Does your landscaping increase your security risks? Do you know what security risks that your trees and bushes are causing? If you do not know, now is the time to find out!

Landscaping Crime Prevention

Let’s be honest, most people, whether it is for a business or their own residential property, do not fully understand how their trees and bushes can increase their risks for criminal activity. In fact, in a majority of cases they have no clue as to what is going on at their property.

When it comes to preventing crimes on your property there are several things that we look for. For example, do the bushes or trees cover the windows? Is the size of the bushes or trees actually providing an area of concealment that drug users or homeless can hide themselves?

Landscaping Security Risks

Let me be the first to say that I truly understand that people want trees and bushes on their property, as it can bring a sense of calm to an otherwise crazy world in which we live. The main issue is that whatever we plant we need to maintain, and therein lies the root cause of how landscaping can increase your security risks.

If you cannot see behind or under the bushes on your property then neither can the police or security officers. You may have people living in your yard and you do not even know it. Or worse yet, there may be drug abusers getting high on your property and leaving behind their tools of the trade.

Security Risk Assessment

Over the years when conducting security risk assessments I have located homeless encampments on numerous properties. Some were so elaborate that they had beds, tents, cooking stoves, bathrooms dog kennels and so on. What is often the case is that I locate much smaller encampments and signs of serious illegal drug activity. Unfortunately the property owners for the most part had no idea they had unwanted guests.

Case in point, at one medical center property that was located in a middle class neighborhood and had a very professional landscape that was well maintained I located numerous used hypodermic syringes in areas behind the bushes, in parking lots, around park benches and even around play areas used by children. Upon further searching I also located an area that was found to contain toddler clothes hidden in the bushes. One has to wonder how they got there and why no one, including security or the grounds crew, has not ever noticed them?

Another issue that comes up often is the fact that bushes and trees are not properly maintained around windows. If that is the case and I can conceal myself behind a bush while prying open a window to enter your business or home the chances of any one seeing me do so is fairly low. We also have to consider the fact that “Peeping Toms” may also be concealing themselves behind those same bushes for voyeurism purposes.

Understanding Security

The key message here is to understand your security risks and potential exposure and mitigate your risk whenever possible. You might be surprised as to what is going on in your gardens.