most successful event to date. We are happy to announce that we will be returning to Houston next November 8-10, so we encourage you to pencil Secured Cities into your calendar now. ■ 2015 Secured Cities Highlights Partnerships Julie Stroup, with the City of Houston's Mayors Office and DHS, talks to a packed house at 2015 Houston Secured Cities about the video surveillance infrastructure developed by the city and how it has been deployed. Photo by Steve Lasky Security Technology Executive (USPS 009-826), (ISSN 1946-8474, print; ISSN 2158-7078, online) is published fve times per year: February/March, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December by SouthComm Business Media, LLC. 1233 Janesville Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 and additional mailing offces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Security Technology Executive, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Canada Post PM40612608. 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