Offenders and regular users of space alike can observe environmental cues that indicate, “This is a safe place,\u201d or \u201cThis place appears to be unsafe.\u201d Sophisticated, expensive security is not the sole solution to ensure the physical safety and security of your work site. Organizations should take advantage of natural opportunities beyond security personnel and equipment to make their physical work environments safer for all those who work at or visit the premises.<\/p>\n
Basic principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) include target hardening (controlling access to buildings and conducting surveillance on specific areas to reduce opportunities for crime to occur) and territorial reinforcement (increasing the sense of security in settings that encourage informal control of the environment). CPTED can be viewed as part of a comprehensive crime prevention strategy.<\/p>\n
Crime patterns are generally influenced by factors such as lighting, natural barriers, street layouts, traffic flows, railways and land use. Tolerating general disrepair sends a clear signal to potential criminals and other undesired users that the site is fair game. Conversely, it makes employees and others feel unsafe. Situational prevention techniques can be used to prevent crime by reducing the convergence of offenders and targets in vulnerable locations.<\/p>\n
Considerations for Workplace Environments<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Crime prevention design strategy must enhance (or at a minimum not impair) the effective use of the space along with preventing crime. CPTED involves design of physical space in the context of the needs of authorized users of the space, the normal and expected (or intended) use of the space, and the predictable behavior of authorized users and offenders. Properly designed CPTED will recognize the designated use of the space, define the crime problem related to, and the solution compatible with, the designated use.<\/p>\n Low-tech security measures can provide subtle, yet reliable effects:<\/p>\n Where to Begin<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Steps taken to incorporate CPTED into a security program must first include a process to identify the threats to the organization. Understanding threats that are specific to the workplace and immediate surrounding environment include both natural\/biological hazards and technological\/human-induced hazards. Once threats have been identified, a prioritized approach should be implemented. While it is obvious that threats to which your organization is highly vulnerable must be addressed promptly, any identified threats that can be mitigated quickly and with little cost should be considered early on (i.e., take care of low hanging fruit now!).<\/p>\n For assistance with security-related initiatives, contact Odin Enterprises today. We maintain an extraordinarily experienced cadre of Subject Matter Experts (SME) who provide consulting and instruction in multiple disciplines in order to identify and counter traditional and asymmetric threats.<\/p>\n\n