‘CPTED ideal for crime control’

Security experts from across the region called for measures to upgrade the security system and adopt the latest in the field as the criminals were adopting new methods to skip systems which are loaded with traditional approach.

In an interview with Observer, Atheel A Hayawi ( pictured), security expert and General Manager of Abu Dhabi–based security solutions company Misk, said the current situation was entirely different and decades-old pattern of security needed a paradigm shift.

“In today’s challenging times the traditional security approach is no more effective to combat the ever evolving criminal activities and attacks. They are so complex sometimes that they put the security men in tight spots in course of cracking the modus operandi and intentions of their acts,” said Hayawi while putting stress on adopting new initiatives.

He called for a system called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) in which a more mature and long lasting security approach is implemented through architectural and environmental design.

“The CPTED is a well-researched crime prevention method that proved to reduce crime and incivility. It provides the community safety benefits by improving planning and design decisions in ways that provide organisations, societies and businesses with practical crime prevention tools,” he said.

According to him, the approaches discussed during Dhofar Forum on Security of Vital Installations in Salalah, addressed all these concerns and security initiatives and in a way most suited to the region’s threats and security concerns and tailored to fit security of important establishments.

He put thrust on the importance of a sound security design in sensitive and vital establishments in which the height of the building, the structure of the building, the orientation of the building, the windows and doors, the ventilation systems, the escape routes, the parking area, the entrances, the vicinity of a building, the visitors’ areas and the standoff areas are well defined. He also put emphasis on securely designed buildings so as to withstand any security risk by explosives or CBR (chemical, Biological and Radioactive).

The concept, according to Hayawi, takes into consideration the less threatening and more frequent criminal activities like theft, assaults, cyber-attacks and general violence. Because the sound design takes in consideration the criminal psychologies and what provokes a criminal to target a certain building or establishment and not the other one.

A kind of proactive design philosophy, the CPTED is based on a core set of principles. It is built on the principle that with the effective use of “built environment” can reduce fear and incidence of crime and improve general quality of life.

“It works as a psychological deterrent with plenty of positively that affects human behaviour in a way that they love to interact naturally with the environment under the umbrella of security.”