Security Goes HOLLYWOOD

Apr 1, 2005 12:00 PM

When the plot turns on technology

Security technology is sometimes integral to Hollywood plot twists, and often fiction is stranger than — or at least different from — fact. Here are some comments from readers of Security Beat e-newsletter regarding Hollywood-inspired misconceptions about the security industry.

FAKE 1

A pet peeve of mine is the potentially deadly misconception that a biometric access control device can be fooled by presenting the severed hand or gouged out eyeball of an authorized user. Sooner or later someone is going to be maimed or killed by a criminal who does not know that this is not the case. I suppose the only safeguard is to provide screenwriters and producers expert advice before this misconception is incorporated in their motion pictures and programs. — MICHAEL BRADY, CPP, Burnsville, Minn.

FAKE 2

It is a Hollywood-inspired misconception that it is possible to “zoom in” on a TV image to read a license plate. Real TV or computer images are made up of pixels of information (brightness and color). There is no information between the recorded pixels. You can zoom-in to make each pixel bigger and farther apart, but you can't read anything between them. — TOM MASON, Cleveland

FAKE 3

In movies and on TV we are always presented with the image of a wall of closed-circuit television monitors being watched by attentive guards. From James Bond movies to CSI, the now familiar scene has actually become Hollywood's shorthand for portraying high-security facilities. This image gives the general public the perception that they are constantly being watched, but within the industry, we know that video feeds and cameras are not pro-active protection devices. It's just not possible for security personnel to watch dozens (or even hundreds) of monitors hour after hour and day after day. Perhaps Las Vegas casinos are the exception to this rule, and the gaming industry has contributed to the Hollywood effect by strongly promoting that there are people watching every movement, all the time. Nationwide, however, this just isn't the case. — SEAN PATTY, president, Cernium Inc.

FAKE 4

A major misconception is how security guards are portrayed on the big screen and on TV: We all eat donuts and keep Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts in business. We do nothing but sleep on the job. We sit around all shift reading a newspaper. I think guards can “make a difference” by portraying a professional image while on the job. There are some negative images in the security industry, so it's time to do some housecleaning! Emphasize educated, experienced, certified, mature persons on the job. We need to lobby the Hollywood studios and tell them we are fed up with negative portrayals. — MICHAEL PETERSON, security officer, Paoli, Pa.

FAKE 5

As a security professional, ex-deputy sheriff, and ex-engineer, I enjoy the misconceptions that Hollywood portrays. Let the criminals think they can do the same tricks. They will end up being caught. — MIKE LAVRINC, Tucson, Ariz.

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