Homeland Security Begins with Hometown Security
On August 3, 2010 former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, announced that the best way to combat violence extremism and terrorism is by empowering local law enforcement agencies, citizens and communities.
Powerful words, but some would argue that was all they were — just words. Statements are easy to make; following up these statements with legitimate knowledge and education, and arming individuals with knowledge, is much harder… and extremely expensive.
I give the Department of Homeland Security a lot of credit. They have taken the appropriate steps needed to educate and equip emergency responders, such as law enforcement, fire and EMS; however, I also believe they have come up short in the education of the communities and its citizens. The Department of Homeland Security needs to understand that community members are the extended eyes and ears of law enforcement. Police agencies cannot be everywhere nor can they see everything. Law enforcement relies on citizens to relay critical information in an effort to help detect, deter and prevent terrorism.
In an effort to strengthen homeland security, we must act upon the advice of former Secretary Napolitano who stated, “Homeland Security begins with Hometown Security.”
To accomplish this, we must educate the citizens who make up our communities about basic physical security measures. This knowledge will give citizens an opportunity to take an active part in strengthening the security of their own homes and businesses.
This is just the first step. Once homes and businesses are secure, the benefits stretch out into the community, having a positive impact on neighborhoods and cities. The goal is to increase the security of this great nation by empowering citizens with key foundational knowledge about basic security measures. In order to achieve this goal, the following information is provided in the hopes that it will educate the public on basic physical security measures.
Physical Security 101
Home and business owners should account for the security of their facilities. “Security measures” are simple means to prevent unwanted intrusion. With this in mind, the following questions should be taken into consideration by home and business owners.
Fencing is the first line/barrier of defense, and individuals should ask themselves the following questions:
- Is my fencing strong and in good repair?
- Is my fence high enough to prevent individuals from climbing over?
- Is the fence far enough away from my building or structure?
- Are there sight restrictions such as weeds, grass or trash preventing me from seeing through my fence, or provide a potential invader a means to hide?
- Are my fences locked?
The next step to protecting your facilities is the evaluation of your exterior doors. Again, questions that should be asked include:
- Are my doors strong and formidable?
- Are the door hinge pins located on the inside of my structures?
- Are the door frames well-constructed and in good condition?
- Are the locking mechanisms for my exterior doors deadbolt-type locks?
- Do my exterior doors have glass which, if broken, would allow a person to unlock and open the door?
- Are all my unused doors locked and secured?
After doors, windows are your next line of defense. Questions that should be addressed include:
- Are all my non-essential windows protected? Have I used brick, steel or iron bars to secure these non-essential windows?
- Are my windows and security bars mounted securely?
- Are all my windows within 14 feet of the ground equipped with protective glass, as to prevent smashing of my windows?
- Are the window locking mechanisms out of reach, in the event someone breaks the window?
- Are my windows alarmed, and if so, is the system adequate?
Exterior lighting is another layer of defense, and works as a deterrence. Questions which should be addressed include:
- Do I have any exterior lighting?
- Is the lighting adequate to illuminate critical areas such as driveways, walkways, alleys, fire escapes and ground windows?
- Is there sufficient illumination over my entrance ways?
- For those with businesses, is the perimeter area sufficiently to assist law enforcement/security’s surveillance of area?
- Can your exterior lighting be compromised easily, such as vandals unscrewing bulbs or breaking bulbs?
Key control is another important aspect of physical security, and pertains mainly to those who own businesses. Some basic but important questions include:
- How many keys do you have for your business?
- Is there a key control system, such as a log, and tracking who was issued keys?
- Can key holders duplicate keys? Do you have a policy against this and if so how is it enforced?
- Are keys marked, “Do Not Duplicate”?
- Are losses or theft of keys promptly reported to security / law enforcement?
- What is the process of changing locks that have been compromise? Are new keys issued?
- Are all keys accounted for? How often is an audit performed?
Locking mechanisms are the next layer of defense. The following questions should be addressed:
- Are all entrances equipped with locking mechanisms?
- Are all entrances locked when not in use?
- Are all locks in good working order?
- Are the bolts of the locks protected to prevent cutting?
- For those with businesses, are locks changed upon termination of employees?
The author of this document would like to stress that no security measure is ever a 100% guarantee of personal safety.
Home and business owners must take the appropriate steps necessary to actively protect their personal interests. The questions shared above are intended to serve as a stepping stone for home and business owners. If we, as citizens of the US, can keep our homes and businesses safe, then we should be able to keep our neighborhoods and cities safe. Once our cities and neighborhoods are safe, maybe together we can keep this great country of ours safe.
Brought to you by Scipio Securitas — Improving Homeland Security Awareness!
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