Negligent security, or inadequate security, is a form of premises liability. It occurs when a property owner, manager, or operator fails to implement reasonable security measures to protect people from foreseeable criminal activities on their property, and this failure directly leads to someone being victimized.
The key elements to establish a negligent security claim in Arizona typically include:

• Duty: The property owner/operator had a duty to provide reasonable security based on the circumstances.
• Foreseeability: The criminal act was foreseeable. This means the property owner knew or should have known about a risk of similar crimes occurring on or near the premises. Evidence of foreseeability can include prior similar incidents on the property or in the immediate vicinity, high crime rates in the area, the nature of the business (e.g., bars, ATMs, businesses open late), or direct threats.
• Breach of Duty: The property owner failed to provide adequate security measures (breached their duty). This is determined by what a reasonable property owner would have done under similar circumstances.
• Causation: This failure to provide adequate security was a substantial factor in causing the victim’s injuries or losses. The crime would likely not have occurred, or the harm would have been less severe, if reasonable security had been in place.
• Damages: The victim suffered actual harm (physical injuries, emotional trauma, financial losses).