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Automated Behavior Analysis Paper

Decent Essays

The Boston Marathon bombing is instructive in regard to automated behavior analysis. Had a system existed with the capacity to detect when the Tsarnaev brothers placed their devices and walked away, flag it as an unusual event and alert observers to this occurrence, law enforcement personnel could have been notified and the area cleared. Additionally, after being alerted to this suspicious behavior, authorities could have actively tracked their movements and directed law enforcement to their location, resulting in a manhunt measured in hours rather than days. Although automated behavior analysis may not have outright prevented the bombing, the benefit of increased public safety, via casualty reduction and quicker suspect apprehension, is difficult to refute. The Algorithm Based Object Recognitions and Tracking (ABORAT) system offers the best solution for implementing a surveillance system based on automated behavior analysis. Its ability to interface with off-the-shelf products means …show more content…

ABORAT provides a solution to these privacy related concerns as well. The use of smart cameras coupled with its distributive nature means images are processed and analyzed by the cameras rather than a human observer. As was previously noted, “images are only transmitted when useful to the operator” (Appiah & Hunter, 2009, p. 3), therefore, surveillance systems become less obtrusive by way of observers viewing less video. It is true that observers would have the ability to access the cameras in real-time, but training, supervision and agency policies could be established to set limits on how and when direct access would occur. While not a be-all and end-all solution to privacy, ABORAT is a step closer to achieving a balance that results in the protection of “individual liberties…in the pursuit of national security” (Prieto, 2009, p.

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