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security
Page 84
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Warehouse safeguards
by Inspector K. W. Norman,
Crime Prevention Section, New Scotland Yard.
• Among premises used for storing bulk merchandise a vast variety of security standards are found. A warehouse may be built in nearly any conceivable building material and may date from the Industrial Revolution. However, all these premises are a natural target for thieves because frequently they occupy fairly isolated sites, have physical weaknesses and contain large quantities of a variety of easily disposable goods. Warehouses, more than any other type of premises, require an individual security survey by the local police crime prevention officer (CPO). This service is free and can be obtained merely by a telephone call to the local police station.
However, there are several points I can make about warehouse security without in any way detracting from the obvious advantage of an individual survey by the CPO.
Roofs, for instance, are a very vulnerable entry point especially in buildings using corrugated asbestos sheeting. A safeguard here is for the architect—or management— to specify a double roof-cladding which consists of an underlining sheet of asbestos covered by a layer of fibreglass insulation material with 2in. x 10-gauge wire mesh panels and completed by a final covering of corrugated asbestos roof sheets.
This makes it necessary for a potential intruder to remove large areas of corrugated asbestos roof sheets in order to gain access to the wire mesh panels. These panels have either to be cut or removed from their fittings and both operations require time and would, no doubt, cause considerable noise. A final penetration of the underlining sheet is necessary before a successful entry can be completed.
If this security cladding is further backed up by an alarm system with vibration or sound detectors, or indeed, many other types of detectors such as inertia switches, laced wiring or tube and wires, a successful attack through the roof becomes less likely.
Fall pipes are often used to gain access to roofs or entry to upper floors or upper windows. They should be wrapped with barbed wire starting at about 3ft from the ground or alternatively fitted with spiked collars. Another method of forestalling the climbing thief is the use of anti-climb (non-setting) paint not only on fall pipes but also on walls and roofs only accessible to an intruder.
Roof windows are rarely used for ventilation and are difficult to protect—only substantial bars offer a reasonable degree of security. If a window is required only to provide interior lighting, consideration should be given to fitting glass bricks in place of the normal window frame and 32oz glass. The question of window bars, however, is one to which I will devote attention in a future article.
It must be remembered, too, that there is a theft risk from persons concealing themselves on the premises. Procedures should be instituted for a systematic search of the premises before closing for the day.