Business Security Information

This week, I read two stories that prompted me to write this post.  The first was about construction sites using wireless security camera systems to reduce vandalism and theft.  Wireless security camera  systems were being used because of the temporary nature of construction sites.  The system can be taken down and used at another construction site when the job is completed.  The second story was about the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a couple from Florida.  If you have not read the story, a number of men broke into the couple’s home and killed the couple while eight of their children were in the house.  If I remember correctly, the couple actually adopted 12 children with many of them having a variety of developmental disabilities.  They have a total of 16 children.  The couple had an extensive security camera system in the home, as much for security as to keep track of the children when they were in the house and yard.  The security camera footage provided some leads for the police but sadly did not prevent the crime from happening.

The reason I bring up these two stories is that security camera systems by themselves do not provide adequate security.  Quality security cameras systems that are setup to record events usually can provide some leads for the police after a crime has been committed, but, in my experience, are not always a good deterrent to crime.  Like in the Billings’ case, the criminals wore masks and did not appear to be concerned that they were being recorded by the security camera system.  I see so many businesses today that just depend on surveillance camera systems for their physical security and really have no other security measures in place.  If security camera systems are really a deterrent, you would not see banks and mini-marts with surveillance systems being robbed.  No matter if it is for home security or to protect your business, do not depend solely on security camera systems.

Security camera systems can and should be part of your security plan.  Physical security requires that you follow four principles of security that I have discussed in previous articles.

1. You must slow them down.
2. You must know that the criminal is there.
3. You must have an adequate response to the threat.
4. You must implement security in a layered approach.

For the case of a construction site, you may have temporary security fencing as one layer, then have tools being secured in a portable storage unit, and larger pieces of equipment being secured together with security cable and locks.  Depending on the situation, you may implement other physical barriers to slow them down, but this gives you an idea of what I am talking about.  This covers the first principle of trying to slow them down along with layered security because you are using more than one physical security measure, and they must bypass the different layers to reach their objective.  You may also install a wireless security camera system with motion detection built in along with an intrusion alarm system for the lot and portable storage unit.  These systems if installed correctly and monitored (meaning the alarm signal goes somewhere) should let you know that something is occurring at your job site, home or place of business.  Lastly, you must have an adequate response meaning someone can respond to the alarm in a timely manner.

Layered security can be implemented in each of the first three security principles.  You can have more than one physical barrier to slow them down, use more than one type of security sensor to make sure you know the criminal is there, and you can use the local police as well as  private security officers to respond to the security issue.  In all three of these principles, you have the opportunity to use more than one layer of security.  By doing this, if one layer is beaten by the criminal or fails for some reason, you still should have some form(s) of security.  If you just install a security camera system for security you really have no other layers of security.  Their are no other physical security measures in place that will slow them down enough that you can respond to the security issue.  Also, you do not have any way of knowing about the security issue since a security camera system by itself does not provide any type of intrusion alarm system.  When planning your security for your business or home, make sure you follow these four basic security principles and don’t rely solely on security cameras.

Related posts:

1. Physical Security
2. Electronic Article Surveillance Systems
3. The Role of a Security Alarm System