Criminal Justice Security Management - Research Paper Example

CJ Security Management Lecturer Q1. The assessment of question one would be relevantly assessed through chapter 7 of our textbook which talks of risk management that is posed against information technological equipment. This chapter is important for this question because the description of this project has clearly stated that there is vital information technology equipment such as computers that have to be incorporated in the whole system of security provision. The computers make up some of the important assets that require security implementation. The building that contains assets for a pharmaceutical company has to be included in the list of high risk assets within the facility that need to have their security boosted. The parking lot is the next asset that appears to be in dire need of security renovation, especially because it is located outside the main facility and also because it is adjacent to the woods according to the map. There are visitors daily and this means that some of them could pose threats to security and the idea that the loading area can be accessed from the parking through a side-road could facilitate a breach in security and products may be stolen through this route. Information risk management helps the stakeholders with the capacity to make security decisions that would be relevant in balancing the economic cost and the operational cost of protecting the important data found inside the IT materials like computers that have been located in the basement of building 2 in this setup. The impact of insecurity in the platform of information technology can occur when there is the loss of sensitive business data: confidential financial and trade secrets which should be safeguarded to maintain the privacy of the confidential financial which should be safeguarded so that it does not plunge in the immoral hands of the direct business competitors. The other important information that could be lost when information security is not upheld to a relevant level is the customer information: this could include the names of customers, credit information, addresses, tax information which should be kept confidential by all means so that the same information does not plunge in the immoral hands such as direct business competitors. This is the other reason why the security of these kinds of information should be maintained so as to keep a high level of trust of the customers and other stakeholders attached to the company. Personnel information is in the same category of information that should be secured and this includes the names, addresses, the health information and social security numbers that should be kept confidential. The other information that can be found in the computers found at the basement of building 2 is the authentication information. This includes the authentication information involving usernames and passwords, cryptographic keys for different systems within the company. In case an unauthorized individual accesses these pieces of private information, then the entire system stands a risk of being sabotaged. The information provided in this case shows that there are around 50 visitors daily within the premises and these outsiders could pose different levels of threats if they access the sensitive pieces of information that have been noted above. The risk assessment of the information is connected with the following terms that have to be considered when devising a plan of action to safeguard the delicate information: threat, risk, vulnerability, accessibility, integrity (policies to ensure that no accidental or malicious modifications are performed on the systems) , criticality (the impact that the loss of information may have on the company), exposure (which stands for reviewing the systems security and determining how much they are exposed to threats), confidentiality (to ensure that confidential information is safeguarded and not disclosed to any unauthorized individuals) , and availability amongst others The prioritized critical assets in this case were the personal information in the computers. Threat assessment should be done along the lines of human threats which are threats directly posed by humans that can access the information and use it illegally or against the company as well as through the installation of suspicious malware or viruses that could sabotage the operations of the systems. The computers contain various pieces of information about the employees and high risk data that when accessed would be used to sabotage the activities of the company. High risk data should therefore be safeguarded after the assets have been identified and classified in regards to their level of privacy. Environmental threats could be measured in terms of power failure or damages that may be caused by fire or water Natural threats could be in the form of hurricanes or floods that could affect the computer section in building 2 because it is located in the basement. The fact that the computers have been located in the basement poses great natural threat because flood waters could reach the place easily in case there are floods. The computers should therefore be kept on a higher place rather than the basement but still in the case of fire, they would be affected. The building should, therefore be fitted with measures to remedy situations like fire in case they occurred during operations so as to secure the confidential information that is kept in these systems Recommendations: risk avoidance and risk limitation should be embraced for the structures in building 2 whereby higher threats are expected due to the sensitivity expected from the equipment located within. Building 3 should be secured through security guards and technological equipment that only allows authorized personnel to access the laboratory The light poles should not be confined within the establishment alone because the parking lot lacks adequate lighting which may provide a loophole for criminal activities. There should be an installation of a perimeter fence in the parking section as well because the vehicles are not safe outside the establishment The other sections outside the facility’s compound such as the interstate road and the other roads that surround the facility should be provided with more light posts rather than having the lights confined to being just inside the compound and not outside. The woods would provide another element of insecurity because the darkness coupled up with the thickness of the woods could host a number of threat factors to the security of the facility. Q2. The procedure would start from asset identification which would mean locating the area that the asset is located. From the identification of the asset and its location, the next important step would be to review the current security measures within the facility that has been identified. The apartment is located in Detroit, Michigan and is 50 years old since the time it was constructed. This would mean that the building has been in existence for quite some time. The area is exposed to significant amounts of crimes that have been reported for the amount of time and this means that there is indeed a need to facilitate a change in the system of security. The identification of the current security measures would include the identification of the specific policies and procedures that have been located in the facility and their efficiency. The fact that each apartment has been given its own parking space is good enough because that would mean a bit of personal space which is relevant for security. However, the idea that these parking spaces open up to the streets would mean that car theft could be a common element in the apartment buildings. Still under the current security measures is the aspect of physical security. How has this been maintained and what is the level of efficiency of the same? It would be important to evaluate the amount of time that the physical elements of security have been operational because the longer these items take, the less efficient they become. The idea of renovation the 50 year old structure is a good one because it would bring new changes. Security personnel should be my next point of analysis because they make up a very vital element of the security system’s efficiency. The security personnel should be able to show skilled workmanship as well as have specific elements of basic training that would be relevant for their job description. The description given about the facility does not document any news about security personnel within the facility and so this needs to change. There should be security guards hired to provide security in such areas because of the threats posed against the security system. Next in line would be threat analysis. By viewing all the possible angles through which threats to security could be perpetrated and how to avert the same through recommendations. The recommendations are offered through the explanation of how to fix expected problematic outcomes from the threats that have been analyzed. This can be done through crime analysis by analyzing the kinds of crimes perpetrated within the same neighborhood. Crime analysis can be done through assessing the types of crimes, if any, that have taken place in the facility over the entire period of its existence Vulnerability assessment would come in handy to help assess how vulnerable the asset is in terms of the facilities that are adjacent to the main building and the kinds of potential threats that they pose to the entire security platform of the facility being analyzed. The region is vulnerable because of the empty buildings that are unoccupied within the same space because these empty houses could be used as hiding places for criminals. The other old buildings that have stayed unoccupied could be misused by criminals for the purposes of conducting illegal activities as the operations of the kidnapping cartels whereby the kidnapping the residents and holding them in these buildings. This would pose threats to the security of the tenants living in these apartments and so renovations that have been suggested in this case are viewed as a constructive stride towards making the neighborhood secure. Risk assessment should be the next level of review when adequate recommendations are required at the end of the study of the property. Under risk assessment it would be advisable to develop a cost benefit analysis and this is the same stage whereby my recommendations would be clearly stated. By analyzing the costs of that would be incurred in the implementation of the recommendations stated in this platform. Recommendations: the empty buildings that are adjacent to the apartment’s building should be closed down or occupied by trusted people because the moment they are left empty, crime can thrive due to the spaces left out for criminals. The apartment’s building should be fitted with security cameras and lighting at the entrance. The cameras would help in recording incidents that may be used in investigations in case there is an element of a crime that has been reported and could be used as evidence in court if properly documented. The lights should be fixed to keep criminals at bay especially the ones that strike during the nights and the cameras to record any events that may pose security threats to the inhabitants of the apartments. The public garage used by the apartment holders should be protected with the installation of a lockable metal gate that can be locked during the night times. The streets should also be fitted with security lights that would light the paths to the apartments and other buildings within the same locality. The main security lighting that could provide the needed brightness to help maintaining security in such a way that would make individuals with criminal intent. Lighting has been described to be integral in the desire to contain crime. This is because the idea of installing lights would make people feel safer walking in the dark. An example of such security lighting that can be installed is the flood lamp whose picture is shown below Image 1: Flood lamp The flood lamp is bright enough to light up the garage that is used by the occupants of the apartments The element of lighting can be used to increase surveillance and can be helpful to the security personnel and the security purpose being implemented. Lighting has been used delineate public and private spaces as well as to reduce the fear in the people who have installed them legitimately for the purposes of boosting their security. The lights should however be shielded from vandalism by being placed in wire gauze that cannot be penetrated by perpetrators of criminal activities that may want to use the advantage of malfunctioning lighting systems. Q3. The risk assessment risk assessment process would require a complete assessment of the site in which the incident was reported, and in this case, it is the campus. The whole process of risk assessment has to follow the process as documented in the text book, in chapter 1. The process starts from asset identification, to establish where exactly the element of insecurity seems to be arising from. The case documented in this question has named the athletic complex within the campus compound whereby people would go to apply the use of gym and work out facilities. Identifying the assets in this case involves the identification of other structures within the facility such as a dorm, the pathway that leads to the dorms can also be considered as a facility because it is in a high risk state and the crime was perpetrated along this path. Next in line, when discussing the processes of risk assessment, are the current security measures within the facility being examined over an incident that occurred? The facility, being located within the campus appears to have recommendable level of security because it is shown that the janitor was in a position to ensure that the facility is closed by 10 pm in the evening. This is a show of utmost security and the fact that there is a timeline for locking the facility’s doors makes it have a perfect outlook in the element of securing a place. Physical security is upheld because the doors to the facility are often locked at specific times and this is a policy and procedure that has been operational for some time by the time the crime was committed. The fact that there are lockable doors in the gymnastics center is a good precautionary step that would help curb crimes such as theft or vandalism of property. The facility is used by many people within the campus and this means that it is accessed by a high number of individuals. It is also clear that the only security measure in the athletics complex is the fact that doors are locked at a specified time. There are no direct security guards or officers that have been placed in the facility’s entrance. The janitor’s work is to maintain the facility’s cleanliness and his job description does not include the maintenance of security in the facility. This means that the athletics complex should have been fitted with more features for the purposes of security. Security personnel have to be assessed in regards to the current security measures. It is described that the facility, which is within the campus premises, can access the services of campus police. Despite the fact that they are centrally placed and they do not move around a lot, they are often available and could be clearly stated to be a phone call away. The response is not as spontaneous as it should be and this is what led to Doris Franklin making a decision to walk in the dark towards the dorm after which the attack was perpetrated. The campus police appear to be centrally placed, which means that they do not patrol through the diverse facilities within the campus. There should have been the implementation of further security features like flood lights or the motion sensors that would light up in case of movements within the facility’s vicinity Figure 2 indicates an example of light that can boost security around the different sections of the campus. Image 2 motion sensor light fixture Threat assessment has shown that various parts of the campus are secure due to security personnel and the idea of keeping doors locked at a particular time means that some level of caution is taken. Vulnerability assessment comes in place when one has to assess how vulnerable the premises are as well as the people that occupy or use these facilities. The fact that the path to the dorms is dark makes the users of that path quite vulnerable to aggression or perpetration of certain crimes like the one that Doris had to go through. The bus leaves at ten in the night and this has been seen as a moment in time when some people would still be using the athletics gym facility thereby creating the possibility of leaving people behind. The individuals that have been left behind should be provided with alternative means of transportation to the places that they would like to access during that time of the night, mostly the dorms. Risk assessment comes in the form of analyzing the risks that may be derived from the vulnerable circumstances noted. It is quite risky that the campus police that was selected to respond to a distress call should have ensured that he reported the outcome of the escort service which he never did. There should have been a report that Doris had not been found at the pickup point so that a follow up should have been made. The campus police appear to be on high alert and they also appear to be in the habit of providing escort to the people that need the kind of escort at night. The case also points out that the campus police were short of officers on duty and this made some officers perform certain shifts that are not meant for them as seen in the case of the officer that delayed to respond to a distress call because he was taking time at McDonalds. The kind of delay that was experienced led to the catastrophe that was experienced. The campus police should have been spread around the campus so that by the time the report was made; an officer should have been nearby to provide that escort to avert the danger of getting accosted by the people who raped and assaulted her. The other significant detail for consideration is that the lady should not have left the place alone to walk in the dark; she should have enquired once more from the campus police if an officer had been deployed. An alternative escort may have been provided as well as any other form of available means to move back to the dorm Q4. The facility being examined in this case is a public school whereby different levels of crime have been reported in the recent past. The kinds of crimes being reported over this period include theft, vandalism, assaults, possession of illegal weapons like guns and bringing them to school as well as dealing in drugs within the school facility. Being appointed as an administrator would mean facilitating a number of changes within the security system of the school and before the implementation of the same facilities; some factors have to be considered. The threats and vulnerabilities witnessed in the setting include inadequate penalties for students that assault the other students or the mechanisms to reduce crime rates have not been implemented thereby making the school district quite vulnerable to elements of insecurity. The parking lots have been used a drug peddling sites and the same has been done in bathrooms where the students conduct their dirty businesses of drug sale and use of the same. The gates leading into the facility appear to be left unattended or the security personnel have been sabotaged to allow the intrusion of the perpetrators of the crimes stated or to even allow outsiders to relate with the students in such ways that promote illegal affairs and companies that are not education oriented or academic related. It would be important to fit surveillance cameras within the facility to ensure that the gates are not sabotaged. The security guards could contribute towards the increasing rates of crimes. This could turn out in way that they are the ones providing the students with the drugs or the weapons that are used to do criminal activities Image 3: Security lighting with a camera. The image above shows a recommended camera to be fixed at the facility’s doorway and other structures such as a gate or the entrance to buildings such as halls. This kind of lighting can also be installed in the parking area whereby crimes have been reported to be thriving due to lack of surveillance. This lighting system has the added advantage because it is fitted with a camera that would be able to record occurrences during the day as well as during the night. The recorded pieces of information can be relevant for the purposes of prosecution of the perpetrators of different crimes. It is advisable to shield this lighting system with camera from sabotage because the item may be manipulated to stop recording or working properly. The lights would be of significance too, especially in the night when the lights are effective. The idea that there is an operational lighting system would also help straighten up the actions of the students that initially participated in crime activities. The other students would also feel safer; especially the ones that use the facilities at night with the idea that light is available with cameras attached to them so that criminals can be kept away. Placing these lights and cameras may require funds that may not be in the school accounts domain but it would be wise to look for alternative sources of funds to help with the desire to increase levels of security. After experiencing several illegal activities that have been documented in this case and that have gotten members of the PTA worried about the welfare of the students, a few recommendations have to be implemented to promote positive change. The first recommendation would be the use of all means to reduce the severity and the amount of circumstances that have been reported in the school compound. A successful response to the incidents does not require many resources but there is a need to change the will of the individuals involved, namely the students, by ensuring they take part in the activities aimed at restructuring the elements of security in the compound. It would also be wise to contain the damage and to reduce the level of risks that have been posed from the insecurities that have been reported within the school space. A long-term remedy would be the installation of a checkpoint at the gate that would frisk the incoming vehicles and people to get rid of weapons, drugs and other illegal materials. This would help reduce the crime rate within the school. The other recommendation would be to define a plan that would be followed in response to any incident and the penalties for engaging in such crimes. This would also help reduce the rate of crime. The disadvantage of placing a checkpoint at the gate is that the system may be sabotaged or may fail to conduct responsible duties. Assembling a computer security team would be of great help even though the implementation of such a plan requires lots of funds which may not be available in such a small-budget constitution. The school should also document the sensitive information that is important in criminal investigations such as student social security numbers, credit card information, financial records, student records and phone numbers. The idea that the school administration has these records would also help maintain a level of discipline, especially when the students are aware that the facilities have been fitted with cameras that can record their activities Conducting public awareness campaigns on the effects of drug peddling and drug use would not be considered as a clear cut recommendation to boost security, but as a school administrator, it would be wise to ensure that the students as well as anybody else who uses the school facilities has been made aware that peddling drugs is illegal and is punishable by law. This would raise awareness and the number of individuals operating in an illegal business would have to rethink their levels of involvement in the same. The same awareness can be conducted when the students come together during events such as sports to reach many listeners at the same time that would use the information to change their ways. The students would also feel that they have been involved in the security of the school when they participate in the campaigns against drugs and criminal activities in the school compound. Q5. Risk reduction strategies for this case would be to use all the powers vested in me by the state to ensure that I restore sanity to the security system of the region. The most difficult elements that would be a major setback to the whole idea of restructuring the security system are the finance factor. The fact that the police department operates on a small budget would make it harder to achieve some of the intended goals required to be implemented. The security countermeasures that I would recommend include the hiring of more police officers to boost the number of security personnel that would help manage the escalating levels of crime. The officers would be highly trained to combat certain crime conditions that have been mentioned in this case and the implementation of this recommendation would work well when coordinated with the increase in the number of patrol cars servicing the area during day time and at night too. The fact that the number of officers should be increased would mean that the officers would cover larger areas to curb the increasing rates of crime. The higher number of police officers would be raised by an augment in the number of patrol cars that would be used within the streets. Consequence analysis would be in the form of qualitative assessment to show the factors that may be contributing to the sky rocketing levels of crime in the community and this would be the fact that the ratio of the people in the area to the number of security personnel is higher than expected. The number of people that should be taken care of by a single officer would be so many thereby overburdening a single officer at a specific time. Training officers on how to handle specific kinds of crime that are rampant in this area would expose them to the knowledge that they may need to bring activities back to normal in the streets System effective assessment: there are high crime rates even if the police may be doing their jobs well but I find it strange that the figure of arrests completed in the area does not complement the crime rates that have been reported. The streets should have renovation of the lighting system implemented because as it has been noted before in the cases mentioned above, lighting makes the public feel safer and gives the criminals a hard time going around their illegal activities. Lighting the sidewalks makes them safer for walking at night but this would require a large budget that has been pointed out to be an issue in this case. It would therefore be wise to implement low cost lighting systems, but they have to be fool proof and long lasting so that the intended purpose for which they are acquired is fully achieved. Risk estimation: the potential threats that have been recorded in terms of risks would be the idea that some members of the public would decide to arm themselves to increase their personal security while this would pose more risks if these weapons as firearms fall in the wrong hands. Firearm control would be a good way to help reduce the crimes and the decision to implement fresh registrations of weapons found within the region would help the security department to fish out illegally owned weapons. Managing threats and vulnerability could be a lot easier if the community worked with the security agencies by reporting the suspected perpetrators so that stern actions can be taken against them with the full force of the law. When estimating the risks, it would be wise to visit the archives to understand the extents of crimes that have always been reported in the region. Consulting my superiors would be the other way to assess the circumstances and to approximate the amount of risk that is expected to be perpetrated and from what quarters do these features of crime come from. The gang groups in the streets that may be perpetrating should be targeted and disarmed so that the ruthless killings that are done by these gangs are stopped for the benefit of the society. Threat analysis: even though there are security agents conducted patrols, the criminal activities seem to be on the rise and walking along the streets at night has become such a dangerous affair due to the speculation of what will happen in the dark. Weapons have fallen in the wrong hands and one of the recommended remedies would be to register the firearm holders afresh so that anyone not found in the register, but found with a gun, would be held as a suspect for the escalating crime rates. Threat analysis would also incorporate the idea of conducting a study on the areas largely affected and from which groups the threats come from. Conducting training and recruitment exercise for more officers and the purchase of patrol vehicles would be some of the long term remedies to the situation at hand. Creating a liaison with the state security apparatus and bureaus to conduct training seminars free of charge would be one such way to equip the officers with relevant information from experts at low or no cost at all. The benefits derived from this would be long lasting solution to the problem because the experience gained from such seminars would be implemented through a long term process of creating an overhaul of the way the security system works Despite the reality that most of the recommendations may require large budgets, they are long term solutions that would help restore sanity to the streets. The renovation of the security apparatus through the installation of new structures like street lights, cameras, flood lights and many other recommendations such as the recruitment drive to increase the number of officers or vehicles would require more funds. Therefore, one rational technique to go about it would be to implement the changes gradually and not at once, low cost items are also advisable but they have to be foolproof to avoid vandalism and sabotage. Reference Vellani, K. (2006). Strategic Security Management: A Risk Assessment Guide for Decision Makers. Butterworth-Heinemann Read More