Andy Lawler, MD of Sentinel Risk Management

South Africa’s economic crisis is understandably resulting in homeowners and community scheme executives alike, to focus on short-term rather than long-term planning – but what does this mean for security investments?

Andy Lawler, a Threat, Risk and Vulnerability assessor and MD of Sentinel Risk Management, says the economic uncertainty means that management in many complexes and estates are now reducing capital expenditure, with essential security investments taking a knock.

In Sectional Title developments, the legal requirement for 10-year maintenance, repair and replacement plans is resulting in many trustees now stockpiling funds usually earmarked for capital expenditure in order to comply with the timelines set out in the Sectional Title Schemes Management Act.

Exacerbating the situation, the pandemic has resulted in many homeowners being unable to pay their levies, the lifeblood of all community schemes and key to schemes’ ability to ensure their security infrastructure is up to standard.

Against this background, Lawler offers advice on how schemes on a limited budget can prioritise their security measures:

Security, threat, risk and vulnerability assessment

“A security, threat, risk and vulnerability assessment by a qualified assessor is undoubtedly the place to start,” says Lawler.  “It doesn’t help to look at what similar estates are doing and copy their approach, because each development has unique challenges, no matter how similar they might appear.”

The findings will enable the client to make the decision as to what, out of the suggested recommendations, they can afford according to the estate’s budget. It will also mitigate the likelihood of installers over-selling, since they will know exactly what they need.

Arm yourself with an effective security budget

One of the greatest advantages of a thorough assessment report is that it creates the platform for effective security budget planning.

“It’s important for the budget committee to avoid treating a security budget as merely an expense, but rather as an investment with long-term positive results, being a reputation for keeping its residents safe,” he says.

Lawler adds that he is constantly amazed at how many estates have bigger budgets for their gardens than for security. “Yes, aesthetics is important, but in today’s high-crime environment, keeping residents safe is far more important than having pretty gardens.  Security needs to be the second budget item on an estate’s budget, slotting in directly after municipal rates and taxes, it’s that important.”

How to approach budgetary constraints

Budgetary constraints after the assessment has been completed means that it is not always financially possible to comply with all of the recommended procedures.  Here, estate management needs to sit down and prioritise what needs to be done first with the limited funds available.

Lawler offers some guidelines:

Perimeter wall

A strong boundary wall is the minimum security baseline before adding expensive equipment:

• Until the estate can afford to install an electrified fence, life can be made difficult for criminals attempting to scale the wall by laying a two-metre path of quarry stone and/or by planting thorny shrubs such as Whale’s Tongue Agave along the outer wall.
• Perimeter lighting will also deter criminals by increasing their risk of exposure.
• Trees and large shrubs (other than thorny shrubs protecting the wall) should be kept trimmed in order to prevent criminals from hiding there.

Estate gates

A strong perimeter wall will, by implication, make the estate gates the preferred unauthorised entry point, therefore, attention needs to be given to effective security here. The gate should be motorised and see-through and ideally, if there is no extra security, there should only be a single entry and exit point into the complex.

Residents should be educated on effective gate security, such as checking that there are no cars loitering behind them before opening and checking to see they are closed behind them, once they are inside.

Nurture a security mindset among residents

“One of the most common enemies of estate security  is resident complacency, where residents believe that their responsibility in regarding their security begins and ends with the payment of their levy,” says Lawler.  “Creating an awareness of the vulnerabilities that occur within and immediately outside the estate is possibly the best security measure in any estate’s arsenal.”

Unfortunately, a common mistake made by residents within walled estates, he says, is that they place way too much trust in their high walls and their access-controlled gates, thinking that they are safe within their cocoon.

“However, they forget that once the perimeter has been breached, there is little to no security left to them except, perhaps, a locked door.  They should still be protecting their homes as though they are in standalone property outside an estate and take every precaution they can afford in order to prevent criminals from gaining access.”

These can range from ensuring that no ladders, tools or toys are left outside, to door and window protection, alarms, lighting and CCTV cameras.

Lawler challenges residents in  estates or complexes to ask trustees or HOA’s for a copy of their security audit (The Threat, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment). If they do not have one, they can contact Andy Lawler on 082 953 1594 or email andy@sentinelriskmanagement.com for assistance with a Threat, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment.

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