A person who is assaulted on a Connecticut property due to negligent security may have a premises liability case against the owner of the property, since property owners have a responsibility to ensure adequate security to protect visitors. In many cases, sound security includes a good security fence. A fence with obvious defects might not be enough to stop an intruder from encroaching on a property and causing harm to lawful visitors.

According to Networx, a good security fence should not be easy for an intruder to climb over. Some chain link fences can unintentionally create footholds or places to grab onto while climbing. A secure chain link fence should have a weave that is so small that feet or fingers cannot fit through them. Lining a fence top with spikes can also prevent someone from climbing over.

The actual structure of the fence should be paid attention to. Screws in fences should be strong enough to hold the fence together and not easily dislodged from the fence. Wire mesh fences should not be easy to slice through. To add more security, property owners can install a second fence just a few feet from the initial fence. This will make tresspassing onto the property even harder.

Gates are something else that could be a problem. A gate can serve as a security fence’s weak point if the gate is not the same height as the fence. Other facets of the gate, such as hinges or locks, should be secure and hard to breach. It may be necessary to supplement the gate with lights or an intercom. Some property owners even opt for fingerprint identification systems.

The complexity of building a security fence means any property owner should check with local building codes to make sure the fence is in compliance. Depending on the type of building that needs to be secured, the fence may have a specific height limit. There may be other regulations that dictate what kind of security measures can be implemented, such as an electrified fence.

The needs of property owners can vary depending on the property and the building to be secured. For this reason, do not consider this article as actionable legal advice. It is only intended as general information.