By: Keith Harris
When you are evaluating a site and its surroundings for purposes of a security project deployment, it’s important to consider the layers of security around the location. The needs at a specific site can and will vary greatly depending on the project requirements. The idea of “layers of security” is simple and can be applied with adaptation to each physical security project. Consider this image that I’ve applied to the State Capitol in Austin, TX.
This is a big property with many high-level assets. Many important people are making their way in and out of this building every day. The Capitol Police force is charged with maintaining security on this property covering a large area.
Secure
When we look at the capitol building itself, we see a central location where all major assets and personnel converge. The center area is considered as the highest target for security. This is the Secure Zone. For the security plan, you will need the highest number of CCTV cameras in this zone.
Patrol
In the next ring out, we have the Patrol Zone. This is still on the property but it’s a less secure area. This specific location has a park-like setting surrounding the capitol building. This is an environmentally designed area that separates the secure area from busy, crowded streets downtown. The pathways and driveways are controlled and through-traffic is restricted. It’s a space that is designed to be used and enjoyed by the public, but it doubles as a security layer surrounding the Secure Zone. We call this a patrol area because the Capitol Police force protects this area. They might do this by foot patrol, limited vehicle patrol, or surveillance monitoring. But, it’s important to note, they don’t have as many cameras, security devices, or personnel in the Patrol Zone as they would in the Secure Zone. We’re moving away from a high priority area to a medium priority area.
Observe
As we move further away from the State Capitol building, we enter the Observe Zone. This is an area that surrounds the park and includes some city streets and surrounding buildings. The Observe Zone will be low-priority in comparison to the Patrol Zone and Secure Zone. There will be fewer cameras covering this area. Foot patrols will decrease. And, the area may even limit the number of vehicle patrols. Enforcement and monitoring measures are decreasing as we move further away from the central target of security. The Capitol police are going to keep an eye on these areas for potential threats, but they are minimizing the amount of attention needed for outlying areas.
Unsecured
Finally, there is an unsecured zone on the outer edge. This area may not be monitored at all with CCTV cameras or patrols. Citizens can move through this area unrestricted and not monitored.
The security manager can take these concentric rings of security and apply it to any site. It can be modified to fit certain scenarios and adapted for many different sites requiring security.
