Effective Security Measures for Municipal Buildings

According to the FBI’s report A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013’, Rockne Newell entered the Ross Township meeting, in 2013, held in the municipal building, with a rifle and a handgun and started shooting, killing three people and wounding one. He had a history of disputes with the Ross Township over permits for his home.  In 2010 an unidentified shooter entered the Department of Public Works, in Washington DC, and killed one person and wounded another. The shooter was still at large in September of 2014.

Common workplace violence presented at all levels of government includes:

• Upset, angry or uncontrollable citizens who may pose a threat
• Targeted threats to officials
• Disgruntled current, former employees and contractors
• Domestic violence in the workplace

Some municipalities are seeing theft of town property and assets such as air-conditioners, laptops, fuel etc.  Local governments must provide security measures in municipal buildings to effectively protect their employees, citizens, assets and information.  Budgetary constraints make it difficult for governments to allocate the resources necessary for physical security augmentation.  For example, some towns may not have the funding for additional personal to increase security in municipal buildings such as court houses, or county office buildings. Using less expensive security measures that still ensure a safe workplace for county employees, citizens, property and assets are available.

There are a number of options for municipalities to choose from including:

• Implementing an Access Control system will restrict access to certain areas by date and time according to rank, thus creating an audit trail of who went where and when.
• Using Biometric Access Control eliminates the possibility of an employee’s card being used by someone else. This is an effective way to bolster the security of high ranking officials’ offices.
• Using an Emergency Lock-down system will activate locks immediately on all doors in the building with the swipe of one person’s access card.
• High-Resolution Security Cameras use IP and Megapixel Video Surveillance to ensure that proper recognition is made using a 360 and 180 degree security camera. This ensures that incidents aren’t missed due to a lapse in coverage. Using Portable Monitors, any camera can be called up for view in the event of an alarm or at the discretion of the officer.  
• Key Control provides every employee access to only the areas necessary for their job, while holding them accountable.  If there is a security breach rekeyable locks can instantly be reset with a special key.
• Our Locksmith services will bolster the security of your perimeter doors and door hardware by installing high-security locks. They also ensure emergency and fire exit safety as well as ADA compliance.
• Wireless Panic Buttons can be used in any office that may be vulnerable to potential threats, such as placing them under the desk of a judge, under the counter for the county clerk, etc. They can also be worn around the neck or clipped to a belt, which allows employees to use them in the parking area, as well as throughout the facility.
• Using a Guard Tour System will provide an efficient way to manage the security of a municipal building by using a hand held device to check each door of the building on a specific schedule to ensure no one has left a door unlocked or propped open.

We at One Source Security know municipal buildings pose security challenges since they are open to the public. We will assess threats, identify vulnerability and risk, and develop a cost effective security design solution.  Our recommendations will increase safety and security for employees and citizens, as well as, protect municipal property and assets.  

Call today for a free assessment.