Standoff distance
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Standoff distance is a security term that refers to measures to prevent unscreened and potentially threatening people and vehicles from approaching within a certain distance of a building, car, or other shelter, roadblock or other location, or to a person such as a law enforcement officer or VIP, or to a friendly area / location.[a]
Standoff distance is used when a
Standoff distance may be ensured using fixed physical barriers such as fences or bollards; temporary placement of items to block access (e.g., using law enforcement vehicles or police tape to block a road or bridge); physical features other than barriers (these may appear innocuous, such as the White House lawn or adding an ornamental pond); armed guards or positions (e.g., a police sniper in overwatch); or deploying police officers with carbines such as an M-4, instead of just a service sidearm. When police officers have carbines the standoff distance is increased because an attacker who poses a threat can be fired upon from greater distances.
Firearms
When an armed and violent criminal is sheltered in a location not easily reachable by a
Hostage situations
In a hostage situation, the primary goal is the safe recovery of the hostages, who are usually held under threat of
Unless all kidnappers can be hit and killed by sniper gunfire almost simultaneously, generally extreme prejudice (e.g., shooting at gunmen) is not used as freely due to the danger of other kidnappers killing the hostages, as in the 1972 Munich example.
This is not true in
Bombs
With bomb threats, the standoff distance used by law enforcement officers depends on the size and type of the bomb.[2] The smallest standoff distances, about 70 feet (21 m) from the threat, are used for small pipe bombs with about five pounds (2.25 kg) of explosives.[3] A human suicide bomber with about 20 pounds (9 kg) of explosives strapped to his/her body has a standoff distance of 110 feet (33.5 m).[4] A briefcase or suitcase bomb with about 50 pounds (22.67 kg) of explosives has a 150-foot (46 m) standoff distance.[5] Larger car bombs or truck bombs have a much larger standoff distance, as the blast radius is bigger.[6] A car bomb with a 500-pound (226.79 kg) bomb has a 320-foot (97.5 m) standoff distance.[7] A small delivery truck-based truck bomb with a 1,000 pound (453.59 kg) bomb has a 640-foot (195 m) standoff distance.[8] A huge 18-wheeler truck-sized truck bomb with over 60,000 pounds (27215.5 kg) of explosives has a 1,570 foot (478.5 m) standoff distance.[9]
Standoff distance is also intended to deter terrorists from using
Hydraulic roadblocks (sometimes wedge-shaped), or bollards can be raised to block approaching vehicles; these can be designed to prevent even a heavy, fast-moving truck from getting through. Jersey barriers and concrete planters filled with dirt have also been used to maintain separation between screened and unscreened traffic. Certain infrastructure at risk of terrorist attack, such as bridges, may not be well-suited to standoff distances since their purpose is for traffic to travel along them.
Notes
- ^ T'Jae Gibson, Army Research Laboratory (August 15, 2011) Army seeks safe Soldier solutions through research
- See also Gen. Display behavior
- See also Gen.
References
- ^ Army Operating Concept: Win in a Complex World —Gen. David G. Perkins
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "Office for Bombing Prevention: Improvised Explosive Device Awareness". www.slideshare.net. Homeland Security. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ "404 Page".
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