We had the opportunity to facilitate a security consultant’s roundtable at the Security Expo 25 July in Melbourne, courtesy of HID Global. Amongst the discussion on smart buildings and mobility, the group also focused on the trends being seen when it comes to physical access control and the priorities for adding value to end-users, in the realm of physical access.
Underlying the importance of physical access control, some recent research data highlights that the workplace is not just subject to nuisance or targeted crime, but also the phenomenon of domestic violence. In 2014–15, on average, almost 8 women and 2 men were hospitalised each day after being assaulted by their spouse or partner. Between 1 July 2010 and 30 June2014 there were 152 intimate partner homicides in Australia. Almost half of the males who killed a former female partner killed that partner within three months of the relationship ending, almost a quarter were named as respondents in Domestic Violence Orders, half were using alcohol at the time of the homicide and over a third stalked the victim either during the relationship or after it had ended. And this is where the workplace comes in.
Stalking behaviours can include the abuser following the victim, loitering near the victim’s home or work, and breaking into the victim’s house. Stalking also includes acts of technology facilitated abuse such as persistent text messaging; maintaining surveillance over the victim’s phone or email; covertly recording the victim’s activities; and engaging with the victim on social media/dating sites under a false identity. Of the 121 male offenders, 13 per cent of homicides occurred in public/open places and two male homicide offenders killed their female intimate partners at a workplace…Click here to read full article.
