Local authorities are charged with controlling and managing a large range of different buildings. In addition to council housing and residential areas dedicated to council housing, there are also council offices and town halls, libraries, leisure centres, parks, community centres, schools, healthcare facilities and museums and art galleries. Some of these buildings will be occupied and operating most hours of a day, but many are left vacant overnight and at weekends, and hence become vulnerable to security risks.

Properties owned and managed by a local authority are particularly vulnerable because people perceive them as public property, furthermore, financial restrictions may limit what money is spent on them and hence they may look empty and unused when they are not. However, local authority properties remain an important part of a community and many people rely on them, and as a result it is essential that a local authority maintains them as safe and secure. That is why canine security is increasingly popular as a security deterrent for local authority properties.

How is K9 security used with council properties?

There are various ways that adopting canine security can benefit a local authority looking to secure a building and maintain a site as safe. These include:

Perimeter security – Canine security teams can patrol the entire perimeter of a site, which in the case of municipal parks and sports facilities, can be vast. This also applies to council buildings and other public spaces.
Crowd control – It is common for local authorities to plan and execute public events, such as festivals and fairs, and canine security can help to maintain public safety. They would normally keep a discreet presence, unless an event is high profile and high risk, in which case event security would be more of a visible deterrent.
Intruders – Canine security is an effective method of deterring intruders and preventing unauthorised access to buildings and assets controlled by the local authority. Dogs also possess specialist skills to catch intruders that have been successful in accessing a building or asset.
Search and detect – Where people have been apprehended, such as an intruder, a security dog will possess specialist skills to then search the person for contraband, such as drugs, explosives or firearms.
Vandalism – Council properties are particularly vulnerable to graffiti, damage, nuisance and other forms of anti-social behaviour, such as fly-tipping. Canine security acts as a very visible deterrent to people gathering around council properties overnight and vacant properties over a weekend or holiday period, and can be alert to catch people in the act of causing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Street patrols – Council estates are often deemed a high-risk area and any residential areas surrounding a prominent council property also become high risk. Canine patrols are effective in deterring crime and quickly apprehending people guilty of vandalism, trespass or other crimes.

Why is canine security more effective?

Canine security is only one form of security, and it is true that other forms of security, such as CCTV, security guards and security patrols can be effective also. However, canine security is particularly valuable when considering local authority properties because:

Trained – Dog security teams are highly trained to react to specific threats and to behave in a controlled and lawful way. Security dogs are extremely sensitive in terms of their sense of smell and how fast and alert they are, which makes them significantly more effective than a human security guard in certain scenarios.
Deterrent – Dog security provides a visible presence that deters crime and therefore represents an enhanced security measure.
Cost-effective – A dog security team is much more cost effective than installing valuable CCTV systems or complex intruder alarm systems.
Integrate – Nevertheless, if these security measures are already in place, or are still deemed necessary, dog security can integrate with these other security solutions to provide a comprehensive site security system.
Versatile – Because dog security can be trained to react to specific threats, you can deploy teams that are specially trained for the risks a particular site represents. This could be de-escalating violent situations, or detecting drugs or firearms. Naturally you can also deploy dogs who are specially trained in a range of security measures.
Flexible – Dog security teams can be deployed on a short term and temporary basis to react quickly to escalating situations, and where an additional layer of security is required. They can be brought in quickly and then taken away again, they don’t need to be permanently deployed.
Peace of mind – Dog security teams offer peace of mind that local authority buildings and properties are protected by the most effective security measures.

Effective canine security for your local authority property with React K9

At React K9 we have highly trained dog security teams who can be assigned to your local authority buildings with a specific remit. Our dog security teams are SIA-licenced and NASDU-trained to ensure the highest possible standards of security response and situation management. If you need a higher level of security for your local authority buildings and sites, contact React K9 today.