Security and Theft
Most crime reduction measures are common sense but, sadly, they are not common practice.
In part II of his article, Tom James questions the police about security issues, investigates what deterrents there are on the market and finds out what one
manufacturer is doing to make their products more secure
I
t is often said that prevention is better than cure, so a little effort to reduce the risk of an attack on premises or sportsgrounds will save time, money and heartache in the
long run. So says Andrew Gregory, Crime
Prevention Design Advisor/Crime Reduction Officer for West Midlands police, who urges that, for specialist advice, a club’s first port of call should be his local equivalent, who will be able to carry out a thorough survey of your site. “First, remember that many crimes
are opportunistic, so the thief will not necessarily have planned an attack but, because a simple opportunity has arisen (leaving grass-cutting equipment unattended on a sportsfield), they take it.
Clubs can conduct a simple survey themselves, he continues, yet rarely do people have any idea how a thief operates. They also have little knowledge about basic crime reduction measures.
As most thefts are opportunistic, try and look at your building or site “through a thief’s eyes”, he suggests. Criminals try to
pick premises that look unoccupied, have little or no obvious security and where they think they won’t be seen or apprehended. “The technique that we employ in all security surveying, however large or small, is called the ‘Onion-peeling principle’, Gregory explains.
“Imagine peeling off the layers off an onion. The process simply means starting at the outside and working inwards to the ‘risk target’ (what the potential offender might want to damage or steal). In practice, this involves some preparation before visiting the sportsground or building.” Clubs then need to look at the
environment - outside the perimeter or boundary - and work into the centre of the area that is to be protected (the interior). “This process applies to every type of building, from detached houses with gardens through to a bedsit in a shared house,” he adds. “It also includes commercial buildings, sportsgrounds, garages, outbuildings and sheds.” Next, look at the perimeter or boundary, and the state of the walls, fencing or other barriers. “We examine the shell of the property including windows, walls, doors and accessible roofs and, finally, work in towards the interior of the building - its layout, design and the property stored inside. Always bear in mind that a target can be in any of the layers.”
At each layer,
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