Is it possible to prevent crime in healthcare?

Preventing crime in healthcare is not a question of absolute elimination — no environment with human actors and valuable assets can be made perfectly risk-free — but it is absolutely possible to dramatically reduce incidents, mitigate harm, and shift outcomes from reactive to proactive. As a veteran physical security leader, I’ve transformed the traditional lock-and-key and reactive forensic operations to integrated, intelligence-driven systems that prevent incidents before they escalate.

In 2026, prevention hinges on convergence: blending physical and cyber sensors, analytics, workflow integrations, and people-focused design.

Here are the top five cutting-edge security technologies and integrations to prioritize in healthcare settings this year.

1. Converged Security Platforms with AI Analytics

Why it matters: Silos kill speed. Integrating video management, access control, alarm systems, and environmental sensors into a single platform with AI analytics enables correlation across data streams — e.g., anomalous access attempts tied to loitering patterns and environmental changes.

What to focus on: Behavioral analytics to detect atypical staff/patient movement, object removal detection in clinical areas, wearable duress, weapons detection, and automated incident scoring that feeds nurse call and security dispatch workflows. Ensure the platform supports secure APIs for EMR and HR system integration for context-aware responses.

2. Edge AI Video with Privacy-preserving Features

Why it matters: Bandwidth and privacy constraints make cloud-only approaches

impractical. Edge AI processes video locally to identify threats, while privacy-preserving transforms (blur, tokenization) protect patient identity.

What to focus on: On-device behavioral models for aggression, fall detection, and tailgating; adaptive retention policies that automatically redact patient faces unless flagged for investigation; and secure firmware update processes to maintain model integrity.

3. Identity-centric Access and Credentialing (Biometrics + Continuous Authentication)

Why it matters: Unauthorized access to meds, records, and sensitive areas is a top crime vector. Moving beyond badges to multi-factor and continuous authentication reduces credential misuse.

What to focus on: Contactless biometrics (fingerprint, iris, face with liveness), contextual access policies tied to shift schedules and role-based privileges, and transient credentials for vendors. Integrate with identity governance to revoke access automatically on HR triggers.

4. Medical Asset Tracking + Geofenced Policies

Why it matters: Theft and diversion of medications and devices are persistent threats. Real-time location systems (RTLS) paired with geofenced policy enforcement prevent unauthorized removal and speed recovery.

What to focus on: Hybrid RTLS (UWB for high precision + BLE for cost efficiency) with tamper alerts, automated chain-of-custody logging for controlled substances, and dashboarding that highlights abnormal movement patterns across departments.

5. Cyber–physical Incident Orchestration & Playbooks

Why it matters: Modern attacks often span cyber and physical domains (e.g., ransomware affecting access systems or IoT medical devices used as entry points). Orchestrated response reduces confusion and downtime.

What to focus on: Integrated SOAR-like (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) playbooks that trigger physical containment (lockdown doors, isolate devices), notify clinical leadership, and preserve forensic data. Strong identity and certificate management for OT/IoT devices, and regular tabletop exercises that include both IT and physical security teams.

Conclusion

Technology alone won’t prevent crime. Success requires executive sponsorship, cross-functional governance (security, clinical, IT, HR, legal), and continuous training for staff. Emphasize ethics, privacy, and patient dignity when deploying surveillance or biometric systems, and measure outcomes (incident reduction, response times, loss rates) to justify investments.

Bottom line: You can’t make healthcare crime-free, but with converged platforms, edge AI, identity-centric controls, precise asset tracking, and cyber–physical orchestration — all deployed with strong governance and human-centered practices — you can push the risk curve down significantly and protect patients, clinicians, and critical assets.

Dylan Hayes is a 25-year physical security technology expert and previously acted as the physical security program leader for Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute. He managed teams, operations, and technology that transformed the culture of safety and experience for staff, visitors, and patients. Currently, he is Security Solutions NW Healthcare Consultant.

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