Situational Crime Prevention: Security Risk Management - 25 Tips

Crime prevention remains one of the primary objectives of security risk management, in conjunction with harm prevention, loss/asset protection and risk mitigation.

However, consistent crime prevention frameworks and methodologies remain extremely inconsistent within the application of of security or risk management practices.

That is, solutions, artefacts, technology and manpower dominate many security and risk management narrative without adequate consideration or design for specific crime prevention practices, controls and units of measure or efficacy.

Notwithstanding context, universal crime prevention frameworks serve as a starting point or model upon which to start, review and improve security and risk management practices or investments.

Here are 25 Crime Prevention techniques for consideration and application

Increase Effort

Just make it too difficult to consider you, your location or your asset as a target for crime

1. Target Harden

Soft targets make for easy access, exploitation, harm, theft and damage. "Harden" means increasing protection and difficulty to achieve these aims.

2. Control Tools/Weapons

Don't leave instruments, tools or other stuff laying around that could be used as a weapon or means to break in, gain access or cause harm and/or result in theft.

3. Screen Exits

Don't let people leave without consideration, observation or control of their departure. Don't make it a prison, but watch the exits and increase the options for detection, delay and capture for bad actors.

4. Control Access

Conversely, ensure entry and access are managed and controlled activities. Free-rein and access increase options and potential for exploitation by many means and methods. Don't forget, it isn't all just about gates, locks, walls and other fortress options.

5. Deflect Offenders

Known troublemakers, thieves, hostiles, criminals and offenders have rights. But access may be a temporary or permanent loss of access privileges.

Increase the Risks

Introduce or elevate the chances of observation, detection, defeat or detention if seeking to commit a crime or exploit asset/s. .

6. Extend Guardianship

Visible, known or expected monitoring may reduce the desire and opportunity to offend. Watchful and dedicated humans and systems act as guardians and protectors. The absence of such roles invites access and potential exploitation.

7. Assist Natural Surveillance

You can't prevent and protect what you can't see (within reason). Line-of-sight, the ability to observe, being seen to observe and the sense of being watched aide in controlling crime and criminal activity, for the most part.

8. Strengthen Formal Surveillance

Make surveillance a formal process and resourced. Not everyone's role, as no-one person is then accountable or empowered to act, creating gaps and exploitable vulnerabilities in practices and systems.

9. Reduce Anonymity

Meet, greet, document and engage with everyone. Everyone may be welcome, but everyone is also acknowledge and observed. Nameless, anonymous people and practices are minimised.

10. Utilise Place Managers

Accountability and responsibility creates purpose and action. Dedicated people to manage space, place and activities act as guardians and apply active management, control and practices to environments.

Reduce the Rewards

Make the risks greater than the possible or perceived rewards. Even reduce the value or prospect of return/reward for those seeking to gain.

11. Disrupt Markets

Illegal, questionable or related activities occur in and around your location, make it less attractive to conduct such behaviours or activities within your vicinity.

12. Conceal Targets

Don't let everyone see the valuable stuff or all that makes value.

13. Identify Property

Tag, engrave, document, register and control your stuff.

14. Deny Benefits

Don't let them do it, profit, succeed or prevail.

15. Remove Targets

Put away attractive items. Relocate, transfer, conceal or reduce those things that motivate bad actors or bad behaviour.

Reduce Provocations

Make good manners, polite/respectful communications and customer service a means of reducing crime or triggering negative events.

16. Neutralise Peer Pressure

Don't let the mob or group encourage or escalate negative sentiments or events.

17. Discourage Imitation

Don't reward or empower similarly bad behaviour, events or activities.

18. Reduce Emotional Arousal

Don't let human emotions and responses escalate or get out of control... or let it spread.

19. Reduce Frustration and Stress

Treat people humanly, politely, respectfully and without prejudice. Don't dismiss your own poor behaviour as being neutral or unrelated, especially when it comes to customer service or human rights.

20. Avoid Disputes

Don't argue, dispute or inflame the situation or openly annoy others. Not an easy ask by any means, but reduce triggers and potential for conflict.

Remove Excuses

Make it abundantly clear what is required, acceptable, tolerated and not permissible or forbidden.

21. Set Rules

Don't let people or groups determine standards, morals, values and normative practices. Prescribe rules.

22. Control Drugs and Alcohol

Manage factors that alter or distort human actions, thinking, perception, values and behaviours.

23. Assist Compliance

Help people know what is required, done and accepted. Do it politely and consistently too. Educate, enable, empower and include people in getting things right and consistent

24. Alert Conscience

Place prevention, protection, security and risk management on the daily agenda. Make it visible, discuss it, create awareness.

25. Post Instructions

Don't make security or risk management a secret. Advertise, promote and communicate requrements, outcomes and efforts.

In sum, crime prevention requires active security risk management. These 25 tips and techniques provide a framework for start, comparison and review of security, risk management and protection of assets.

Tony Ridley, MSc CSyP MSyI M.ISRM

Security, Risk & Management Sciences