Siege Mentality - the New Awareness

In the 1970s, Oscar Newman’s work on preventing crime in multi-dwelling buildings in Staten Island/New York produced a pretty good set of standards for similar premises in today’s world, albeit with a bit of new technology added. And over the past three decades, the idea of having a “siege mentality” was something that was looked at with some derision. I believe we all thought that really building a moat around your castle wasn’t a necessary task.

It seems, however, that those “innocent days” are behind us.  What with a growing number of home robberies (or home invasions, as they are euphemistically called), some multi-dwelling locations have become prime examples of siege mentality.

An article in today’s paper describes what has been done in Los Angeles. The Steel Plaza senior retirement complex has been designed to be “drive-by (shooting) proof”, using an elevated courtyard with high walls.  An earth bunker to shield visitors from possible drive-by shootings has been built in a local park, and a single parent residential facility has apartments above ground level (remember some history - residents of London, and possibly other town in 1600 England, lived on the second floor of their homes, with a “busybody mirror” set outside of a window so people at their doors could be seen), security cameras at all entrances, and a courtyard surrounded by buildings..

Times sure are changing, and architects, who have not always paid a lot of attention to security, appear to have finally realized that there is a real need for security in certain high risk demographic locations.

Granted, already established single and multi-dwelling locations may not be able to fortify their local neighborhood with these modern moats, but everyone should find a reasonable way to secure their homes. It is a cryin’ shame, however, that initiatives such as those taken in the Los Angeles neighborhoods are necessary - but the fact is they do exist, and taking intelligent security steps to protect yourself and your family is not only reasonable but necessary .

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Tags: crime, los angeles, moats, multi-dwelling, neighborhoods, oscar newman, security, seige, siege mentality