Protection of soft targets in correlation with the CPTED concept

Abstract

Terrorist attacks and violent criminal activity are mainly concentrated in the vicinity of assets that are accessible to the public, characterized by a relatively low level of security and a high concentration of people, the so-called soft targets. Such premises are closely related to a high risk of criminal or other anti-social activity. The term soft targets do not have an officially defined definition, which leads to different interpretations. In security field, this term refers to an object/space with a high concentration of people, which is easily accessible, while the level of security against a potential attack is low or non-existent. Examples of soft targets can be: health facilities, transport infrastructure, schools, markets and others. The events of the last few days show how important it is to discuss the vulnerability of soft targets, as well as to be aware of the procedures that can be applied to increase their protection. The aim of the article is the contribution of new knowledge through which we can reduce crime and ensure a higher quality of life for citizens. An effective modern prevention strategy, the concept of CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design), is devoted to the identification of the conditions of the physical and social environment that give the possibility of committing a criminal activity and their subsequent modification, the intention of which is to limit it. The insufficient level of awareness of the general public about the existence of soft targets, the need for their protection and the possibility of increasing the level of their security through the concept of CPTED, negatively affects the development of the curve of recorded incidents.