Security on "soft" targets—a term used to describe targets with historically low security, like schools, office buildings, and other public spaces—has been a subject of major scrutiny since the attacks on restaurants and nightclubs in Paris and an office building in San Bernardino, California.
Homeland security expert and host of the "Security Mom" podcast Juliette Kayyem joined Boston Public Radio to explain how to minimize risk in such places.
"There are going to be these kinds of attacks. The best of intelligence of the world is unlikely to be able to stop all of them, so we have to start thinking about our response capacity. That's a hard thing to embrace," Kayyem said.
Kayyem said the way to improve response capacity is provide people with information and training when faced with dangerous situations, just as they've been trained to respond to fires or carbon monoxide leaks.
"What really minimizes the harm is when people know what to do in an active shooter case...and you empower people with information," Kayyem said.
To hear more from Juliette Kayyem, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
