July 2025 Issue

The Danger of Complacency

“One of the most dangerous challenges in perimeter security today is complacency—the pervasive belief that ‘it won’t happen here.’ This mindset leads organizations to delay investments, overlook vulnerabilities, and soften the enforcement of existing policies. Over time, physical security measures become outdated or ignored altogether, and risk is quietly normalized until it’s too late.”

“Risk is quietly normalized until it’s too late.”

The Quiet Cost of Overlooking the Perimeter

“The biggest challenge we face today is the lack of appropriate funding. Too often, security decisions are made by weighing needs against wants, rather than focusing on true requirements. Unfortunately, the perimeter is rarely seen as a priority—it lacks the glamour of high-tech platforms and digital bells and whistles. As a result, budgets tend to favor flashier tools over essential physical barriers like fences and bollards, even when those are the most critical components for real-world protection.”

“Perimeter security isn’t glamorous—but it’s essential.”

Low-Tech Breaches, High-Tech Threats

“One of the biggest challenges today is how easily sophisticated systems can be undermined by something as simple as a 99-cent rubber doorstop. Persistent attempts to breach networks, facilities, and secured spaces—whether through conventional or unconventional means—are growing more effective. Even the best-designed access control system can be defeated when someone props open a door to grab a smoke or make a quick run to their car.

Meanwhile, drones and autonomous vehicles are being used for real-time reconnaissance, especially when disguised by seemingly legitimate activity like vendor visits or deliveries. And on the digital side, networks are constantly being probed and tested, from both internal and external sources.”

“Even the best systems can be undone by a rubber doorstop.”

Proactive Planning Starts at the Perimeter

“We need to think more proactively about perimeter security. The perimeter is often the first and best line of defense, yet too many plans treat it as an afterthought.

A common misstep is copying solutions from one site to another, assuming the same threats apply. Instead, each location should undergo a unique design-basis threat assessment. No two sites are the same, and their strategies shouldn’t be either.

By identifying risks and vulnerabilities early in the design process, we can deliver smarter, site-specific solutions from the ground up.”

“Too many plans treat the perimeter as an afterthought or design for ‘one size fits all.’”

Guidelines Put to the Test in New Orleans

“Agencies have done an excellent job providing accessible best practices for professionals in protective design, as well as for law enforcement, municipalities, and venue operators.

Resources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offer a strong foundation for effective safety planning.

A clear example was the February 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, held just weeks after the Bourbon Street attack. Training and implementation based on those federal guidelines played a clear and vital role.”

“Guidelines only matter if they’re applied before the next crisis.”

A Case for Eliminating Known Risks

“While conducting an assessment just outside New York City, I reviewed a boardwalk and pedestrian pathway that allowed vehicle access. When I raised concerns, the owner pushed back, saying there was no precedent to restrict vehicles.

I cited the 2017 Manhattan attack, where a rented pickup truck was driven onto a pedestrian and bike path, killing eight people. Still, the proposed use of removable barriers was dismissed as too inconvenient. I was asked to remove it from my report.

The design takeaway is simple: if you’re unwilling to acknowledge a documented, foreseeable risk, you have no business allowing that risk to persist. Eliminate it.”

“If you won’t address a known risk, you’re accepting the consequences.”

Design for the 1% Risk Before It Hits

“My approach starts early, with circulation reviews that map how people and vehicles move through a space. This is where risk either lies or can be eliminated.

I focus on critical assets, those that, if compromised, would cause major delays or endanger lives. Then I map threats, from deliberate attacks to medical emergencies or distracted driving. Once mapped, I work to delay or remove access while maintaining usability and emergency response.

The goal is to eliminate those small but serious vulnerabilities by embedding protection into the design itself. Retrofitting later is rarely as effective, impossible, and often, it’s too late.”

“If it slows recovery or puts lives at risk, it’s a critical asset.”

Anticipate Risk, Don’t Just React to It

“Risk mitigation, liability protection, and urban safety are often the driving forces behind perimeter design decisions, sometimes even influenced by insurance underwriters offering incentives based on specific product ratings.

That said, every site is unique, and too many decisions are reactive, responding to past events instead of anticipating future ones.

In nearly every presentation I give, I emphasize the importance of forward thinking: identifying site-specific vulnerabilities early, and applying layered solutions in the areas where they’ll matter most.”

“Too often, risk responses are reactive—we need to shift that mindset.”

Safety and Security are Two Sides of the Same Coin

“I’ve found that well-planned security enhances safety and vice versa. This is especially true in municipal or venue-based environments.

Take hostile vehicle mitigation or anti-theft design: measures intended to prevent deliberate harm often reduce the likelihood of accidental incidents, too. For example, blocking a vehicle from targeting a crowd also protects against wayward vehicles resulting from a driver’s error or medical emergencies.

These strategies work in tandem, reducing both the likelihood of harm and the liability tied to preventable risk.”

“What protects against intentional acts often protects against accidents too.”

Technology Should Support, Not Replace, the Physical Perimeter

“Technology is flashy, but it’s only effective when applied with purpose. Physical perimeter security has the benefit of being simple, static, and reliable. You know it will do its job.

That’s why I’m a strong advocate for layering technology with physical barriers, based on a clear understanding of real vulnerabilities. The goal isn’t to swap one for the other, but to combine strengths.

Used well, technology can monitor and document activity, help detect patterns, and assess emerging threats. But it should always enhance, never substitute, the physical perimeter.”

“Technology should complement, not replace, the perimeter.”

Use Data to Drive Layered, Future-Proof Design

“Planning must move beyond single-solution responses. Too many sites ‘fight the last war,’ relying on tools that addressed yesterday’s threat, not tomorrow’s.

We need layered designs informed by real data. Cameras, for instance, are excellent forensic tools, but offer limited ability to deter or delay. If we’re serious about evolving public safety, the design itself must be proactive, layered, and data-driven.”

“The goal isn’t just defense—it’s designing for what’s next.”

AI and Sensors Enable Smart Defensive Postures

“The future of public safety is becoming intelligent. We’re now integrating automated barrier systems that respond not to a single trigger, but to a combination of inputs.

LIDAR, speed detection, and AI-enhanced video analytics work together to detect erratic or hostile behavior. In under one second, these systems can trigger Emergency Fast Operation (EFO), shifting a passive barrier into a hardened defensive stance.

Rather than relying on human response, we’re training systems to think, balancing security with fluid access for routine operations.”

“A passive barrier can now shift to active defense in under a second.”

Protecting the Most Vulnerable

“I’m currently working on several projects focused on protecting vulnerable commercial locations from both intentional and accidental vehicle incursions. While I can’t disclose details about specific security-related projects, I can share that one of my most meaningful assignments involves an ongoing program with a nationwide company that owns over 1,000 early childhood education centers. The goal is to protect children and staff from storefront crashes, work that I consider among the most impactful of my career.”

“Protecting children from storefront crashes has been some of the most meaningful work of my career.”

Bring Security in Early

“To truly protect people and assets, security must be involved early in the design process. Waiting until late-stage coordination almost always leads to compromise.

My first recommendation: ask for as much space as you can up front. Once a site is boxed in, your options for meaningful protective measures quickly diminish.

It comes down to critical thinking and collaboration. For example, does that dead-end road pointing directly at your building pose a threat? Maybe not today, but over time, the statistical risk increases. As I note on my LinkedIn profile: ‘Security is a 1% problem… until it’s not.’ And when that 1% strikes, the consequences are measured in lives lost, recovery time, and reputational damage, especially if the risk was known and ignored.”

Layered Systems Require Training, Too

“I see two common mistakes.

First, not recognizing the need for a layered approach—one that addresses a full range of risks and threats through multiple measures, from the outer perimeter into the event or venue. Relying on a single line of defense is rarely sufficient.

Second, failing to treat training and implementation with the same importance as installation. I learned early on that even the best-designed plan will fail if the person in the guard booth, or the driver of the pickup truck, doesn’t understand their role. If all the burden falls on one individual without support or integration into a broader strategy, then it’s not truly a layered system—and it can be easily bypassed.”

Plan For Maintenance and the Environment

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is failing to account for maintenance and periodic inspection. Because perimeter security products are often static, they tend to fall into a ‘set it and forget it’ mindset, only getting attention after a breach or vulnerability is exposed.

Environmental factors also play a huge role in product performance and lifespan, yet they’re frequently overlooked. In one project, something as simple as a sprinkler system spraying water daily onto an electronic device, though weatherproof, caused performance issues and ultimately required a replacement.

With barrier systems, drainage is another major concern. It’s often the most important factor, and yet it’s regularly forgotten or underestimated by specifiers who don’t account for site-specific environmental conditions.

Ultimately, we need to be proactive, thinking through every possible vulnerability and environmental factor that could impact perimeter performance. Even if we can’t address every issue upfront, simply being aware of them leads to stronger, more resilient security protocols.”