Politics & Government

'Vulnerability Assessment' Uncovers Security Gaps in Southbury Buildings

The assessment uncovered areas where improvements are needed to increase safety and security at town-owned buildings.

The Southbury First Selectman's Office says it is reviewing recommendations of a  new report that shed light on areas town-owned buildings are vulnerable to theft and terrorist attacks.

The Vulnerability Assessment was prepared by Officer Chris Grillo of the Southbury Police Department. He has been trained to perform those types of assessments, the First Selectman's Office states.

After inspecting the inside and outside of town-owned buildings, Grillo prepared a report and DVD of his recommendations to enhance the safety of the buildings and the people who work in them. The recommendations range from trimming back shrubbery around the outside doorways to better ways of securing money that is collected in the various offices. 

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The First Selectman's Office says some simple measures were implemented immediately, like locking ground-floor windows; others are being evaluated and prioritized for future action.

"Ever since the events in our neighboring Town of Newtown, we have all become more aware of the vulnerability of all public buildings, not just schools," the release from the First Selectman's Office states. "We realize it is nearly impossible to prevent shootings or terrorist acts; our goal should be to deter, detect, and delay an incident from occurring."

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"Most of our buildings were built in a time when security measures were minimal; therefore, every affordable effort should be made to increase the safety of the employees and citizens utilizing the buildings," the release states. "At the same time we must also ensure the buildings remain functional and aesthetically pleasing." 

The First Selectman's Office declined to provide a copy of the report.


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