Basic Security
Awareness for Crime Prevention
Being text of Paper Presented by Chief
Ollorwi Osaro at a One Day Security Sensitization Seminar for Community Trust
Chairmen and Surveillance Supervisors organized by SPDC/GMOU Eleme Cluster
Development Board on Monday 2nd March, 2015
Introduction
This paper sets out to introduce the participants to
the security landscape, roles of security in business and society, and
inculcate in them basic crime/loss prevention attitudes and improve their
capacity to anticipate, respond to and manage simple security activities in
their areas of responsibility. It is expected that the attendees will come away
with proven techniques and the judgment needed to gauge the vulnerabilities of
the facilities they protect in any situation.
What Is Security Awareness?
Security
awareness refers to the knowledge and attitude an individual possesses
regarding the protection of both tangible and intangible assets. It means the
level, quality of impact of security knowledge subsisting in an individual and
his attitudinal change resulting therefrom at any point in time. This level of
quality of security consciousness created by security awareness as a state of
mind in the eyes of the beholder is directly related to the reality of the security
programme he has been exposed to.
Being
security aware entails that you understand that there is the potential for some
people to deliberately or accidentally steal, damage, misuse or sabotage
corporate assets. But, it is your responsibility to try within the law to stop
them. Security awareness equips us to be security conscious and puts us on our
guard always.
The
awareness of risks and available safeguards is the first line of defense for
the assets. The focus of security
awareness is a shift in the attitude of the individual towards security and the
promotion of cultural and behavioural changes security-wise. In this context, a
potential law breaker (where security awareness is present and communicated)
will be wary and watchful before attempting to commit a crime or provoke loss.
Secondly, the potential offender having perceive or believe that security
awareness is in place will think twice before committing any crime for fear of
being caught, prosecuted and jailed.
Crime Triangle
The crime triangle defines those factors that
must be present for any crime commission. These are Desire, Motive and
Opportunity.
Crime Triangle
Desire
Motive
Opportunity
For
instance, for a loss to occur there must be:
1. Opportunity
to take
2. Opportunity
to remove
3. The
goods
4. A
perpetrator
You
can combat 1 and 2 above by deleting opportunity and controlling exists.
The
crime triangle as explained will remind us always that the important role
security awareness plays as a strategy against crime and loss is to institute
the 3Ds of Crime Prevention namely: Deter, Delay, and Deny Opportunity. In
crime prevention, your ability to deter, delay and deny opportunity helps you
be in firm control of the situation which the criminal need to make his desire
and motive materialize.
It
is common knowledge that most of us do a lot of things either out of ignorance,
carelessness, or negligence, if you like, which give us away to the criminal.
We tend to forget that the criminal is always planning and strategizing ahead
of us in most cases.
Therefore,
it is important that measures that will make the 3Ds part of our daily routines
are in place. When leaving your house to your duty post, while at your beat, or
returning home, build security into whatever you think, say, or do. The
ultimate goals of any security programme rests on the issue of awareness of the
security efforts in existence. Ask yourself, “Why security is always identified
with a colour or emblem?” The answer is VISIBILITY. What does visibility create? It creates
awareness and awareness creates a state of mind based on a reality – a viable
reality.
Give
Security a Reality
Most individuals or organizations fail to buttress
or validate the credibility of security efforts. The security effort is
validated when security success is amplified and properly communicated. When
judged by what did not happen, security programme becomes credible. Crime
prevention is the bottom-line of any security effort. And security efforts are
implemented primarily to prevent unwanted and undesirable incidence or crime.
This can only be accomplished by prevention through deterrence (PTD) based on
security awareness.
Presence
Security
awareness is created by large measure of PRESENCE, real presence. The “real”
attached to presence stands for quality. Quality has to do with prime
functionality, the security officer or surveillance guard doing his job the way
it should be done, the supervisor monitoring and inspecting his security
programme and the manager scanning the environment, reviewing and upgrading the
security measures from time to time in keeping with changing
realities/environment.
Measuring
Quality
Quality
in our case should be measured by three discernible factors notably:
a. Care
and effort in the selection process of methodology and personnel,
b. Care
and effort in preparing such personnel for their work, and
c. Care
and effort in managing daily performance of officers and function.
If you have quality people, train them well, and
they are conscious in their quality equipment and functions, then you probably
have a programme on which to build “security awareness”.
Total
Security Awareness
Our approach to security awareness must be total.
Security awareness must be taken beyond you; it must be contagious, otherwise
the little lapse that exists may render all efforts useless. Security awareness
should not be limited to you and your colleagues. It affects everybody that
chances to come unto your area of responsibility and even your individual
property. Though the presence of security officers, security routines or
procedures and “SEEN” efficiency of security officers is sufficient security
consciousness to the passersby, the facility security officer is another case
entirely. The security officer may be so accustomed to these routines,
procedures, and presence that he routinely fails to “SEE” the obvious. We
should know that in most cases, crimes do occur and succeed because the
employees fail to maximize the security opportunity at their disposal. They may
by so doing bring themselves, their supervisors and managers, and employer into
disrepute or outright danger.
Security
Ownership
Building and sustaining the culture of security
ownership is an important aspect in any security programme’s success. Security
ownership is a significant part of security success in any environment. The
culture of security ownership can be achieved and maintained through:
a. Real Ownership. Every stakeholder must own an interest in
security.
b. Communication.
The “owners” must be on the same page and in the “know” concerning security
situation at each point in time.
c. Collaboration.
The security programme should be structured to ensure smaller work units and
greater accountability, promoting a team-like environment.
Always
Anticipate Trouble
The best way you can protect yourself and the
facility is to anticipate trouble and take steps to avoid it. Target hardening
entails building up defensive screens to make both yourself and the assets
under your safeguard less vulnerable.
Create and Sustain Security Awareness
Creating and sustaining security awareness requires:
Ø regular
security education,
Ø background
check on applicants,
Ø induction
courses,
Ø signs
and posters,
Ø salary
alert messages and incorporation of bonus money as number of incidents in an
area decreases,
Ø communicating
security through policies,
Ø perpetuating
security awareness in the communities,
Ø recognizing
employees/citizens involvement in security,
Ø establishing
reward/award programmes,
Ø regular
environmental scanning, and
Ø analysis
of Threat – Reference – Adversary (TRA), which enables you to analyze all
possible threats and adversaries so that credible threats and adversaries can
be identified and this information used as a basis for planning, implementing
and reviewing security measures.
Generally,
TRA aims to educate, identify and clarify present and perceived threats and
adversaries lay groundwork for protection. The examples of these TRA include:
|
S/NO
|
THREAT
|
ADVERSARY
|
|
a.
|
Pipeline Vandalism
|
Ethnic Militias, Terrorist, and Other
Extremist Protesters
|
|
b.
|
Armed Attack
|
Terrorist, Ethnic Militias, Other
Extremist Protesters, Disoriented Persons
|
|
c.
|
Hostage Taking
|
Terrorist, Ethnic Militias, Other
Extremist Protesters, Disoriented Persons, Miscellaneous Criminal Groups,
Disgruntled persons, etc.
|
|
d.
|
Kidnapping
|
Terrorist, Ethnic Militias, Other
Extremist Protesters, Disoriented Persons, Miscellaneous Criminal Groups,
Organized Sophisticated Criminal Groups.
|
|
e.
|
Armed Robbery
|
Terrorist, Disoriented Persons and
Miscellaneous Criminal Groups.
|
|
f.
|
Political/Ritual Killing
|
Disoriented Persons, Organized Sophisticated
Criminal Groups, and Miscellaneous Criminal Groups
|
|
g
|
Cultism
|
Disoriented Persons, Organized
Sophisticated Criminal Groups, and Miscellaneous Criminal Groups
|
|
h.
|
Advance Fee Fraud
|
Organized Sophisticated Criminal
Groups and Miscellaneous Criminal Groups
|
There
is always overlap among adversary groups and this fact must be kept in mind by
all at all times.
Role of Security in
Business
The basic aim of security is to contribute to
business profits by reducing or eliminating preventable losses resulting from
all aspects of waste, accident, error, and crime (WAEC). Since the primary
goals of any organization is to be in service and to generate income, and that
it accomplishes these goals by providing effective customers’ service security
must contribute by reducing and if possible eliminate losses caused by internal
and external factors.
Security Basic Mind Set
The security programme must be effective by
identifying potential and perceives threats to the assets under safeguard, the
potential adversaries and vulnerabilities, and design appropriate safeguard
measures. This you can do effectively by understanding that:
1. Crime
simply cannot exist in an atmosphere of caution and security knowledge.
2. Criminals
will just go to another target when confronted by obstacles to their plans.
3. Any
person can be a criminal; hence everyone is a potential criminal provided the
figure, place, and circumstances (Desire, Motive, and Opportunity) are right
and favourable.
4. “Street”
criminals commit crimes in order to survive, and often three categories as
opportunity present themselves. These are:
a. Crimes
committed by fear, force, and violence.
b. Crimes
committed by device, document, and technology.
c. Crimes
committed by trick or deceit.
5. Professional
criminals commit crimes to support a lifestyle, and often limit themselves to
one of the three categories mentioned above.
6. If
a determined criminal really wants to commit a crime, he will find a way to do
so, regardless of any policies, procedures, laws, or regulations in place. That
is where security must reduce or eliminate the opportunity for a crime to be
committed by putting in place appropriate security measures from time to time.
Threats of Concern
Threat refers to a person, thing, or circumstance
likely to cause damage, danger, or harm. It is any thing that has the potential
to exploit a vulnerability or security failure to breach security and thus
cause harm. A threat can be intentional or accidental. In Nigeria, the oil
pipelines are vulnerable to several threats with diverse adversaries. These
threats which are of concern to us include: Oil Theft, Armed Attack, Civil
Unrest, Hostage Incident, Kidnapping, Sabotage, Pipeline Vandalization, etc.
Causes
of Oil Pipeline Sabotage and Vandalization
These threats which are perpetuated by such
adversaries as oil import contractors, smuggling mafia, and illegal oil
bunkerers who constitute themselves into Organized Sophisticated Criminal
Groups; including miscellaneous criminal groups, disgruntled persons,
disoriented persons, extremist protest groups, and terrorist groups are of
great concern to the society at large and security practitioners in particular.
In Eleme, the most likely threat groups are the
organized sophisticated criminal groups who reside in and around the pipelines
that conspire with outsiders to constitute regular threat to the oil products
pipelines. The use of hacksaws and blades to cut the pipes and siphoning of oil
from pipelines and other infrastructure has remained a major threat. The root
cause of pipeline vandalization is its vulnerability which is attributed to the
long distance and remoteness of the pipeline.
The second and equally important cause is the
exposure of the pipelines on ground surface which also make it vulnerable to
attacks.
Other causes which are beyond the scope of this
paper include hate, grievances, unemployment, poor social responsibility,
poverty, availability of small and light weapons, quest for materialism, etc.
Prohibition
of Oil Pipeline Sabotage
In Nigeria oil pipeline sabotage is prohibited in
Section 1 of the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act No.
353 of 1990. The Act defines a saboteur as any person who does aids another
person, or incites, counsels or procures any other person to do anything with
intent to obstruct or prevent the production or distribution of petroleum
products in any part of Nigeria or willfully does anything with the intent to
obstruct or prevent the procurement of petroleum products for distribution in respect
of any vehicle or any public highway with intent to obstruct or prevent the use
of that vehicle or that public highway for the distribution of petroleum products.
Accomplice
is Guilty of Economic Sabotage
The Act defines Sabotage as “The illegal or unauthorized
act of destroying or puncturing of oil pipelines so as to disrupt supply or to
siphon crude oil or its refined products for sale on the black-market, or any
other outlet. It includes such acts as oil bunkering, pipeline vandalization,
fuel scooping, and oil terrorism”. In this sense, any person or group of
persons involved in such an act is considered to be guilty of economic
sabotage.
What this portends is that any act by you to aid and
abet a vandal will render you guilty of economic sabotage; and you know what
that means. You will not only loose your job, but face prosecution and
imprisonment. This aims to create the necessary awareness.
Sabotage
is a Premeditated Crime
Sabotage is an intentional disruption of the
operation of an organization, very often involving destruction of property.
Sabotage is an intentional act, or failure to act, and is meant to damage the
property, personnel, moral, or general efficiency of an organization. It can be
perpetuated in several ways and often very difficult to find the specific
offender, but could be prevented through a well-crafted and strongly
implemented security programme that effectively addresses all the basic
security issues earlier mentioned.
Know
What Crime May Impact Clients
Private Security Officers/Surveillance guards are
not law enforcement agents, nor are you expected to act as police officers to
practice effective crime prevention tactics. You must attempt at all times to
know what crimes may impact the client, who is likely to commit them, how they
are likely to occur, and when they are likely to occur and then act
proactively. A surveillance guard should use detective techniques by:
a. Gathering
facts by observation and interview;
b. Assessing
those facts and determine their relative values’
c. Drawing
conclusions and planning a course of action; and
d. Acting
upon the course of action or making recommendations for others to follow.
Relevant
Tips
v You
should also encourage other community members to be vigilant and report any
threat to security around the facility to you.
v Take
note of strangers or loiters and suspicious incidents around the facility.
v Avoid
loose talk about assets under your protection.
v Do
not challenge an armed unrecognized visitor or non-pass wearing person (s).
v Ensure
that SPDC personnel and vendors have proper identification and work permit to
access the facility.
v Ensure
access to sensitive areas is limited.
v Always
make sure there is a clear view from your position.
v Unusual
telephone calls, particularly those in which the caller does not identify
himself or those in which it appears that the caller may be misrepresenting
himself should not be answered, especially if you are in the line.
Arrest
Although the private security personnel perform
functions similar to the public law enforcement officers, he has no formal
authority than an average citizen. Take note that you as private security
personnel are acting only on behalf of the person, business or organization
that hires you.
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