Victor Vella, solutions owner/director of Transit Surveillance Solution for Panasonic Systems Communications Company of North America, recently spoke to WashingtonExec about the importance and evolution of transit surveillance solutions.
Many people would be surprised to learn that crimes do occur on mass transit and because of this, the transit authorities have reached out to the industry to identify solutions that will improve safety for riders and drivers and help deter criminal activity,” Vella said.
People living in metropolitan areas tend to rely on public transportation because of the expense of owning a car or parking a car in these areas, he said, or for convenience. For others, the use of public transportation supports their belief in green initiatives and an eco-friendly environment.
But with increasing ridership, transit authorities are seeing an increase in crime, he said.
“I encourage the general public to raise its level of situational awareness,” Vella said. “Regardless of whether they are driving their own cars or using public transit, they need to be aware of their surroundings. For people that do not work in a law enforcement environment, it’s easy to get too comfortable during their daily routines and let their guard down. They don’t realize the potential for criminal activity occurring near or to them.”
Vella should know. He has 30 years of experience and expertise in law enforcement and anti-terrorism, to include terrorism vulnerability and risk analysis. He’s been involved with the investigation, research, and/or analysis of most major terrorist events that have targeted United States citizens and missions worldwide in the last 25 years.
“From my perspective it gives me the ability to think like the customer because I was the customer for many years.”
He started his career in federal law enforcement in the early 1980s after completing his degree in criminal science. He has worked as a police officer in Los Angeles, Calif., and as a police/security director for U.S. Navy United Kingdom and Northern Europe. In 2012, Vella retired from the Department of Defense.
Transit security is a public safety issue, Vella said, noting that in the Washington, D.C. area in 2012 alone, there were approximately 105 aggravated assaults, 1,000 robberies, more than 750 larcenies and five homicides reported within the Washington Mass Transit police jurisdiction. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is the area’s mass transit organization.
Vella noted that many people may not realize surveillance cameras are in use on public buses or trains, on platforms and in stations. Many transportation agencies are in the process of adopting video surveillance technologies or updating their current systems to take advantage of new, higher-quality imaging technologies, he said, and these integrated transit surveillance systems are not only there to deter crime, but are acting as an investigative tool to capture video evidence of criminal activity, safety violations or even accidents and liability claims.
He explained how his law enforcement and anti-terrorism background has affected his second career at Panasonic, where he was responsible for $250 million in federal contracts and sales.
“From my perspective it gives me the ability to think like the customer because I was the customer for many years,” he said. “I understand their requirements and the language they speak, which helps tremendously, and the fact that Panasonic is very innovative in designing security and surveillance systems.”
Panasonic is a leader in imaging technology, Vella said, from traditional security and surveillance technology to its Arbitrator 360° HD, an in-vehicle surveillance system used by law enforcement agencies for digital evidence capture. Panasonic’s expertise in these areas and its 360° HD system served as the template for the newly-developed transit surveillance solution Vella now directs.
“What we bring to the table compared to some of our competitors is that Panasonic introduced the world’s first security camera in 1957 and is also the leader in ruggedized laptops and tablets,” Vella said. “We have been leveraging these technologies to ensure our transit surveillance solution becomes the standard bearer for transit surveillance.”
“I feel like I’m still connected to law enforcement even though I’m not out there carrying a gun and a badge anymore.”
Vella said his position at Panasonic is rewarding because as an individual, he is supporting a private company and contributing to public safety, not just in transit solutions but with other solutions including national security.
“I think it is exciting to be out in the field talking to the transit authorities and agencies about their needs and challenges and how our solutions can protect their employees —the people that ride their buses and trains — and of course the assets — the buses and trains themselves,” Vella said. “If you go into the inner city you’ll see a lot of times these things are vandalized or tagged. … I feel like I’m still connected to law enforcement even though I’m not out there carrying a gun and a badge anymore. I’m still contributing to and helping to create a safer, more secure environment for the general public.”
Asked if there’s a particular book that’s made an impact on him, Vella said that in his previous life he read a lot of crime stories, mysteries and historical documentation of wars and conflicts. He also read very focused works on terrorism and terrorist ideologies and interpretation of Islam because it was very applicable to what he did “as a fed.”
In his new career, Vella said he is much more focused on how to incorporate team building, professional development and total quality management.
“I don’t want to call them self-help books but they’re the books that help you succeed in business,” he said.
Asked how he would advise an earlier version of himself if he could, Vella said he’d do exactly what he did during his 30-year career because the chain of events helped transition him into the private sector.
“I was originally hired by the company to focus on federal business development, which is right up my alley,” he said. “I came out of a law enforcement security arena and now in my new position with transit surveillance solutions I’m again dealing with the law enforcement communities out there. I’m not necessarily at the federal level right now but at the state, local and public sector levels. Ultimately it translates to a better understanding of their needs and requirements and how our solutions can help these agencies meet their goals.”
