Morning Security Brief: CPTED Saves Lives, Border Drones, LAX Security, Tajik Prison Break, & Investor Confidence in Iraq

♦ A public safety building incorporating crime prevention through environmental design helped ensure no one was hurt when a man sprayed the building with over 100 rounds of gunfire in McKinney, Texas, last Tuesday. The Dallas Morning News describes the building's unique characteristics. "Secure access points and the arrangement of rooms create a buffer between McKinney law enforcement officials and the public. Windows sit just above eye level to prevent direct attack. They slope to limit ledges for explosive devices. Bulletproof glass protects the lobby, and bullet-resistant liner lies inside the masonry walls," according to the paper. "Outside, concrete structures called bollards block cars from smashing through the entrance. Manicured trees make climbing or concealment difficult. Thorny bushes hover near the building's sides. Transformers and utilities sit several meters away from the 84,100-square-foot structure."

♦ Two new drones will be conducting surveillance flights over the Southwest border region. "Additional unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, were included in a recently passed $600 million border security bill," reports the San Antonio Express-News. "They will be a 'force multiplier' to the ranks of Border Patrol and Customs agents, which also will increase by 1,500 personnel." Homeland security chief Janet Napolitano told the paper the drones will give "us the capacity to have 24/7 air coverage along the entire Texas border."

♦ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues to defend its security record as local lawmakers push to audit the security practices at one of the nation's busiest airports. The airport says crime has fallen 6 percent during the first half of 2010. "LAX continues to be one of the safest airports in the world and one of the safest areas in all of Southern California," Airport Police Chief George Centeno said in a statement. "The total number of major crimes against persons is remarkably low, given over 28.7 million travelers used LAX the first half of this year." Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, who originally called for the audit, says as the airport grows, the number of security personnel should grow with it.

♦ Twenty-five alleged Islamic militants broke out of a Tajikistan prison late Sunday, killing 5 guards in the process. "The State National Security Committee said Monday the escaped convicts include many members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist group," according to The Associated Press. "The security services said there are Russian and Afghan citizens among the inmates who attacked their guards at the prison in Dushanbe late Sunday." Tajikistan borders Afghanistan.

♦ International investors are optimistic Iraq's security will continue to improve. "A survey of more than 300 senior executives by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) found that seven years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, 64 percent thought it was still too dangerous to do business in Iraq," reports Agence France Presse."But there was optimism about the future, according to provisional results seen by AFP, with 55 percent saying they believed the security situation for foreign executives and employees would improve over the next two years." According to the survey, the three biggest perceived risks in Iraq are violence, corruption, and lack of infrastructure.