Guidance for Public & Private Sector Security Contract Holders
What’s the point of Security Staff?
Introduction
Both public and private sector entities engage private security companies across various locations such as public facilities, construction sites, shopping centres, attractions, and night-time economy venues etc.
To confirm performance and effectiveness levels, I suggest contract holders pose the following questions to their security personnel.
Questions
Responses to these inquiries typically range from uncertainty to providing credible explanations, with a higher prevalence of uncertainty.
1. What is the purpose of your on-site presence?
2. What are you looking for while observing the area?
3. What human behaviour signals start you looking more closely and initiate your decision-making process?
4. What is your decision-making process to act in any given situation related to your role?
5. What options does your decision-making process provide you with?
6. CCTV operators: What are you looking for in human behaviour, and how do you describe that behaviour to colleagues after completing your decision-making process on how to respond?
7. CCTV operators: Are you just looking and hoping?
Reasons for Questions
These essential inquiries empower contract holders and management to gain precise insights into the services they are procuring and the value of security personnel at their sites.
Succinct responses to the posed questions not only provide clarity but also articulates understanding of human behaviour. This, in turn, facilitates the adoption of credible and effective decision-making processes by the security personnel.
Effectiveness & Purpose
In the absence of such foundational information, the operation of security without this information could be deemed ineffective and lacking a clear purpose for being there in the first place.
Educating security staff to address the provided questions is a manageable and straightforward process. The knowledge is not rocket science, and security personnel can quickly develop the necessary understanding.
Security Foreknowledge
In the 21st century, security challenges have evolved, necessitating security staff to possess both actionable foreknowledge and robust decision-making systems. The dynamic nature of contemporary threats demands a proactive approach where security personnel are equipped with anticipatory knowledge to identify and respond to potential risks before they escalate.
Decision Making
Effective decision-making systems are crucial to navigating complex and rapidly changing environments. In essence, the modern security paradigm requires not only a responsive posture but also a proactive and predictive capability.
21st Century
This shift acknowledges the importance of foresight and adaptive decision-making in safeguarding against a diverse range of threats characteristic of the 21st century. Without these security fundamentals your facility may as well use manikins.
Need to know more, contact Mildot for advice or access our premium resources.
Author:
Tony Gledhill, a seasoned protective security consultant and founder of Mildot Group. With extensive international experience, Tony has designed and executed security strategies for leading energy and construction organisations operating in high-risk and complex environments. His private sector expertise extends to training international government protection teams responsible for VIPs and critical assets, plus thousands of armed & unarmed private security guards. Leveraging over 16 years in the private sector after a distinguished 22-year military career, he brings a wealth of real-world knowledge.
Armed with real world operational insight, he knows what can be achieved with reasonable and practicable security solutions.