Negligent security arises whenever security measures are nonexistent, broken, ineffective, or inadequate. When negligent security is an issue, visitors, guests, tenants, and residents of a property can become injured or killed by criminal activity. Crimes as serious as assault, robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, and rape can result due to poor security measures on the premises.

A property owner who fails to protect against foreseeable crimes may be held liable through legal action for the injuries their negligence caused.