Measure type: Target hardening

Target hardening is the measure of strengthening the security by increasing the required effort to commit crimes to or at an object.

Description

Target hardening involves all measures that make committing a crime more difficult and reducing the opportunities for criminals to achieve their goal. Dependent on the type of crime the realisation of this measure can take quite different forms, ranging from teaching self-defence to possible victims of assault to bomb-proofing buildings against terrorists. In general the aim of target hardening is not to make objects completely resistant to attack, but to decrease the risk of an attack (by for example increasing the time it takes to overcome the measures) to a level where the risk outweighs the gain of the crime as perceived by the offender.

Examples

Examples of target hardening can be categorised by the type of attack they oppose:

Against forced entry

• Toughened glass (acrylic, polycarbon, etc.)
  

  Bullet-proof glass after a burglary attempt
• Latticework or screens to cover windows
• Deadbolt and vertical-bolt locks
• Metal door/window shutters
• Door anchor hinges with non-removable pins
• Tamper-proof screws in fittings
  

  Tamper-proof screw
• Bollards and indirect routes against ramming
• Vertical metal or small-mesh (unclimbable) fencing
• Steeply angled roofs with parapets and ridges

Against destruction

• Concrete or steel picnic tables, benches, bleachers
  

  Harddened bus stop in Talinn, adapted after several vandalism incidents
• Trash receptacles bolted to concrete bases
• Hardened rubber or plastic swing seats
• Fire-retardant paint
• High-impact plastic or steel fixtures
• Rough-play-tolerant adventure playgrounds
• Slash-proof and steel-framed transit vehicle seats
• Graffiti repellent spray on graffiti prone objects
• Tamper-proof sign hardware and fasteners

Against bombs

• Stand-off zones where no unauthorized access is possible
• Increasing bomb resistance for vulnerable (parts of) objects
• Locating vulnerable structures behind other, bomb-resistant or sacrificial structures

Against toxins and air-borne agents

• Detectors
• Closable air vents
• Unreachable air intakes
• Alternative air intakes
• Emergency forced air circulation

Against violence

• Advise, education or training of potential victims
• Separating traffic flows of for instance pedestrians and motor cycles to prevent snatch theft

Against all of the above

• Early warning (alarms, emergency button) of action force or action force present
  

  Emergency buttong in Metro in Japan
• Quick response of action force

Essential conditions

There are no universal essential conditions regarding target hardening.

Requirements to the urban environment

<Lots of measures have big impact on 'habitants' of object -> close tuning with habitants>

Effectiveness

This measure can be effective to a range of security issues. These are:

Financial gain	Boredom or compulsive behaviour	Impulse	Conflict in beliefs
Burglary{{#info:Burglary is the crime of illicitly entering a building with the intent to commit an offence, particularly (but not limited to) theft.}}	Physical assault{{#info:Assault, is a crime which involves causing a victim to fear or to experience any type of violence, except for sexual violence}}	Destruction by riots{{#info:Destruction by riots is the act of vandalism of property by organised groups for a shared rational or rationalised reason.}}	Mass killing{{#info:Mass killing is the crime of purposely causing harm or death to a group of (unknown) people in order to make a statement or to influence the public opinion. This threat is exerted out of wilful action by fanatics: terrorists or criminal activists.}}
Ram-raiding{{#info:Ram raid is a particular technique for burglars to gain access to primarily commercial premises, by means of driving -usually stolen- vehicles into locked or closed entrances, exits or windows.}}	Sexual assault{{#info:Sexual assault is assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent}}		Destruction of property by fanatics{{#info:Destruction by fanatics is the crime of purposely causing damage in order to make a statement or to influence the public opinion.}}
Pickpocketing{{#info:Pickpocketing is a form of theft that involves the stealing of valuables from a victim without their noticing the theft at the time. }}	Vandalism{{#info:Vandalism is the act of wilful or malicious destruction, injury, disfigurement, or defacement of property without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control.}}
Robbery{{#info:Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. It is used her exclusively for acts committed to individual persons.}}	Graffiti{{#info:Grafitti is the defacement of property by means of writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed on a surface in a public place without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control. }}
Raid{{#info:Raid is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value from a commercial venue by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear.}}	Antisocial Behaviour{{#info:Antisocial behaviour is an accumulation category of relatively small crimes that highly influence the security perception of citizens. }}
Vehicle theft{{#info:Vehicle theft is the crime of theft, or attempt of theft of or from a motor vehicle (automobile, truck, bus, motorcycle, etc.).}}

table to be updated if security issue pages finished

Economic effectiveness

Target hardening lowers the costs of security threats, but also requires time and money by private agents, companies/developers and the public authorities, exacting economic costs. Together the benefits and costs are referred to as economic impact of security measures. The costs of surveillance measures contain the relatively straightforward direct expenditures on capital equipment and operational costs (both temporary and permanent), and in addition generate various types of secondary effects. Whether the costs are making sense from an economic point of view, depends on many factors, and can be answered by two distinct sets of questions:

1. Are the envisioned target hardening measures cost effective from a socio-economic point of view, or are there better alternatives?
2. Which specific agents (individuals, companies, sectors, authorities) are affected by the target hardening measures, and to which extend? How do the envisioned measures adjust the behaviour of these agents, and of course the behaviour of criminals/terrorists?

Economic tools can help the decision makers to answer these questions and to prevent wasteful expenditures on security (of course in collaboration with insights from criminology, sociology, etc.). A good example of efficient target hardening is sustainable design since it combines energy efficiency with security. In contrast, target hardening measures like big concrete walls or window bars in retail areas are classical examples of measures that do not create a welcome environment, creating indirect economic effects as a result of a reduction of the perceived security and quality of the environment.

Side effects

< decreases feeling of security of habitants>

<mobility issues>