Are you still sitting on the fence?

Our insurers, of course, will usually require us to take some measures towards ensuring site security, but with human nature being what it is – in other words, hopelessly optimistic – it's really only after we're directly subjected to burglary, vandalism or assault that we afford the subject of site security the fullest attention it must always deserve.

Even then, many post-event security reviews tend toward knee-jerk reactions, resulting merely in the hasty purchase and installation of the latest and most popular security devices. Other end users who've been afforded enough time to get over the distress of the event and the subsequent disruption caused during the 'cleaning up' period may well err towards simple cosmetic gestures. They'll hope that the sight of a few cameras or alarm boxes will be sufficient to deter any further attacks.

If you need any proof that either approach is less than adequate, you ought to know that – according to recent crime figures – 21.4% of crimes against commercial premises are actually repeat offences. Not a very reassuring statistic, is it folks?

An unrealistic faith
One reason for this high occurrence of repeat attacks may be that there's an unrealistic faith placed in passive security systems (such as alarms), and a limiting of security measures just to individual buildings or what are assumed to be the most vulnerable areas.

First, this fails to warrant potential thieves and vandals with any of the ingenuity and perseverance they so often demonstrate and, second, the use of passive systems will always leave the initiative with the intruder.

The problem with an alarm system will always be that, in alerting you to a break-in, it's only advancing the time at which you're being informed that damage has been done. You're still not preventing it from happening in the first place. And then, of course, there's always CCTV, the most sophisticated variants of which will provide you with a picture of the (usually) hooded miscreant as he or she makes off with your goods. This may aid later prosecution (provided the police can catch up with the thief, that is). However, as is ably demonstrated by the fact that crooks frequently wave at the camera, is it of any real deterrent value?

Thankfully, many in-house professionals view the issue of site security in an altogether different manner. To begin with, they understand the value of preventing break-ins in the first place. For them, denying a criminal access to the company's premises has considerably more value than being told the criminal's there or has just left with a stash of computers. Such managers will also look at the security of a premises from the outside in, with the perimeter being the first and most important line of defence. Quite right, too.

To achieve effective perimeter security, end users have a number of methods at their disposal. These range from physical barriers such as high walls or fences with hostile toppings including razor wire and its variants (see box panel 'Razor Spike anti-climb topping: is it legal?') or intruder detection systems such as infrared or microwave beams. They might even look at acoustic or fibre optic cables.

Such systems will satisfy at least one (and, if combined, two) of the three 'Holy Ds'. In other words, they'll Deter and Detect, but for truly effective perimeter protection you also need to Deny. For the latter, a security systems specifier will look towards high security electric fencing.

Often grossly misrepresented in the movies – any contact with an electric fence in a Hollywood picture inevitably produces showers of sparks, screams and an airborne, smoking victim! – electric fencing is these days a formidable, highly sophisticated and cost-effective means of securing a perimeter line.

Fingers on the pulse
A modern electric security fencing system will deliver 7,000 Volts in pulses sent down high tension, cut-resistant wires – either as a specifically-erected structure, or one which is retrospectively applied to existing fence lines.

While an intensely uncomfortable experience for the criminal, and powerful enough to dissuade even the most determined intruder, the pulse delivery system is designed to be non-fatal (which is good news for any end users out there who may have concerns about the repercussions of finding either people or wildlife slowly cooking along the fencing line come the morning).

Fundamentally, this is the most important feature of electric fencing as we know it today – it effectively denies an intruder access in the first place, and then deters them from wanting to try again.

Well, that's two of the 'Holy Ds' again, namely Deny and Deter. What about Detection, though? Sophisticated controllers are the answer here. Using programming with event-discerning capabilities, they can distinguish between a casual and genuine attack (which is not always possible with other detection technologies). This programming enables reliable alerts on any attempted break-ins, and virtually eliminates the time wasting and 'annoyance' false alarms commonly associated with other methods of intrusion detection.

Programmable systems also allow a perimeter to be split up into controllable zones which may either be turned on or off, or simply reduced to detection mode only as required. One particular system can effectively control up to 48 individual zones, each up to a maximum of 300 metres in length, while multiple controllers might even be connected together to further extend the network.

The case for electric fencing
When you consider these qualities, the case for electric security fencing begins to look competitive enough... but it gets better. For a start, installation and running costs are light in comparison with most detection-only systems. You don't need the trenching associated with other technologies, nor do you have the complicated power delivery requirements of beam systems or their power consumption. By way of example, a fully-armed electric security fence will only consume as much electricity as a 40 Watt light bulb.

In addition, electric security fencing can be quite discreet. Applied as an outer layer to a normal chain link fence, or as a wall or fence topping, it's visually unobtrusive. In industrial areas it also neatly avoids the 'de-militarised zone' effect you tend to come across with alternatives such as razor wire. This alone makes it an attractive proposition for sites where perimeter control is paramount, but respect must be given to public over-views.

With many security systems having quite high running and maintenance costs, and engendering a high level of dependence on the manufacturer/supplier for ongoing support, the ability of end users to effect their own repairs to the system if it's attacked and damaged would be very welcome. It's therefore a further attraction of electric security fences that the very best of them are supplied with customer self-repair kits. In the event of an attack and subsequent damage to the detecting wires, a repair can be made immediately with relatively little call for technical expertise. It also negates the need to await the arrival of a contracted engineer (during which time a disabled system may leave a given site vulnerable to further attack).

Towards full system integration
Through its control and management systems, a quality electric security fencing system might be integrated with other security devices and used to activate both night-time floodlighting and CCTV. Modern, pc-based control systems also allow for the perimeter security to be integrated with site security as a whole, making for a fully-integrated site set-up.

In these days of increasing attention to facilities management, this kind of integration should further entice the end user.

What are the questions we need to address concerning perimeter security? First, if all end users with vulnerable sites invested in electric security fencing systems, would we be able to eliminate break-ins? Probably. If that's the case, then, why don't all specifiers choose this kind of perimeter protection system?

The latter question is a tad more difficult to answer as there may be a number of factors at play. First, there still appears to be a certain amount of ignorance and misunderstanding about electric security fencing, with the biggest concern still focusing on the question: 'Is it lethal, and is it legal?' The answers to which are, of course, 'no' and 'yes' respectively.

Apart from the few practitioners who seem to be visibly disappointed that such systems don't come with a free ten pack of body bags, most are pleasantly surprised at the work that has gone into ensuring such fences aren't capable of causing fatalities, that they operate within HSE guidelines and that they can be applied in all situations without legal restrictions (or the need for a special licence).

What's it going to cost?
Many end users are concerned about the cost of purchase and installation of electric fencing systems, and the cost of running them. Well, as we've already seen the running costs are very low, maintenance is minimal and – in comparison with other forms of perimeter protection – the installation requirements are far less demanding (and thus cheaper to boot).

Maybe it's the purchase price of electric systems that's off-putting? If this is the case, when faced with making the decision to spend or not to spend, end users should remember that chilling repeat attack statistic of 21.4%, and consider whether or not procuring a cheaper system is in truth a false economy.

When next reviewing your site security, the important question to ask is: "If I don't deny an intruder access to my property in the first place, am I really inviting them to break in?"