Pyracantha angustifolia, more commonly known as “narrowleaf firethorn” or “slender firethorn”, is a shrub that is used to add a layer of security to residential spaces. Practically impenetrable without special equipment, this species from the rose phylum creates a boundary up to six-feet tall and four-feet dense. Growing to be rigid and sustainable, this plant develops bright-colored berries in orange or red giving the warning, “do not eat”. With this firethorn the homeowner adds controlled access, a visual buffer, and reinforcement to their home or any other structure. It is one of many provisions to create safety through environmental protection, of a site and its surround.
Another variation of a natural layer of security, that was once commonly used, is Phyllostachys Aurea, also known as golden bamboo. This species was favored for its fast growth and dense nature. These attributes allowed homeowners to create a “fast and efficient” natural privacy wall to their property. The introduction of this species was too successful however and it has now become an invasive species across the United States. Despite its inevitable invasive nature, golden bamboo created safety through environmental protection.
Natural barriers are a common theme for residential areas. Hedges, rows of evergreens, and stone as separation and territory. This follows the principles of CPTED, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. This term was coined by Criminologist Dr. Clarence Ray Jeffery in the 1970’s and was further built-upon by practitioners including several board members of Internatioanl Association of Security consultants.
CPTED Principles
CPTED involves four main principles: surveillance, controlled access, territorial reinforcement, and management/maintenance.
Natural surveillance is giving the site high visibility, the ability to see and be seen effortlessly.
Natural access control is the ability to utilize physical features to influence the flow and ability of certain individuals to gain access to a site.
Territorial reinforcement is utilizing physical features to create a psychological affect on the occupants of a site, that creates a sense of ownership.
Management/maintenance is the upkeep of the site to maintain its current physical appearance and integrity.
In the security-world we have an integral principle known as “defense-in-layers”, CPTED is a great example of this. When its principles are put into play on their own, they are not effective. For example, if a site is maintained but no one has visibility, bad actors will use this as a target of opportunity. Through layering its four defensive principles, a strong physical defense is made that combats crime through visual cues and physical features. Therefore, in congruence, these principles work together to create the strategy of CPTED; used on their own they will not be effective.
CPTED Strategy
CPTED is all about strategy – and evidence based social engineering – to adjust site and operational conditions or expectations with counterbalanced mitigation techniques. Here are specific examples of social engineering conditions requiring appropriate, evidence-based, levels of physical security and electronic access controls as countermeasures for ten (10) client engagements; reflecting PSE’s decades of assessments and solutions.
These clients adopted those listed CPTED practices for 1) risk reduction and 2) crime mitigation. Operational fortitude offsets lack of maintenance. Lack thereof reflecting the costliness in crime and structural intgrety – compromising the ability to offset risk.
Inconspicuousness – A data centers computer assets can be both fungible assets; locking up/using the data. Or frangible; pilfering and destroying. In the 1980s the staff worked in data centers for a national broadcaster and a technical stock trade enterprise where physical security was critical. This is an example of physical CPTED that no longer works – because of an inside-out complex. Social engineering has a workaround – from the inside not the outside. There is an ability to come in the back door. Tapes, backup media, and sites are no longer the critical mass of the crime syndicate looking to steal data or money. Social engineering now requires authentication through two-factor and multifactor; our smart-card clients understanding this.
Anti-Protest – In the 1980’s pharmaceutical companies were beset with antivivisection; animal cruelty prevention advocates, who often broken into laboratories releasing animals under experiment, destroying years of research. Staff designed physical boundaries, bollards, and land berms to alleviate vehicle and personal destruction to site assets for a local International pharmaceutical firm.
Justice – Located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, brand new 70,000 square-foot expansion was added to the Monroe Courthouse. PSE was tasked with providing security solutions for the justices, staff, detainees, and the public. Working through CPTED issues with the Architects, CGL and Nelson, low-signature security provided positive-community feedback for the facility. The historic foundation measuring 100,000 square-feet was renovated for realignment to current operational needs.
Anti-Loitering/Anti-Mischief –The McMillan Residential (Slow Sand Filtration) Site is the perfect project example for implementing CPTED solutions in a residential area. PSE was hired to provide a Master Plan for this large residential DC development to meet increasing physical security needs. Improving both the appearance of and the levels of security. The nearby community was provided with safe travel through implementation of territory, borders, lighting, and signage. CPTED increased the public safety of the site.
Anti-Terrorism – PSE was hired to design security features for a Pennsylvania National Guard barracks in Southeastern PA. With concerns of terroristic-threats in mind, blast radius protections were engineered into the final product. Natural anti-vehicle barriers were put in place to not disrupt the features of a connecting public park. These adapted CPTED principles into a high-level effort to protect those who serve us.
Anti-Violence – One of our largest projects – for a pre-K through 8 school consisted of four schools on one 25-acre campus. Totaling $163 million construction cost, security started at the boundary with physical prevention, visual examination, and construction in such a way that anyone even vandalizing will be captured with at least video. It’s the actualization of preventative measures for 1) internal security and access control as well as 2) territorial control from school to school. This required CPTED understanding by the architect, RSC Architects of NJ, the builder, Terminal Construction of NJ, and PSE’s security systems designers to provide greater certainty to staff, teachers, parents, and school board.
Unfettered Access – One of PSE’s most challenging commissions was to certify the location for a site needing immediate transfer of extremely large amounts of currency – at all times. This financial exchange site required meeting all four tenants of CPTED listed above. Natural surveillance, access control, territorial reinforcement, and good surroundings/maintenance.
Defensive Posture – Several types of mission critical facilities require more than just hardening and more than just passive reinforcement. These include Department of Defense, Prisons, and Department of Energy projects. Post 9/11, PSE was tasked to investigate nuclear facilities to create defensive posture positions for gunnery positions throughout highly protected and secure acreage, often abutting water for cooling use. CPTED cannot be fully used because with any advanced paramilitary force, all this risk mitigation is of little use. And say further defensive posture with armed response teams.
Sustainable Mission – Even with CPTED there can be insurmountable challenges. The City of Philadelphia’s Police hired PSE as security specialists for providing ballistic force protection to their Administrative Building. The building houses Philadelphia’s finest, providing protection was PSE’s primary mission. Incorporating CPTED strategies into this project was difficult due to the limited confines of one of America’s oldest cities. An alternative mix of ballistic and non-ballistic windows were chosen to sustain the mission. This hybrid solution provided the building with significant protection at less cost, but did not incorporate CPTED principles.
Consolidation – The Kingstowne Regional Library and Franconia Governmental Center in Kingstowne, Virginia is a new $80 million-dollar government site. With 90,000 square-feet the facility houses Franconia Police Station, District Supervisor’s Office, Museum, and a secure-police parking garage. The library received a 30,000 square-foot expansion in a non-rural area. PSE utilized CPTED principles were to enhance the security through vehicle sally ports, door control, card access system, and video surveillance for perimeter security.
CEPTD STARTS with ASSESSMENTS
Assessments of sites are critical today to assure privacy, access, security, but also to prevent penetration or loss of site services such as water, power, heat, light, or incursion by water or other weather-related environmental aspects. Security through environmental protection takes on larger aspects the larger the project. And just as the environment changes, so does our surroundings. One financial firm was surprised to find after building a large facility a gas station was built abutting directly onto their sites rectangular footprint.
PSE’s comprehensive management includes command center design – highly integrated GUI touch/visually managed enterprise-wide communication and control centers – to manage global enterprise. These allow the incorporation of access control and monitoring which includes the following: video management systems control, fleet management, SCADA and BMS control, networked Video Surveillance System, GPS coordinated information flow, IP-based universal communications with IP over optical network and RF SIP Technology is moving into the wireless design mainstream.
PSE’s process of centralizing, monitoring, automating, and integrating advanced systems into state-of-the-art technologies has been demonstrated in hundreds of our projects; reflecting successful completion of your future project.
