U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Vulnerability Assessment of Federal Facilities

NCJ Number
156412
Date Published
1995
Length
89 pages
Annotation
Based on a study coordinated by the U.S. Marshals Service, this report presents recommended minimum-security standards for Federal facilities and findings from a survey of existing security conditions at Federal buildings.
Abstract
The Standards Committee consisted of security specialists and representatives of components of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Committee identified and evaluated the various types of security measures that could be used to counter potential vulnerabilities. The product of the Committee's work was a set of minimum standards that can be applied to various Federal facilities. Standards cover perimeter security, entry, interior security, and security planning. Because of the considerable differences among Federal facilities and their security needs, the Committee divided Federal holdings into five security levels to determine which minimum standards are appropriate for which security levels. These categories are based on such factors as size, number of employees, use, and required access to the public. The security survey of Federal facilities was conducted by deputies of the U.S. Marshals Services and security specialists with the General Services Administration. Site visits were conducted to obtain information on facilities based on a security questionnaire. The principal conclusion from the survey is that the typical Federal facility at each security level lacks some of the elements required to meet the new minimum standards proposed in this study. The primary recommendation is that, where feasible, each Federal facility should be brought up to the minimum security standards proposed for its security level. A list of priority recommendations and a proposed time table for their implementation are presented in this report. Appended sample of profile, compilation of survey results, cost matrix, and details of recommended security standards