8/2/13 10:04 AM Security program successes and failures Page 1 of 4 http://hotelnewsnow.com/Article/Index/10821 This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here Close Data Digital Ownership Operations Regions Profiles Opinions Marketplace Security program successes and failures 10 Jul 2013 Analyzing risks to develop and implement an effective security program can lead to security successes. Highlights To determine the appropriate level of security, it is important to identify the threats to the property. Appropriate lighting and landscaping might serve as a deterrent to some crimes. Liability issues could arise from ineffective monitoring. By Robert F. Stacy Jr. HNN Columnist Prevention and reaction strategies are the cornerstones of a successful security program. When a crisis occurs, security is at the forefront. Whether security measures were reasonable can present challenges as there is usually no bright line test or standard to define what is reasonable. Prevention Risk assessment: The first step is to determine the appropriate level of security for a given hotel property. To determine the appropriate level of security, it is important to identify the threats to the property. An effective risk assessment evaluates the threats to the property as well as the vulnerabilities that could allow a threat to be carried out. Threats can range from property damage and vandalism to assaults or robberies. Different measures can be used to identify specific threats, which include a history of crime on the premises and crime in the surrounding vicinity. CAP Index, which provides crime forecasting maps and security risk analysis, offers crime mapping to illustrate the crime rate might be much higher within a certain radius around the property. The higher incidents of crime in the surrounding area could dictate a need for increased security. Periodic reassessments are necessary as the risk to a certain property may change with variances in population or use of surrounding property. Security policy: Implementation of a successful security program begins with a security policy. If there is a written security policy, compliance with the policy is paramount and will be scrutinized in the event of an incident. Compliance with the security policy can prove to be a strong defense to a liability claim. Specific security measures Security measures can begin with basic landscaping and lighting but can escalate to fully armed security officers depending on the threat level. Identifying the appropriate level of security relates back to an accurate identification of the threats or risks involved. Appropriate lighting and landscaping may serve as a deterrent to some crimes such as vandalism or theft in the TRENDING Mega resorts march on Europe Meetings spaces hit the great outdoors Group recovery begins to strengthen Swire makes a splash with dive into Miami New brands choose NYC as launching pad Asia/Pacific investors discover the Caribbean Search Newsletters Log in Join
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8/2/13 10:04 AMSecurity program successes and failures
Page 1 of 4http://hotelnewsnow.com/Article/Index/10821
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here Close
Data Digital Ownership Operations Regions Profiles Opinions Marketplace
Security program successes and failures10 Jul 2013
Analyzing risks to develop and implement an effective security program can lead tosecurity successes.
Highlights
To determine theappropriate levelof security, it isimportant toidentify the threatsto the property.Appropriatelighting andlandscaping mightserve as adeterrent to somecrimes.Liability issuescould arise fromineffectivemonitoring.
By Robert F. Stacy Jr.HNN Columnist
Prevention and reaction strategies are the cornerstones of asuccessful security program. When a crisis occurs, security is atthe forefront. Whether security measures were reasonable canpresent challenges as there is usually no bright line test orstandard to define what is reasonable.
Prevention
Risk assessment: The first step is to determine theappropriate level of security for a given hotel property. Todetermine the appropriate level of security, it is importantto identify the threats to the property. An effective riskassessment evaluates the threats to the property as wellas the vulnerabilities that could allow a threat to be carriedout. Threats can range from property damage andvandalism to assaults or robberies. Different measures canbe used to identify specific threats, which include a historyof crime on the premises and crime in the surroundingvicinity. CAP Index, which provides crime forecasting mapsand security risk analysis, offers crime mapping toillustrate the crime rate might be much higher within acertain radius around the property. The higher incidents ofcrime in the surrounding area could dictate a need forincreased security. Periodic reassessments are necessaryas the risk to a certain property may change with variancesin population or use of surrounding property. Security policy: Implementation of a successful securityprogram begins with a security policy. If there is a writtensecurity policy, compliance with the policy is paramountand will be scrutinized in the event of an incident.Compliance with the security policy can prove to be astrong defense to a liability claim.
Specific security measuresSecurity measures can begin with basic landscaping and lightingbut can escalate to fully armed security officers depending onthe threat level. Identifying the appropriate level of securityrelates back to an accurate identification of the threats or risksinvolved. Appropriate lighting and landscaping may serve as adeterrent to some crimes such as vandalism or theft in the
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Robert F. Stacy Jr.
parking lot, as well as providing guests with an enhanced feelingof security. Use of closed-captioned TVs couldimprove security on a property. Thelocation and monitoring of the cameras, ifdone properly, can serve as an effectivedeterrent and provide means for a timelyresponse to an incident. However,improper placement of cameras or failureto monitor can lead to liability concerns inthe event of an incident. Cameras shouldbe placed and monitored so as not togive the public false expectations ofsafety. It is also critical to maintaincameras and monitors to make sure theyare all functioning properly. The presenceof security cameras generates anexpectation of safety by the public. Forthis reason, the use of dummy cameras is questionable andshould be given careful consideration. Liability issues might arise from ineffective monitoring.Monitoring deficiencies can range from ineffective monitoringbecause of lack of training or under staffing to no monitoring,but only recording of the surveillance video. Most commonly, theissues that arise are whether a crime could have been disruptedor reaction would have been timelier if the video was monitoredin real time. Some liability issues may arise when the use andmonitoring of security cameras and/or security officers is greateron the inside of a property than in the parking lot and otheroutside areas, and a crime occurs outside.
Preservation of videocan precludespoliation ofevidence and isimportant todocument whatactually occurred. Insome instances,video can beenhanced to bettershow or highlightcertain parts of therecording. Security officers,armed or unarmed,
present a heightened level of security. Security officers may be adeterrent to crime as well as providing a timely reaction if acrime occurs. Some considerations include whether to useprivate security officers or police officers; the number andplacement of security officers; whether the officers are armed orunarmed; and whether the security officers are trained toobserve and report only or to intervene in certaincircumstances. The public may have a greater expectation of intervention by asecurity officer than is realistic. However, public expectation andperception can drive juries to view the actions or inactions ofsecurity officers more critically than perhaps they should. Inmany instances the appropriate response of a hotel employee orsecurity officer is to call 911 or local law enforcement ratherthan to risk injury to persons by intervention. Duty to guests
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The duty of a hotel to protect its guests from criminal activity ispremised upon foreseeability. In most jurisdictions,foreseeability can be established by actual knowledge of theviolent nature of the assailant or proof of a sufficient number ofprior criminal acts on the property. Consideration may be givento the pattern and frequency of prior criminal acts on theproperty, itself or in the vicinity to establish notices that aspecific criminal act was foreseeable. Prevention of any incident, whether it’s vandalism, assault orterrorist activity, is the ultimate goal. However, even withdeterrents in place, criminal acts do occur, which can lead tocatastrophic results. Efficient and effective response thenbecomes critical. Having a crisis management and response planand team in place will greatly assist minimizing losses. Robert F. Stacy Jr. is an equity shareholder with ALFA International member firm with
Daniel Coker Horton & Bell, P.A. in Oxford, Mississippi. His practice areas include product
liability, premises liability and hospitality law. Robert has represented hotel clients in cases
involving claims of negligent security, liquor liability, assault and premises liability.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News
Now or its parent company, STR and its affiliated companies. Columnists published on this
site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to
provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free
to comment or contact an editor with any questions or concerns.
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