Protection against explosives

For years, criminals have used explosives to gain access to bank vaults. These days, other business buildings are also the target. Criminals are resourceful and use increasingly rougher methods. Unfortunately, (international) standard-setters remain unable to make binding agreements with criminals. So the criminals often succeed!

A few examples of attacks with explosives

Attack on the SecurCash building (armoured car and valuables transport company) in Rotterdam - June 15, 2011
Attack on the Brinks building (armoured car and valuables transport company) in Amsterdam - June 29, 2011
Attack on the Témis Orly – Ville building (armoured car and valuables transport company) near Paris - September 21, 2001
Attack on the Securlog (Prosegur) building (armoured car and valuables transport company) in Birkesdorf - March 1, 2012
Break-in at the Museum in Gouda - March 21, 2012
Attack on the G4S (Group 4 Securitas) building (armoured car and valuables transport company) in Nieuwegein - April 12, 2012
...

Why are criminals so often successful?

Why do criminals succeed so often despite all the security measures? Because security according to the Dutch and European standards (NEN-CEN EN) is insufficient in the mid and high risk segments! Criminals just don't stick to standard working methods. We've been saying this for years (see the series of articles on Peppie and Kokkie versus Mickey Mouse). Still, the standards are maintained. Why? A lack of practical safecrackers' knowledge and perhaps also some unsavoury practices. With the unwitting customer as the victim. And the criminals laugh all the way to the bank.

Three big misconceptions in the security sector

1. SPEED OF ENTRY

The prevailing thought is that it often takes criminals anywhere from several minutes up to a half hour to get inside. In practice, the time between detection by a camera and alarm system and the actual entrance is between 10 and 60 seconds. Even where heavy or electrified gates have been installed. These are easy to demolish or to blow up with tools that - according to the standards - may NOT be used. But criminals could care less.

2. THE RESISTANCE TIME OF ENGINEERED COMPARTMENTS

Once criminals have broken through the first structural layer of the building, they usually encounter additional interior layers such as walls, doors and safe rooms. These are often built with the idea that they will provide plenty of delay time. In practice this turns out to be merely seconds. Here, too, criminals use heavy attack tools that aren't included in the standards.

3. THE TIME NEEDED TO COLLECT THE LOOT

Collection time is the time that criminals need to collect the loot. They know that the alarm system has gone off and that the police are on their way. The thinking is that the perpetrators have no more than five minutes to get out of the building, for fear of the police. Wrong! In one of the situations mentioned above, the perpetrators were inside for about 18 minutes. They weren't impressed by the dozens of police officers waiting outside for them. With their automatic weapons, the average police officer was a pushover for them. And the arrival of a SWAT team, equipped to arrest this sort of culprit, takes at least 45 minutes.

How do you stop criminals?

Appropriate security stops criminals. But what is appropriate? This differs for each situation. That's why bespoke security plans must be drawn up. Tailored work that requires practical burglar's knowledge. And that's exactly what we have in spades.

WE ASK YOU FOUR QUESTIONS

1. What is the expected type of culprit?
2. What is the culprits’ level of knowledge?
3. What type of attack weapon?
4. What is the desired time of delay?

Four important questions that often don't get asked. We know better, so our security measures truly hold up in the real world. Even with explosives as the weapon of attack, if the security plan takes this into account.

Guaranteed engineered delay

As a master in engineered security and with practical knowledge of burglary, we know how long it takes for criminals to break through an engineered layer. And which level of knowledge and which weapons are required for this. In this way, we are able to make a correct assessment with you about the security measures to be taken. And in the proper balance, so that you don't overspend unnecessarily on security. If so desired, we agree to a security project in which we guarantee the total engineered delay - this is also unique.

Explosion-resistant products

Van den Hoogen Security has an extensive assortment of explosion-resistant products to protect your personnel and your property adequately. We commission these products to be tested ourselves, so that their safety is guaranteed.