Are Your Security Master Plans in Place?

If so, your organization will be able to obtain grants and control costs more easily.

July 27, 2010 James L. Grayson

Planning is an essential part of any campus security organization. Plans are the blueprints that guide routine and emergency campus operations. They also look ahead to anticipate future needs and aid in the construction of meaningful budgets.

Master planning stands out from other planning tasks:

Master planning begins with a thorough analysis of all campus security risks
It develops a list of risk-based needs or countermeasures for desired programs, facilities, physical security and electronic security.
It takes a long term view of current and future needs
It includes specific product specifications for each recommended countermeasure
It ensures that products used for current application will be compatible with future projected needs, including integration of electronic systems.
It prioritizes each recommendation
It provides cost projections for each recommendation

Master planning is most important in dealing with electronic security, including video surveillance systems, access control systems, intrusion detection systems and current or anticipated systems integration.

Having a prioritized list of needs with specific products and costs will be of enormous value when grants and other funding sources become available with short notice and small windows of opportunity. It simplifies the budget process and keeps costs under control. It ensures that the items purchased will work properly for current and future needs. It allows the campus to negotiate a lower price for each standardized component to be purchased.

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About the Author

James L. Grayson

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Jim Grayson is a senior security consultant. His career spans more than 35 years in law enforcement and security consulting. He worked for UCLA on a workplace violence study involving hospitals, schools and small retail environments and consulted with NIOSH on a retail violence prevention study.Grayson’s diverse project experience includes schools, universities, hospitals, municipal buildings, high-rise structures and downtown revitalization projects. He holds a degree in criminal justice and a CPP security management credential from ASIS. He is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on a wide range of security topics.He can be reached at jimgrayson@mindspring.com. Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety magazine.