The desire to feel safe in your own home is a basic human requirement. Yet we constantly hear about trespassing, burglary, aggravated burglaries and vandalism carried out on private residences and their occupants. According to the British Home Office, in the UK homes are ten times more likely to be burgled if they don’t have basic security. Similarly, if properties are left vacant, unoccupied, are undergoing refurbishment or the occupiers are on holiday or are out of the area for long periods of time, they require security protection.
However, it is important to note that break-ins can have a multiplicity of meanings; for example, people may fear break-ins more for their potential for highly personal, violent victimisation ("home invasion") than for exclusively property loss. As a consequence, these experiences can often be traumatic, leaving people feeling threatened and vulnerable, creating a growing concern for home safety. Residential security, both in terms of individual residencies and private housing estates, is therefore becoming increasingly necessary.
As a consequence, hospitals are exposed to a broad range of threats, including employee and visitor thefts, threats and violence against patients or staff, and even baby abduction. It has been estimated that in the UK, crime costs the National Health Service more than £1 million every week. Security in hospitals must therefore always focus on the need to preserve essential healthcare facilities and provide a safe environment for staff and visitors.
Security in schools, colleges and universities has grabbed the media headlines in recent years because of multiple shooting incidents across the world. 18 people were killed in two incidents in Finland, one person in Canada, three in Argentina and 32 in two separate incidents in Germany. The USA has experienced 72 deaths in seven college shootings, including the 32 people killed at Virginia Tech University and the 13 deaths at Columbine High School. Whilst these dramatic statistics cannot be ignored in terms of assessing risk, they belie the fact that the overriding threats facing most schools and colleges are more likely to be about thefts, assaults, vandalism and antisocial behaviour. Security in schools and colleges must always be focused on the need to preserve essential education facilities and provide a safe environment for staff and students.