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Protecting Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable Targets

Hundreds of thousands of soft targets and crowded places exist in the United States, accessed by tens of millions of people each day. This vast volume of people, complex and varied venues, and often limited security or protective measures make these spaces vulnerable to attack by terrorists or targeted violence.

Three recent changes have intensified this risk: a more diverse set of actors and motivations for attacks, communication advances that have compressed the timeline for the detection and prevention of violence, and broader access to weapons. Soft targets and crowded places frequently straddle the public-private domain, and insufficient numbers of homeland security professionals are equipped with the training required to address these risks.

Vision & Mission

We strive to ensure the existence of safe, secure public spaces by creating functional and adaptable solutions to detect and mitigate targeted violence. Our mission advances security for environments accessible to large crowds – such as transportation systems, public spaces, and complex built environments – by developing innovative, next-generation tools and methodologies.

To support this mission, SENTRY:

  • Conducts stakeholder-informed research to better secure soft targets and crowded places
  • Focuses on developing advanced methods and technologies to secure transportation and high-traffic areas efficiently and cost-effectively
  • Fosters collaboration across public and private sectors, accelerating access to critical information and technologies for identifying, detecting, and responding to threats.
  • Educates the current and future homeland security workforce in this space.

SENTRY by the Numbers

  • 3

    Emeritus COEs' Combined Knowledge

  • 13

    University Partners

  • 10

    Industry Members

  • 15

    Security Practitioners

A Multi-Institution Center of Excellence

Established in 2021 and led by Northeastern University, SENTRY (Soft Target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality) is a multi-institution Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence. SENTRY combines the strengths of three emeritus Centers of Excellence: ALERT, led by Northeastern, brings a strong track record of threat anomaly detection using advanced sensor technologies and signature analysis algorithms; CCICADA, led by Rutgers, has pioneered the development of data-informed command, control, and interoperability systems; and CREATE, led by the University of Southern California, has developed optimal methods of assessing risks due to unanticipated attacks on soft target venues.

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