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Physical security risks in commercial and government sites: How to protect your premises

Anyone who runs a profitable business knows the risk to their premises, staff and equipment. For those in particular industries – including agriculture, forestry, public transport, energy and defence – the risks are even more significant.

The 2018 Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey demonstrates the very real threat these businesses and others face every day from opportunistic criminals

Security in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Sectors

In the UK alone, the number of crimes reported annually runs into the tens of thousands.

Robbery

2,000

Vehicle-related theft

3,000

Assaults and threats

5,000

Fraud

13,000

Burglary

17,000

Theft

12,000

Vandalism

27,000

Trespassing

31,000

Poaching/hare coursing

24,000

Use of vehicles on land

22,000

Worrying livestock

14,000

Unauthorised occupancy

4,000

Grazing animals without permission

2,000
As the table shows, premises with high-value equipment face extremely high risk; a total of 176,000 incidents were reported in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors in the most recent crime survey (2018).

Security in other sectors

Prisons

But it’s not just commercial businesses that are at risk. Facilities such as prisons, railways and power plants also suffer from high rates of crime.
 
Recent prison data in the UK reveals the following statistics for the year 2018-2019:
  • 3 escapes from prison establishments and HMPPS escorts
  • 6 escapes from contractor escorts
  • Only 37.3% of prisons are performing at the highest standard for sufficient security measures. Almost 6% of prisons have the lowest possible rating.
These statistics are set to rise as the prison budget falls. Current prison spending is 15% lower than it was in 2010, which has a knock-on effect on prison security overall.

Railways

The railways have faced similar challenges when it comes to tackling crime. The British Transport Police reported 68,313 notifiable crimes in 2018-19. In particular, the use of rail to facilitate drug trafficking is worryingly on the rise.

According to the BTP’s annual report, around 40% of delays and disruptions on the railways are due to police-related incidents, including trespass, fatalities, attempted suicides, incidents at level crossings, cable theft, bridge strikes and people in precarious positions.

Power Plants

In some sectors, preventing crime in the first instance is a higher concern than past statistics. One such example is nuclear power plants, which pose a real risk of a terrorist attack; a concern outlined by the World Nuclear Association.

In fact, since the 2001 terror attacks in America, the US has modified the law to make it a legal requirement to ensure the physical security of nuclear sites through measures such as barriers, bulletproof security stations and other physical modifications. These changes have cost an estimated $2bn to implement. More information about the USA’s nuclear power plant security measures can be read here.

The importance of perimeter detection

Criminal damage, theft, terrorism and other incidents can only occur if the intruder reaches their target on your premises. By using an early warning system, you can pre-detect an intruder before they reach their target. By doing this, you significantly increase your opportunity to prevent the crime from taking place, to minimise damage, and to increase the likelihood of securing a conviction.What’s more, you decrease the chance of harm to your employees and site visitors

Introducing the InvisiFence

Safe Security Solutions are proud suppliers of the InvisiFence – the ultimate in perimeter defence technology.

The InvisiFence creates an invisible fence around an area, in addition to or in place of a physical fence. The underground buried sensors detect vibrations from above, distinguishing between wildlife, footsteps and vehicular movement. When an intruder is detected, a direct notification is sent to the owner via email or MMS – or to the onsite or remote control room using our Command and Control software system.

The features of InvisiFence

  • There is no infrastructure required for installations; the InvisiFence is suitable for any premise however remote
  • Weatherproof sensors
  • A covert system which is invisible and vandal-proof
  • Maintenance-free
  • The InvisiFence runs on mains power, but that doesn’t mean remote locations cannot benefit. The alternative of battery or solar-powered energy can cater for a diverse range of landscapes.
  • Detects intrusion both from above and below ground
  • InvisiFence can be used as a standalone security measure or be integrated with existing systems
  • Self-learning algorithms minimise false alarms
  • The InvisiFence can detect movement within a 10-25m radius of each sensor
  • Installation is easy

Contact Safe Security Solutions today

The requirements of each premise are completely bespoke. The application of the system, the size of the area to be secured, and the system integration needs vary between sites.

This is why we recommend getting in touch with Safe Security Solutions to discuss your needs with an expert and receive a custom quote.Call us today on 020 8555 6800 or email [email protected].