America has been gripped with violence for decades. While this is nothing new, the large number of mass shootings in 2019 is part of a growing trend over the last five to ten years.
While some politicians seek to exploit every tragedy to push their own agendas, political gridlock prevents much of anything from being done on the national level.
The Babylon Bee published a humorous graph illustrating the potential causes of violence (this is satirical, in case you couldn’t tell):
Some legislation has been passed on the state level in several jurisdictions. Some states have banned large-capacity magazines, passed more thorough background check laws, and made it tougher to acquire ammunition, for example.
But determined criminals don’t care about laws (that’s what makes them criminals). It’s not uncommon for perpetrators to travel outside of their state to get their hands on the weaponry they want, only to return to their state of residence and commit their atrocities (this occurred with the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting in California, a state with some of the strictest gun laws in the country).
Many additional factors play a role as well.
While mental health can’t be blamed by itself, mass shootings were much less common before state insane asylums were closed in the 1970s and 80s (there was an average of less than one shooting per year during the decade of the 1980s, increasing dramatically thereafter). Individuals who would have once been institutionalized are now within the general population. A history of trauma appears to be a factor too, as most shooters experienced trauma at a young age.
The two most popular potential solutions to these problems floating around seem to involve 1) legislating the problem away via gun control and related policies, and 2) censoring voices online that promote “hate speech” and racism.
Even if one or both of these solutions were to somehow be implemented in their totality and prove effective, it would result in a significant infringement upon civil liberties. What if there were a way to reduce violence without trampling on the bill of rights?
With the current state of technology in 2019, it’s hard to believe a better solution hasn’t yet been proposed.
Enter Patriot One.
Patriot One – A Way to Prevent Mass Shootings in 2019
Patriot One Technologies is the company behind a suite of security solutions including the PATSCAN CMR/VRS/TMS/STS. Here we will focus on the two technologies that would be most useful in preventing mass shootings in 2019 – the PATSCAN cognitive microwave radar (CMS) and the PATSCAN video recognition software (VRS), which can be used in conjunction with one another.
The CMR is designed to “deter, detect, and defend” against offenders carrying concealed weapons. Explosives, blades, and firearms can all be safely detected at a distance without anyone knowing.
In addition to being an effective means of detection, the creators of Patriot1 Tech hope that the implementation of systems like these will deter violent crime by virtue of their very existence. When people know such a system is in place, they might think twice about carrying a weapon anywhere near such a location.
Put simply, the PATSCAN CMR (cognitive microwave radar) is a “first-in-class covert primary screening system for the detection of on-body concealed weapons at access points of weapons-restricted buildings and facilities.” The tech can be easily hidden, is cost-effective, and scans for weapons in a non-invasive manner.
Tom Ridge is an advisor to the company. He served as the first US Secretary of Homeland Security, Governor of Pennsylvania and Member
of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.
Benefits of the Patriot1 System
The PATSCAN CMR can tell the difference between common metal objects like car keys and an actual weapon like a handgun or knife, reducing the number of false positives.
Upon detection of a concealed weapon, an alert can instantly be sent out via SMS, email, a web interface, and a mobile app. This lets all-important parties know of the threat immediately, no matter where they are, and gives law enforcement extra time to react.
Here are a few features that make Patriot1 different and more desirable than run-of-the-mill metal detectors.
- No target images generated, eliminating privacy concerns
- No scans required, meaning no long lines to wait in
- No compliance required on the part of individuals
- Can be installed covertly due to its small size
- Multiple units can be networked together due to their low cost
- Machine learning enables continuous improvement of detection
Lastly, the radar frequencies used by Patriot1 PATSCAN CMR tech are in line with international safety regulations regarding the safe use of microwave bandwidths. No health concerns here.
Development Timeline & Management Team
The Patriot One system spent seven years in development, from 2009 – 2016. Over the past three years, the tech has sped through the phases leading up to market roll-out, from the corporate lab, to live environment research, and to paid pilot deployment, which ended on March 2019.
So, this system is ten years in the making. It’s currently in the roll-out phase, seeking out markets in 11 countries. Some of the most likely potential customers are:
- Casinos/Resorts/Hotels
- Schools
- Places of worship
- Retail locations
- Event venues
- Entertainment complexes
- Government agencies
This is a massive market opportunity for the company if you can imagine just a small percentage of all of these venues buying and implementing the system.
Patriot One has an impressive team behind it. Professionals from both the private and public sector, many with a long list of credentials (including a few Ph.D.’s) and decades of experience in their respective fields.
The CEO worked with the British government in counter-terrorism for 20 years, the CFO is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with 30 years of experience in financial management, and the VP of Marketing & Communications has over 25 years of experience in international sales and marketing with companies including Comcast, Verizon, and Disney.
For the full details on the Patriot One team and product timeline, see their corporate presentation here: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://mk0patriot1techn6niw.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Patriot-One-Corporate-Presentation.pdf
Company & Investment
Patriot One Technologies (TSX: PAT, PTOTF) is a publicly listed company. They were just listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange this past June.
They closed a $46 million funding round in June of last year and have active clients that include Westgate Las Vegas, University of North Dakota, A Regional Police Force, Seminole County Schools, and CISCO. They also have 12 active resellers in Canada, the US, South and Central America, Caribbean Basin, UK, France, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, and Australia/New Zealand. We believe this client list will grow rapidly as word of their technology spreads and the world continues to face active-shooter threats.
With the stock having experienced a pullback in recent months, now may be an excellent time to acquire shares:
Looking at the 3-month chart, Bollinger Bands are mostly wide apart, the RSI is neutral at about 50, and trading has remained in a tight range of C$1.70 – 2.00 for several months. This indicates the stock is in a period of consolidation.
The MACD has just crossed above the 9-day EMA beneath the zero line, signaling a possible bullish reversal. This indicator might be what caused the stock to jump over 3% on August 9th, as traders anticipate the potential for the bulls to take the reigns.
Now might be a good time to pick up shares before a breakout. At C$1.89 a share, prices are not far from long-term support at $1.71.
For a list of recent news releases relating to PAT, see the corporate news section of their site: https://patriot1tech.com/news/corporate-news/
Mass Shootings 2019: Invest for a Safer Future
We’re not reducing the issue of mass shootings in 2019 to an investment opportunity. But the bright side is this: where few solutions seem satisfactory, you can vote with your dollars.
If you believe in investing in tech stocks, why not choose a company that has a chance to do some real good in the world?
The Patriot One solution is not a panacea by any means. As mentioned, the factors influencing violence in America and worldwide are many and varied. But immediate clandestine detection and prevention of people carrying weapons into a public space while preserving privacy and liberty certainly seems like a sensible option and a sound investment.
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Disclosure: Brian Nibley does not hold shares of PAT. Jason Hamlin does hold shares.
