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Defensible Space
Over the last 10 years – since the beginning of
The Locksmith Journal – the reasons why we
secure residential and commercial properties has
not changed, writes Mike Davies, Specialist and
Project Lead at leading security and intelligence
firm, Blackstone Consultancy. But there has
been a continuous development of technology
that has changed how we secure our assets…
» » THE LATEST STATISTICS (FOR THE
year ending June 2018) show that London
saw a 33.68% rise in residential burglaries
from 43,424 to 58,050. On top of this, the
number of burglary offences reported to
the police was up by 2% to 432,267, while
domestic burglaries had increased by 7%.
However, the increase in terrorism, gun
crime, knife crime and sexual offences are
forcing Police Forces to prioritise to cope
with demand, burglary and theft becomes
less of a priority. Official figures also show
that the numbers of Police Officers in
England and Wales have drastically fallen
with reports suggesting a 22,000 reduction
in officers over a 10-year period. On top
of this, due to the sheer lack of resources
available to the police, only 2,160 of these
crimes in the 17/18 year were resolved,
either by someone being charged or
cautioned. PROTECTING ASSETS
If one residential or commercial property
has better security measures in place than
its neighbours, it is the neighbours that
are more likely to be targeted on a simple
risk vs. reward ratio. Residential and
commercial owners must do as much as
possible to tip the balance in their favour
and make things harder for criminals.
‘Detect any intrusion
using modern alarm/CCTV
detection upgrades within
the layers of security’ UNDERSTANDING DETER,
IMPEDE, DETECT
Deter criminal activity by making the
perpetrator assess that they are more
likely to be caught and arrested than the
likelihood of gaining entry and escaping
with valuable items.
Impede access by reinforcing the
layered security from the perimeter wall
and fences to the doors, windows, locks
of the property. The resultant security
measures will create a layered effect that
will make a criminal consider the property
too risky to enter.
Detect any intrusion using modern
alarm/ CCTV detection upgrades within
the layers of security.
Lastly, if required, the threat once
realised needs to be neutralised by Police
or Security response.
Some burglaries and thefts go unreported
as property owners are worried about the
increasing cost of insurance, especially after
a claim. Some residential households are on
a strict budget and are not in a position to
be able to afford insurance in the first place.
The psychological impact of these invasive
crimes should never be discounted,
sometimes leaving occupants scared
and violated. It is not uncommon to find
that some victims of residential burglary
move after a break-in, a cost many times
greater than the items stolen and damaged
caused.
THE LAYERED APPROACH
The overriding philosophy is
prevention. Therefore, there must be an
even and consistent level of protection.
The layered approach helps residential
and businesses owners understand
that protection should start from the
boundaries of the property to create the
best secure environment as possible, but
at the same time understand the balance
of security against risk.
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019
TOP 10 WAYS TO SECURE
RESIDENTIAL AND
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
1. PERIMETER DEFENCES
The perimeter or boundary of the
property is the first line of defence to protect
the client from unwanted criminals.
• Maintain current fencing or install
anti-climb fencing, this will help to
deter and delay
• Placing trellis on existing fencing will
help provide extra height and make it
difficult to climb
• Consider planting thorny bushes
on the perimeter to act as a natural
deterrent
• Install or replace padlocks on external
gates with weatherproof locks
• Place ladders and bins away so they
can’t be used as climbing aids
• Explain to staff the importance of
situationally awareness in regard to
suspicious people or vehicles
‘adapting, understanding and
defeating the criminal will
always be the best defence’
2. GROUNDS AND LANDSCAPING
Shrubs and bushes provide an ideal
hiding places for burglars to monitor
activity around the residential or
commercial property.
• Branches of trees should be kept above
2 meters high to reduce climbing
• Shrubs and bushes should be kept
below one meter
• Effective lighting covered in the next
section will help prevent criminals
hiding