Fenton, MO (KMOX) - With just one look, technology developed here in the St. Louis region can stop criminals before they ever step foot in a store. Blue Line Technology is a collaboration of police veterans, tech experts, and business leaders who have developed access control systems based on facial recognition system. CEO of the Fenton-based company, Paul Brauss, explained some of the retail applications for KMOX's Megan Lynch and Total Information AM.
"A face is one of the best keys that you can have for access control," explains Brauss. In some cases, the company adapts the technology as another security step for businesses. For example the facial recognition system can be used for added verification to allow an employee to access sensitive areas of a company.
Blue Line has also seen tremendous success with it's retail security option. Over the past five years, Brauss says Blue Line's clients have seen a 95% drop in police calls. How does it work? When someone approaches a storefront, they're greeted by a recorded voice asking them to look up at a camera. "If their face is covered, as in the case of many of the armed robberies that we are preventing these days, then the door will not actuate. That door will not open." Likewise, if someone enters and commits a crime in the store, owners can flag their image. If they return, they'll be recognized by the software and the doors will lock, stopping them from entering. If a store owner has multiple locations, the facial recognition data can be shared across their locations.
Brauss adds, just by asking someone to look at a camera it's a subtle deterrent, "they've just gotten a high definition picture of your face and they're going to know who I am."
Beyond seeing significantly less crime, Brauss says retail stores report regular customers are shopping longer because of a more secure atmosphere.
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