A group of thieves attempted to ram-raid a German jewelers shop late on the night of January 4 with their sights set on the numerous display cases full of valuable gems. This time, however, their enthusiasm was brought to an embarrassing and abrupt end as the vehicle got trapped in a protective shutter. In fact, the vehicle was so wedged in that the doors wouldn’t open and the would-be thieves had to climb out through the tailgate. Jeweler 1: Thieves 0.

While these guys used a car to help them, this article will concentrate on less violent methods of gaining illegal access, and how we can prevent that.

When the Boundary Has Been Breached

Of all the high-risk places to live in the world, security companies in South Africa in particular have had to come up with ever more effective boundary breach prevention measures. Their solutions could be considered particularly ‘nasty’, if not illegal, in some countries. Whatever, they are effective. The spiky method of deterring wall jumpers is excellently demonstrated by Spike-It, who have a range of decorative as well as forbidding products. Among other security products, the Canadian company Senstar offers stun fencing or non-lethal electrified fencing and detection systems. It is essential, though, to check the legality of such measures in your location, as well as your insurance policy, before installing such a device.

Assuming the boundary has been breached, the ‘holes in the wall’, i. e. the doors and windows of the property, are the places to protect by using mechanical and electronic means that either deter an attempt in the first place, or make it so difficult to get in that intruders resign to defeat and go away. The intention here is to make entry either unattractive, obviously time-consuming or downright impossible.

Anti-climb Paint, High-resistance Windows and Steel Bars

Different construction specifications and standards around the world don’t make the work of the intruder defense equipment manufacturers easy. They have to devise products that can be fitted to wooden, metal or plastic window frames of all shapes and sizes, and many just concentrate on geographic regions to limit the number of variants that they have to produce. Abus is an exception and supplies a wide range of hardware worldwide that fits the regional construction norms and complies with local standards and regulations.

The windows on the ground (US: first) floor are considered most vulnerable and often fitted with additional security measures. One floor up, however, and you will often find no measures at all, making these windows an easy target for agile ‘parcour’ intruders. Anti-climb paint, such as that supplied by Rawlins Paints, applied to gutter downpipes and poles can thwart their efforts, although there must be warning signs that this petroleum-based oily substance is in use.

External steel bars fixed into the masonry make it absolutely impossible to climb through a window, but they can only be fitted if they enhance rather than spoil the building’s appearance, the walls are substantial enough and, importantly, if there is an alternative fire escape route. Cardea Solutions supply removeable internal security measures that solve the problem of emergency exit capability. Attractive external window gates and grates in various finishes are manufactured in Italy and also exported by Windowo.

So then we rely on the window (frame) itself for the next line of defense. In Europe, this is categorized by a resistance class value given as RC1, RC2 (N), RC3 etc. The Italian manufacturer Ponzio delivers its impressive, high-resistance windows in many different countries to both private and commercial customers, with an architect support team for larger projects. The Concept System 77 from Reynaers can also be supplied to meet various different resistance classes while maintaining good insulation and acoustic isolation properties.

Illuminators Combined with PTZ Cameras

Statistically, very few break-ins occur through the front door of a property, so although this must resist quick attacks during darkness or periods of absence, it is probably not the most vulnerable door in the building. These are the side entrances and doors at the rear, in particular when they are located in alleys or locations that are not otherwise in general view – intruders hate an audience. So strategies to protect them include bright lighting, obvious camera surveillance, as well as mechanical protection, such as a sturdy shutter and excellent locks.
Bright lighting that reacts to movement can be obtained from the local DIY shop, but illuminators from Raytec, for example, provide visible or infra-red light for surveillance cameras, or both together in a hybrid housing. They can also be remotely controlled and integrated into many leading video management systems. You may also like to see what Wiseled have on offer. Apart from white and infra-red long-range units, they also provide ‘dazzlers’ that make further progress for intruders almost impossible. Their Starling product, for example, combines an illuminator with a PTZ camera from Axis in one housing.

The choice of security surveillance cameras on the market these days is bewildering. Domestic users can quite cheaply fit a WLAN-capable model – some even with nighttime infra-red support – and connect it through their router to home PCs, tablets or mobile phones. For more durable and higher-performance cameras, you might choose from the outdoor camera range of Mobotix, who seem to have thought of every conceivable installation scenario. The main aspect is that potential intruders realize that they are being watched. Idis provide complete video surveillance systems: cameras, recorders, and analysis software to do the job.

Security Roller Shutters

Shutters – either inside or outside – are also very effective, as successfully demonstrated to our jewelry thieves. The long-established manufacturer Heroal can deliver security roller shutters that not only deter and prevent access but also look attractive, too. They work together with private customers, architects and installers to find the ideal product from their palette. The Murax range from La Toulousaine meets various European security certifications and will certainly make potential intruders think twice before attempting a break-in.

Of course, a simple sign that says some security measures have been installed here can make opportunistic intruders pause before considering breaking in. Captain Safety in the UK have a wide range of suitable signs in English – there are comparable companies in other countries producing similar signs in the local language. And when the range of potential solutions mentioned above doesn’t appear to cover your particular situation, then you should at least put up a secure fence, then pay a visit to the local animal rescue center and take on the services of Gnasher, the Rottweiler guard dog.

Suppliers

Abus | www.abus.com/eng/
Axis Communications | www.axis.com
Captain Safety | captainsafety.co.uk
Cardea Solutions | cardea-solutions.com
Heroal Shutters | www.heroal.de/en/
IDIS Video | www.idisglobal.com
La Toulousaine | www.la-toulousaine.com
Mobotix | www.mobotix.com
Ponzio Windows | www.ponzioaluminium.com
Rawlins Paints | www.rawlinspaints.com
Raytec Illuminators | www.raytecled.com
Reynaers Windows | www.reynaers.com
Senstar | senstar.com
Spike-It | www.spike-it.co.za
Windowo | www.windowo.com
Wiseled | www.wiseled.com
Animal Rescue Center |
www.internationalanimalrescue.org

This article was a special focus in our print magazine 1/2023: Find more in the e-Version of our magazine here.