A PLAN FOR SECURE LIVING
MEETING OUR CHALLENGES
Creating a secure estate is not simply a problem for technology or guards.
The thinking that surrounding oneself with high walls and the latest technology leads to a feeling of being safer than ever before, is a misconception – according to South Africa’s foremost experts on estate security, this instead leads to a false sense of safety and is often a blind spot that criminals are able to exploit.
Complacency is not an option – nor is the one of adopting a knee-jerk reaction following a security related incident.
The safety and security of residents and staff are paramount and Dune Ridge will take a forward-looking approach to reduce the risks of security related incidents from occurring in the first place. In this, two factors are of primary importance.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
This is a key factor when adopting an effective security strategy. It is vital to keep informed of what is going on both inside and outside of the Estate, as even the best security technology cannot stop a determined criminal. As an example, criminal elements have been known to rent a property or utilise 3rd parties to gain access into security developments, in order to orchestrate crimes from the inside. This scenario would be impossible to spot if not for the Estate’s own residents and Managers being constantly vigilant.
Dune Ridge will adopt a proactive approach:
- frequently check their procedures for blind spots;
- running mock exercises to test processes and procedures.
- investigate new technologies and
- invest in better security infrastructure with a caveat on any upgraded technology deployed, will be appropriate to the estates’ needs and budget.
The Estate will actively engage with all stakeholders to improve knowledge on current crime trends to build situational awareness and adopt a complementary approach. The Estate will build its relationships with our neighbouring estates, corporate bodies and local law enforcement, to exercise a policy of sharing information on security matters that will impact on its residents.
A LAYERED APPROACH
RESIDENTS — At the centre of the layered security approach are the residents homes. The onus is on all residents to maintain their own security procedures at home. As an example, ensuring doors, windows, garages, alarms etc are locked and activated when unoccupied, at night or away for any extended periods of time; this could also include watching out for your immediate neighbours.
DUNE RIDGE ESTATE — The next layer will be the estate; having responsibility to maintain security on access points and the perimeter, monitoring visitors and adopting processes in support of these functions.
BBMPOA ESTATES — By building working relationships with the BBMPOA and our neighbouring estates we can share ideas, best practice and security related information.
LAW ENFORCEMENT — The outer layer, will be the emergency services such as SAPS, CoCT Law Enforcement, CCTV, Armed Response and other security companies in the area; providing high visible patrols and responding to security incidents when required.
Many Estates invest in technology and procedures, but systems degrade over time.
Maintenance agreements are critical for any security system to operate optimally, so Dune Ridge will build its strategy for maintenance of key security infrastructures around three pillars:
PEOPLE
- staff training
- professional skills and qulifications
- adequate resources to function
- engaging with stakeholders
PROCESSES
- documented procedures
- maintenance frameworks
- adopting best practices
- regular audits and testing
TECHNOLOGY
- investigate and invest
- practical and affordable
- competent staff for deployment
[Excerpts from Security Strategy document by Clive ANSELL, Dune Ridge HOA, 2019.]
