By JESSICA ANDERSON
If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t given much thought to the lowly bollard. Truthfully, if you’re like most people, you probably don’t know what a bollard is. Unless you work in Jewish security, and then, of course, you definitely do! Bollards are the posts that line the area between vehicular traffic and pedestrians and/or building frontage. If you’ve been out to Congregation Neveh Shalom recently, you may have seen their construction in the roundabout and previously noticed them in the Portland Kollel and Congregation Ahavath Achim parking lot and elsewhere. 
The word “bollard” is generally accepted to come from a combination of the Old Norse words “bolr” (Middle English “bole”), which means “tree trunk,” and the suffix “-ard,” which is generally added to mean “hard.” Bollard was initially used in the mid-1800s to describe the short, thick posts used to tie ships to wharves. Since the mid-1900’s, the term has also been used to describe traffic control devices.
Bollards are most commonly sturdy posts of a certain height and heft and are designed to protect pedestrians from accidental or purposeful contact with vehicles. They come in many shapes and sizes and aren’t always posts. Where space isn’t a factor, an organization can be creative and use giant planters (think MJCC), sculptural elements (think the big red balls outside your local Target store), or other innovative solutions. Where space is a factor, such as a sidewalk, there typically aren’t other options, and the posts are most common. To be most effective, bollards need to adhere to standards that impact their height and spacing and meet crash testing minimums. Additionally, in our community, most organizations use Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NGSP) funds from FEMA to pay for them, and the requirements are explicit and non-negotiable. NSGP-funded bollards have a specific minimum height, must be buried down into the cement, and have a maximum spacing between bollards. This greatly limits the aesthetic options for organizations. 
Concerns about vehicles and people being in close proximity are always present for organizational leaders, and they know it’s just a slip of a foot between the brake and acceleration pedals that could cause a car to crash into a crowd of people. One organization in our community has twice had vehicles lose control of the roadway and crash through their property! One is a dot, but two points make a line, and they can see they now have to figure out how to add bollards near the roadway to prevent another incident. 
An added concern is that a purposeful attack will happen. This type of incident is statistically rare, but it has happened, even here in Portland. In May 2018, Greg Porter was arrested for driving his truck into three women walking downtown in downtown Portland. In October 2017, a truck driven by Sayfullo Saipov drove onto a bike path in NYC, killing eight. 
Mineta Transportation Institute, associated with San Josd State University’s Lucas Graduate School of Business published some research on vehicular attacks in November 2019. They highlighted that there have been 184 known incidents, the first occurring in 1963. Unfortunately, 70 percent of attacks have happened since January 2014, indicating they are becoming more frequent and more lethal. Attacks dropped in 2019, and the researchers were unclear if this was because of countermeasures or because rammings were becoming less trendy. 54 percent occurred in developed countries such as the US and Europe. While vehicle ramming isn’t the most lethal tactic, it can be an easy method for people who can’t get guns or bombs, so cars become a weapon of opportunity in that they are readily available. 
Both intentional and unintentional vehicular attacks remain on the minds of our community leaders. They work hard to balance the safety of the community with costs, aesthetics, and community tolerance or wishes for additional observable safety measures. Ultimately, they recognize they are responsible for the lives of people who have entrusted themselves to their spaces and seek to keep you reassured and protected.
If you have any safety or security concerns, please reach out to Jessica Anderson via email or cell, at janderson@securecommunitynetwork.org or 872-273-9214.