Target hardening measures are techniques used to make a property more difficult for another to infiltrate. Whether it's a petty thief or a merciless terrorist, the building, structure, and grounds are designed to present multiple obstacles to a criminal, so they eventually become frustrated and move on. The more work they need to do and the more danger it presents, the less likely they are to follow through with the plan. When we think of terrorists, we tend to think of those that make the headlines. From crashed planes to bombed buildings, these heinous acts are often intended for high-profile properties. The problem with these associations is that it can give us an impression that smaller organizations aren't at risk. Yet the truth is that anyone and anything can be a terrorist target. It helps to understand the techniques that can stop an attack long before it actually occurs, and how crime prevention can be fully integrated into everyday life.
Target Hardening Techniques
Target hardening examples can range from the intuitive to the complex. For example, putting up a fence around a property or floodlights in the darkest corners of the grounds. This presents criminals with two obstacles to contend with if they want to access the property. They first need to figure out how to get past the gate and then work out how to remain unseen at the time of the crime. Target hardening starts with the most basic levels of protection. You should first look at the property the way a criminal would see it and determining where you need to increase your security. So if you were protecting a school, you might start by placing more video cameras up around the entry points. You should also consider virtual attacks, meaning you might need to introduce advanced encryption techniques to protect your data.
Preventing Crime with Target Hardening
Target hardening crime prevention starts with understanding who will be impacted by the changes you're making. While you certainly want to make a property more unwelcoming to a criminal, you don't want it to come at the expense of those you are trying to welcome. Stationing armed guards everywhere you turn at a shopping mall may make it safer in the case of a terrorist threat, but it might scare off customers too. You can instead choose to integrate your security with natural or unseen barriers. For instance, a rain garden is both beautiful and a natural deterrent for criminals. There are also new geofencing tactics to prevent vehicle attacks. Invisible to the public but highly useful to law enforcement, tracking the criminals is a way to prevent terrorism before criminals even reach the target.
Contact Kontek Industries
Every property owner has to strike a delicate balance when it comes to protecting both the people on the property and the property itself. Determining the best possible security can be a frustrating equation to solve, largely because every owner needs to base it on the individual features of their property. Instead of trying to copy other security tactics, it might be better to call an expert. Kontek Industries offers a number of services and products that offer true terrorism prevention. We understand the science behind target hardening criminology and our infrastructure solutions are designed to keep terrorists of every variety at bay. Give us a call today if you want to learn more about hardening the target.
