Best Touchless Security Screening at Hotels

Security professionals exploring optimal touchless security screening solutions at hotels should prioritize considering weapons detection systems due to the following challenges:

• While public safety remains paramount, ensuring a positive visitor experience is also crucial. The presence of metal detectors or weapon screening setups, particularly when unexpected, can evoke discomfort among individuals.
• Even with designated “no firearm” zones in place at many hotels, effectively identifying guests and/or staff carrying weapons and presenting potential threats continues to be a considerable obstacle.
• Many metal detectors and similar systems utilize active sensors, potentially endangering individuals with medical devices such as pacemakers. Additionally, numerous systems have narrow passages that are inaccessible or incompatible with those who have wheelchairs or other medical devices.
• Security departments at hotels need a cost-effective and accurate solution. Traditional metal detectors may require the involvement of multiple personnel for operation, straining budgets.
• Identifying individuals carrying weapons and posing a threat in “no firearm” zones presents a challenge. Minimizing false alarms is crucial to prevent panic and ensure security systems only respond to genuine threats.
• Traditional security protocols causing lengthy queues can disrupt business operations and adversely impact employee and guest satisfaction.
• In high-pressure scenarios such as active shooter situations, immediate access to integrated video footage is essential—a feature often lacking in conventional security setups.
• Integrating a third-party vendor’s cloud-based system into an existing IT infrastructure can be daunting, involving internal processes and procedures.

Note: SoundThinking’s SafePointe weapons detection system was built to solve all the pain points listed above. You can read about it in detail below or reach out to our sales team to learn more about how it can help improve security operations.

SafePointe Weapons Detection System

The SafePointe Weapons Detection System is an advanced AI-based solution, well suited for discreet yet highly efficient touchless security screening at hotels. Designed to accurately identify individuals carrying weapons while minimizing false alerts, SafePointe excels in busy environments such as hotel entrances. Boasting a remarkable throughput of 7,200 individuals per hour per lane, its efficiency is unmatched. Employing non-intrusive, passive sensors ensures compatibility with various visitor requirements, including those with medical devices. Beyond its economic benefits, SafePointe diminishes the need for extra security staff, underscoring its cost-effectiveness and operational excellence.

Key Feature # 1: Subtle Weapons Detection System Safeguards Public Safety While Maintaining Guests’ Tranquility

Unlike traditional metal detector systems, which are frequently conspicuous and can evoke discomfort, the SafePointe system prioritizes discretion. Commonly deployed as unobtrusive bollards or seamlessly incorporated into existing structures, it guarantees seamless integration with the surroundings.

SafePointe enables guests and staff to effortlessly access the hotel premises without the conspicuous presence of overt security measures. Its discreet setup ensures an extra layer of public safety while maintaining the ambiance and ensuring patrons’ comfort.

Key Feature # 2: Unmanned System Maintains Stringent Safety Measures

SafePointe harnesses state-of-the-art sensor technology called Magnetic Moment, which plays a crucial role in its cost-effective and automated operation. This technology utilizes sophisticated algorithms and a vast database of weapon signatures to analyze the magnetic properties of objects, distinguishing potential threats from harmless items. Its autonomous AI-driven approach eliminates the requirement for constant human oversight at entry points, a standard practice in traditional security systems. Moreover, the system benefits from ‘human in the loop’ supervision from remote monitoring centers, ensuring a seamless fusion of technological prowess and human expertise.

In environments where security needs vary, manned systems may struggle to maintain consistent coverage. In contrast, SafePointe offers uninterrupted, round-the-clock monitoring, establishing a constant security presence. Its autonomous operation not only maintains rigorous safety standards but also fosters a feeling of assurance and calm.

Key Feature # 3: Passive Sensors Promote Guest and Staff Safety

SafePointe’s Magnetic Moment sensors present a non-invasive alternative to active security measures such as metal detectors and other weapons detection systems. This passive characteristic prioritizes the safety ofindividuals in wheelchairs, and those wearing medical devices such as implants and pacemakers, as well as pregnant women and children. The inconspicuous design of the bollards allows unimpeded passage.

Key Feature # 4: Budgetary Control Through Cost-Effective Solutions

Unlike traditional metal detectors, which can incur substantial costs, often exceeding $10,000 annually, SafePointe’s affordability is supported by its unmanned operation, negating the requirement for customers to station an individual at the point of entry. This economic benefit is further emphasized by SoundThinking’s offering of a flexible, subscription-based payment model for SafePointe, featuring options for terms of three or five years. This strategy not only ensures SafePointe’s economic feasibility but also establishes it as a state-of-the-art security solution.

Key Feature # 5: Precise Detection Minimizes False Alerts, Boosting Hotel Security

In contrast to traditional metal detectors, which frequently encounter high rates of false positives, SafePointe maintains an exceptionally low incidence of false alarms. This accuracy is attributed to its extensive database, containing over 14 million weapon signatures, and an AI/ML system that continuously learns and adapts. To address evolving threats and the introduction of new weapon varieties, SafePointe regularly updates its database, ensuring it remains at the forefront of threat detection. The capability to distinguish between legitimate threats and harmless items, such as personal belongings, is of utmost importance in any setting.

Consider a bustling hotel lobby where guests regularly carry metal objects such as phones, keys, or laptops. Traditional metal detectors and other weapons detection systems may trigger alarms for these everyday items, leading to unwarranted panic and interruptions. In contrast, SafePointe’s sophisticated system, bolstered by a comprehensive database and continuous learning capabilities, effectively helps to filter out many of these innocuous items while flagging threat items with excellent success. This not only fosters a more serene atmosphere but also enables security personnel to concentrate on genuine threats without being inundated by frequent false alarms.

Key Feature # 6: Streamlined Screening Process

Traditional metal detectors often lead to long lines, frustrated guests, and sluggish security operations. In contrast, the SafePointe system delivers rapid, high-volume screening that efficiently processes many people. Its advanced free-flow screening technology is key to its effectiveness, allowing for a seamless, touchless experience for visitors. This offers two major benefits: The entry process becomes smoother and more convenient for visitors, as there’s no need to pause or remove items like belts or empty pockets. They walk through without the usual concerns of traditional security checks. For security staff, the system improves operational efficiency by handling larger crowds with ease, ensuring that safety remains uncompromised.

Key Feature # 7: Coordinated Alerts Enhanced with Video Simplify Investigative Follow-Up

SafePointe’s system effectively handles public safety by employing organized alerts, supplemented with video footage for efficient investigative follow-up. In contrast to traditional metal detectors without video features, SafePointe promptly delivers categorized alerts along with pertinent video clips to the security team within an average of ten seconds of detecting a potential threat. This swift response is critical in environments where prompt and precise security intervention is of utmost importance.

The system goes beyond simple weapons detection by providing nearly instant actionable intelligence. Through a ‘human in the loop’ approach, SafePointe’s analysts assess and categorize the threat’s nature, offering security teams detailed insights for prioritized and informed reactions.

Furthermore, the recorded video footage is essential for understanding incidents in real-time, enabling security personnel to make educated decisions. This visual evidence not only plays a crucial role in immediate security measures but also serves as essential documentation for subsequent investigations or legal proceedings. In healthcare scenarios, where time is of the essence, SafePointe’s structured and video-enhanced alert system ensures a swift, efficient, and well-informed security response.

Key Feature # 8: Operates Independently From Your Primary Network

Although the SafePointe system can integrate with your VMS or other security platforms, it’s intentionally engineered to function autonomously from your network, a characteristic highly appreciated by IT professionals. Our AI system and sensors are linked to and transmit alerts via the Cloud, utilizing either a web portal interface or a smartphone application. 

Checklist for Evaluating a Weapons Detection System

1. Does the system guarantee subtle weapons detection, placing emphasis on public safety while minimizing disturbances to the surrounding environment?
2. What are the staffing requirements for the system? Does it support unmanned operation while upholding strict safety protocols?
3. Are the sensors passive and devoid of health risks, safeguarding the well-being of guests and employees with medical devices or wheelchairs?
4. Does the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) align with the financial constraints of your facility? Are there adaptable payment options accessible to better suit your requirements?
5. Has the system demonstrated high precision with minimal instances of false alarms?
6. Can the system proficiently manage high volumes of pedestrian traffic?
7. Does the system offer real-time alerts enhanced with video for streamlined investigative follow-up?
8. Does the system operate independently of your primary network?

The Premier Choice for Weapons Detection

At a time when public safety is of paramount importance, SafePointe stands out as the top pick for security staff at hotels that in need of a reliable weapons detection system. Engineered for facilities aiming to blend sophisticated threat detection, operational excellence, and user-centered design seamlessly, SafePointe’s advanced technology improves safety in dynamic settings, fostering a secure yet welcoming environment for hotel guests and staff.