Abstract
Security is an important aspect when protection of assets and high-value investments is considered. Discussions have been scheduled about the security situations of high-value assets like shopping malls and real estate development. The Department of Homeland Security in partnership with security expert organizations has scheduled protocols, and other regulations to guide in security management scenarios linked to such assets. This has led to the escalation of security threats among malls and other places frequented by high populations. Security for building and other forms of assets must be prioritized to ensure the protection of the public and the investor interests. The high-quality security systems within the building like surveillance cameras, electric fences on the walls must be installed. This should be supported by security checks and drills to guests who visit the malls.
Consultant Risk Assessment Report
Introduction
The potential risks of assets are engineered by the people with direct or indirect connections to the premises (Boholm, Möller, & Hansson, 2016). The people within and around the premises have friends, relatives or acquaintances that might bring risk situations to the assets. The understanding of these people is an important aspect in the avoidance of potential risk situations to the assets. McDougall and Woodruff (2016) explain that employees are exposed or get access to detailed information within a setup that when used incorrectly can cause potential harm. Such information may include places where the main switch of electricity is located, other outlets from the mall or ways in and out of the basements, including the directions or conduits from the premises like drainage system or sewerage conduits. Tenants, vendors, guests, or persons with directly or indirectly connections to the mall could cause potential harm. Therefore, information about such parties is important in analyzing security details to the assets. This report presents the security situations of Home Depot 6003 Oxon Hill Rd Oxon Hill Maryland 20745 and proceeds to advise on areas of potential risk to the organizations for cover and security strategy development
Preliminary Information
Name of Organization/Facility: Home Depot
Complete Site Address: 6003 Oxon Hill Rd Oxon Hill Maryland 20745
Operations: Monday – Sundays operating from 6.00 am – 10.00 pm.
Public Holidays: Unclear
Law Enforcement and Other First Responder Assistance
Relevant Police Department:
The area is covered under the operations of District 4 stations – Oxon Hill
5135 Indian Head Highway
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
301 – 749 – 4901
301 – 352 – 1200
The Crime preventions programs facilitated by the local police department are available. The relevant meetings for Citizen Advisory Council (CAC), which is the jurisdiction of Home Depot (6003 Oxon Hill Rd, Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745), which takes place on the 3rd Monday of every month at the District 4 Community Room, 5135 Indian Head Highway, Oxon Maryland 20745. The coffee club meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month at the Southern regional technology Recreational Complex 7007 Bock road Fort Maryland 20744.
Relevant Fire/Medical Emergency Responders
Oxon Hill Volunteer Fire Department
7600 Livingston Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
Working hours Monday to Sunday, 12.00 am – 11.59 pm
Primary Phone. 301 567 6333
Phone. 301 883 7721
General Survey Information
State and Nature of Business
The business is involved in a chain of home improvement retailer tools and appliances among other products. The business also specializes in retailing general hardware products. These include outdoor furniture and building material to the resident of Oxon Hill.
Understanding the Organization
The People: Business centers like malls or real estate structures have potential risks to the assets within their formations. The business has several employees managing the various business units in the mall. Approximately, over 500 visitors or customers visit the mall on a daily basis for various activities, including inquiries, window shopping, or the actual shopping on various products.
Property / Nature of Business: The nature of business within a setup is important in analyzing the security situations of the mall. Properties like tangible assets, including cash or valuable assets, form an important part of the evaluation process. Intangible assets such as intellectual property rights are of equal importance in analyzing potential risk situations. The business is a high-value store, which is constructed under ultra-modern standards with superior architectural structures and design.
Core Business: The core business of an organization refers to the primary engagement venture of the business or the endeavors of a corporate. It is also important to note that the goodwill the business hold from its stakeholders together with the reputations it commands in the industry is an important determinant of its potential risk situations. The business has high reputations in the industry operating several chains in the other states.
Risks to Assets
The value of the assets housed within the premise is another important determinant to its potential security risks. The spacious parking bay is another potential avenue to crime given the ease it would take to drive off a private vehicle by criminals or smuggle in illegal weaponry. The primary or core nature or business conducted in the mall requires higher transactional values. Housewares, hardware material, and other items in the mall require higher values in terms of cash equivalents. As such, it poses the situations of having higher liquidity equivalent leading to risks. A cash security backup plan is required. Even though the crime data from the police departments is relatively low, the growth of population within the mall environments is increasing. When these aspects are analyzed together with the transience of populations in the mall, the risk potential grows high.
Non-Criminal Risk Evaluation
The non-criminal evaluations take into considerations the natural and man-made factors that are disaster-related and could trigger security risk situations (Blacker & McConnell, 2015). The non-criminal natural disaster-related events are in the form of major storms, hurricanes, earthquake, and lightning strikes among others but caused by natural environment activities. Other non-criminal man-made disaster situations could be in forms of labor strikes, vessel collision, electrical power failures or nucleus power plant leaks. Some non-criminal disaster activities which are criminal in nature include situations of a terrorist attack. The previous weather assessment of Oxon Hill Maryland reveals a stable and systematic pattern during the summer period. However, the region encounters strenuous winter season almost like the entire states in the United State of America. Therefore, the region experiences several flush floods as a result of thunderstorms with extreme heavy rainfalls. Tornadoes and hurricanes are among the severe storms phenomenally witnessed within Oxon Hill Maryland. These natural trends are a matter that requires adequate preparedness with regards to security and risk mitigation mechanisms. The Tornadoes and hurricanes are a threat to electrical power failures and may trigger leaks in nuclear power plants. The risk of terrorism is one that cuts across the entire world. Developing countries have fought terrorism activities. Oxon Hill Maryland is always at risk because the place is frequently visited by relatively high percentages of traffic exposed to augmented risk situations.
Exterior – Site Perimeter
Perimeter Notes
The security arrangement of Home Depot can be rated as average. The mall is surrounded by a wall fence with the secure vehicle and pedestrian gate controls, including other physical barriers. The perimeter wall around the mall is reinforced by an electric fence on top. The entrance to the mall for the vehicles or customer pedestrian is guided with security checks and scanners, which ensure security standards, are adhered to. However, the high traffic experienced in the parking lot obstructs the comprehensive view of security officers presenting a security hazard.
Accessibility to the surveillance system to ascertain their efficiency and the comprehensive cover was a challenge given the delicate nature of this access. Therefore, the efficiency of the surveillance cameras or the interference with lighting systems could not be ascertained. The intrusion alarm device information is unknown. There is a need for the installations of automatic intrusion alarms for improved security situations.
Perimeter lighting information
The perimeter wall of Home Depot is protected by a comprehensive lighting. This lighting system provides a reasonable means of security given that they offer a lighting system at night. However, it is necessary that emergency lighting systems are installed if not at the moment in order to provide enhanced surveillance during emergencies. Therefore, it is important that the lighting in the mall is installed as an auxiliary source of power since it could not be established.
Other Perimeter Notes
Vulnerabilities are common in the malls with high traffic of vehicles and customers going in or out of the building (Fagel & Hesterman, 2016). The several vulnerabilities related to the employees and visitor parking lots of Home Depot have been relatively managed. These include staff with branded uniformed gears, well-defined security officers with uniformed gear strategically placed, and the badges for employment within the mall. However, it is necessary that background checks on all employees are frequently scheduled; the security check and drill on all staff are important but should equally follow ethical standards. The distances between vehicles within the parking lots should be maintained with illegally parked vehicles towed. Adequate security should be made available in the loading docks and mails rooms to provide an opportunity for early detection of any suspicious material entering the mall.
Building, Lights, Locks and Surveillance Systems
Comprehensive Building Description
The building is developed through the blocks and concrete, including metal panels and glass exteriors in the interior parts. The building has several entrances to facilitate easy access and evacuations in cases of security risks. The windows and the doors are secured with ordinary systems. The lighting system is well installed and comprehensively providing lights for night guards.
Door Key and Combination Lock Notes
The building operates between 6.00 am – 10.00 pm with closure scheduled before other security checks. The combinations of locks are sophisticated and adequate. Keys are held by control officials who are officially assigned the responsibility for the replacement and controls. Master key situations could not be verified but are necessary in case it was overlooked. Keys are kept under lock after opening with closure time facilitated by scheduled individuals. An employee is given logins during work days as a security measure.
Alarm Notes
The intrusion alarm could not be established with policies around it. However, it is necessary that an intrusion alarm is installed and policies developed to manage its operations. The alarm system is installed and often disengaged during opening hours of the mall. There should be an emergency power source for the alarms in the mall since this could not be established during the site inspection.
Other Alarmed Areas and CCTV
The alarm system is connected to very high-security areas in the building. This is to ensure encroachment is strictly prohibited and any attempts acknowledged. The areas secured by alarm system include executive office suites, accounts offices, and the cash safes. The activation of alarms leads to an automatic halt in the operations. Traffic coming into the mall is stopped. On the other hand, the gate is closed while security audits are conducted. Given the nature of the CCTV cameras, they could be seen, but it could not be ascertained whether the recording was real-time. However, it is important that CCTV recording is continuous and scheduled in real-time
Procedural Controls
Procedural controls could not be established due to the nature of investigations. However, it is necessary that the stores manage its business based on the accredited best operational standards in the world. The accounting and finance systems should be adjusted in regards to the International financial reporting systems – IFRS.
Conclusion
The Department of Homeland Security together and other security expert organizations like ASIS have developed important protocols and regulations to guide in security management for malls. It is important that these protocols are followed, and important security checks and drills are frequently scheduled to reduce the potential for risk and security lapses. Therefore, security experts should partner with malls and real estate development to install recommended security systems in order to protect assets and other high-value investments.
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