In this article, IFPO UK Member, Orlando Mardner MSc CMAS CFIP CSM Dpi CPO, examines how the security professional is perceived.  Part 2 next week.

Introduction

The private security industry plays a vital role in the protection and safety of life and property in the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world. In the contemporary society, the private security is not only crucial in protecting critical infrastructure systems, properties and lives, but also for ensuring cyber security, conduct investigations, install and monitor alarm systems, and CCTV cameras. Previous studies have examined private security personnel, companies and agencies, with a central focus on the roles of private security, growth and trends. Besides, most studies examines how private security compares to other disciplines. In this essay, the emphasis is on roles and responsibilities of private security, the status of private security as an essential service and the connection between private security and other essential services. The essay further outlines strengths and weaknesses of private security amidst globalization and emerging issues.

Security strategies for uncertainties

In a world of uncertainties, both private and public policing key role is to ensure the security of citizens and their properties. Britain remains both secure and vulnerable in the ever-changing society due to technological advancements, emerging health crisis, unconventional attacks, biological weapons, cyber-attack and terrorism (Cabinet Office, 2010). The growing threats and uncertainties calls for national and global commitments to redefine the position and role of private security as an essential service in the society. Political, social and economic openness of countries in the world, the United Kingdom included, brings great opportunities, and at the same time threats (Cabinet Office, 2010). The COVID-19 pandemic for instance, gained its entry within the UK boundaries from the countries of origin via air and other means of transport, and networking with other countries. All the pertinent issues calls for a radical transformation in private security sector, and clearly defining whether the entire industry provides essential services, or a section of services offered by private security personnel, which falls under essential category.

When a tragedy strikes, the national security face challenges dealing with the situation. This is because most countries do not meet the bear minimum of the ratio of police officers to population recommended by the United Nations. The UN recommends a ratio of 222 police officers for every 100,000 citizens, which translates to one police officer for every 450 citizens (Durch and Ker, 2013). The involvement of private security companies by the UK government in times of emergencies has the potentiality of reducing pressure in safeguarding lives and properties, and managing crises. A national security strategy prepared in advance not only provide guidelines for dealing with emergencies, but also provide room for gathering the necessary tools, and the engagement with private security guards. While the Cabinet Office and Great Britain. Parliament (2010) gives credit to intelligence officers, armed forces, diplomats and police for protecting the United Kingdom citizens safe at home, and protecting the country’s interests oversee, private security equally play a significant role in the protection of lives and property.

The government departments, parastatals and other key parties dependent on private security services owe the practitioners and the private companies an immense debt of gratitude on grounds of their commitments towards detection and prevention of crime, and safeguarding of property and lives. Because private security officers are not new to interaction with the public, the services they provide, if not, should be considered essential, upon which their withdrawal would endanger health, life and personal safety of part or the whole population (Gernigon, Odero & Guido, 2000). The role of the police during an emergency is set out in statute as opposed to private guards; hence left to fill a need, or with no role to play at all.

The COVID-19 crisis has triggered calls by key stakeholders in the United Kingdom for the government to consider private security officers essential workers during the pandemic. The international labour organization (ILO) highlights services considered essential, which include the hospital sector, communication and information technology, financial services, transportation and logistics, law enforcement, public safety and first responders. These services intertwines with private security guards daily operations. The calls for policy makers to consider private security an essential service, and the security guards essential workers is well thought out. This is because during emergencies, such as the 9/11 terror attacks, the London bombings of 7-7, 2005 and the riots of the north of England in 2001, caused security challenges, which led to loss of lives and properties (Garbaye and Latour, 2016). While security is broad, societal security narrows to physical security against violent attacks, social cohesion and collective wellbeing of the society. Private security companies ensure the realization of societal protection and safety.

Public security and private security partnerships.

Effective partnerships between private and public security sector necessitates core policing, which require security practitioners to have specialized skill set, and respond to a variety of service demands, order maintenance and community expectations (Montgomery and Griffiths, 2016). Core policing recommend initiatives geared towards improving the quality of life in communities, sustaining partnerships with the community and reassuring the community residents of reduced fear of crime. Montgomery and Griffiths (2016) argues that the private security, which was traditionally viewed in terms of private investigators and security guards have expanded its scope over the past decades. Today, the sector take up many tasks traditionally performed by the public police. In view of Montgomery and Griffiths (2016), expanding and increasing the role of private security ensures public safety and security. The authors’ notion reiterates the growing calls by key players in private security sector in the United Kingdom. Not only should the UK government consider putting into law private security as an essential service, but should also ensure better regulations and the adoption of certain frontline roles such as being the primary respondents to certain emergencies and incidents. Partnerships between private and public security has several benefits. The benefits include reduced emergency response time, faster and efficient intelligence gathering, and enhance protection of critical infrastructure.

Although private-public security partnerships in times of crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 threat is crucial, myriads of barriers exists; thus, stopping the recognition of private security as an essential service contrary to energy employees, public workers, the police and armed forces. Other known essential services include water and wastewater workers, critical manufacturers and other services (Montgomery and Griffiths, 2016), which cannot be withdrawn under whatever circumstance. The ambiguity surrounding the roles and responsibilities of private guards, competency concerns of private security companies, lack of trust, and barriers to information sharing between private security, public police and the community, and misunderstanding predispose the failed partnerships between public and private security sector.

Roles and responsibilities of private security visa a Vis public security.

Private security guards perform various duties and functions aimed at ensuring proper and safe working of organizations, businesses and institutions they are deployed to. Private officers are responsible for ensuring the safety of people, property, and other valuables. Although private guards are only mandated to patrol the location assigned to them, other expectations include attending to emergencies, and working hand in hand with the rescue services such as firefighters and police officers.

To begin with, security contractors are responsible for people's and the premises' protection against any inhuman actions, which includes criminal damages or theft. Upon detection of any form of unlawful activity, private security officers have an obligation to collect all the available evidence at the crime vicinity, and report the incidence to the police officers for further investigation. To that effect, organizations set rules and regulations to govern the working of the employees such as loitering; which security guards are responsible for ensuring that the employees adhere to the rules (Anderson, 2001). Contrary, public security does not have to raise the alarm in case of crime; but, allowed to arrest the suspect.  Moreover, security personnel are also responsible for preventing damages and wastages. (Muuss, 1995) writes that both private and public security guards are required to be watchful all the time to avert careless usage of resources resulting in losses. Besides, the officers prevent theft within the organization.

In addition, both private and public security guards are required to do active and regular checking of safety risks. According to (Anderson, 2001), security guards ensure safety of clients and property through vigilance and quick response to emergencies. Therefore, any form of hazardous occurrences such as fire outbreaks or security threats require high levels of preparedness amongst security officers. Security officers are to be keen on detecting gas leakages since it can cause fire outbreak, all gas cylinders are to be checked and ensured they are in good condition all the time. Nonetheless, tampered parts of the building such as doors and windows should be in good condition; a responsibility assigned to security guards.  Besides, there is need for controlling entry and exit points; a duty performed by security personnel. In addition, frisking is a crucial thing at any entry and exit points, an important precautionary measure in ensuring that no one comes in with objects or items that can harm others. As per ((Muuss, 1995), sometimes security guards need to make sure visitors coming into the premises signs visitors' records book, indicating entry time and the expected exit time .In some organizations, they are given the responsibility of collecting identity cards of visitors; this forces them not to stay for long within the premise.

Furthermore, security officers attend to emergencies. In his book, (Rice, 2007), points that, to make sure the guards respond to urgent issues, security training becomes a necessity. However, this entails creation of awareness of what is required from the guards as well as reaching the scene within the shortest time possible. In cases of very urgent emergencies, the security officers contacts the service providers to ensure immediate vacation of the premise.

To add, private security guards puts individuals causing suspicion under a house arrest. Nevertheless, the guards avails reasonable evidence worth believing that an individual has stolen or has a plan to take a commodity within the premise. According to (Alexandre, 1997), section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, allows arrest of a suspect if: i) the suspect is in the process of committing a crime, and you have enough reasons for suspecting. ii) The crime is already committed and the individual you have substantive reasons against is guilty of the offence. However, (Anderson, 2001) confirms that this is achievable if security guards upon training expect questions like; did you see the person hiding some items picked from the warehouse? Did the person leave the warehouse before paying for the items? Have you been watching them throughout the time?

Alexandre (1997) reassures that if the guard has genuine answers to these questions, then he/she is right to put the suspect under a house arrest. In addition, the private security guard should not apply any kind of force on them. As per (Rice, 2007), the best thing for a security guard to do is to introduce themselves to the suspect, their role. Thereafter, call the police immediately while staying with the suspect until the police arrives. Consequently, use of force is required if there is the need, but it has to be ‘reasonable’. According to section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, one may ‘use as much force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large’. Contrary, public security guards makes an arrest of the suspect.

Both private security guards and public security officers have the right to search a person's property in case of any loss but not forcefully. (Muuss, 1995), states that the officers requests individuals to be frisked permission since they cannot do it without their consent. Equally, the person who has undergone the loss must also be aware of the searching process. The office can also searches for a suspicious person's ownership in an attempt to know his/her identity.

Cybersecurity is another form of private security. It entails ensuring that technology is safe from hackers and cybercriminals who may get access to other people’s data. Hackers and cybercriminals get these personal data and sell them since it is a lucrative market. (Rice, 2007), writes that hackers are a threat to the majority of the technological subscribers, lowering the confidence of using computers, mobile phones and any other technical device. Hackers are creative and smart naturally and to outsmart them; a need for cybersecurity pros is opted for. Therefore, it calls for the organization to employ Information Technology security professionals to safeguard the users. Besides, the Information Technology professionals must have a vast knowledge in networking and programming which the epicenter of hackers and cybercriminals.

To that effect, Information Technology security personnel comes up with and put into use control systems that are for access and identification of workers. In addition, IT personnel also ensures adherence to security practices by carrying out regular audits. Besides, IT professionals also sets up endpoint discovery and avoidance devices to scare away dirty hacks. Another function IT persons do is to keep close watch of network and applications workings to ensure they are active regularly. Nonetheless, IT officers also ensures applications are up to date by setting up patch management systems as well as setting up recovery systems to ensure all lost data are quickly restored. Lastly, IT persons works close with human resource management and other workers, creating awareness on ways of identifying activities that cause suspicion

Nevertheless, private security sectors also uses canine security dogs in the UK in safeguarding small unit home and in other organization premises. (Alexandre, 1997), highlights that these dogs are effectively used where search is done since security dogs are sensitive to smell and hearing than human beings. Security dogs can detect danger earlier and raise the alarm before it hits the premise. Canine security dogs are cheaper to have in a site as a deterrent. However, the dogs are trained and handled by personnel who are certified by the licensing body.

Customer care is also vital as far as private and public security is concerned. According to (Walker, 2006), all companies need a customer service skill; a call for training of the employees on how to handle customers. It hurts when a company representative with fewer customer skills treats a customer arrogantly, leading to loss of regular customers who might opt to shift to other similar service providers. An excellent customer care service will helps the company in retaining its customers; both new and regular. However, private security companies trains guards to make eye contact with the customers to show the customer that you are giving them attention. The security officers also make everything that produces sound silent and focus on the customer’s mouth. In addition, to achieve this, guards acts as if you are the customer.

Besides, customer care guards empathizes with the customer, which is an acknowledgement of customer’s problem and trying to fix them. (Alexandre, 1997), also adds that getting or trying to get solutions to client's problems is an essential mandate performed by the customer care security personnel. In case the customer care officers are stuck, they consult the more competent employer. Customer care specialists also listens to clients and have the customer's complaints as their own. The specialists listen to the exact words of the customer and ensure they are present and attending to the customer. (Walker, 2006) insinuates that customer care professionals greeting clients with a smiley face is important to the company since it keeps them. If possible, officer mentions customer names; when both greeting and in the process of handling them because it is proven that customers love listening to their names being mentioned.

In summary, security guards, customer care personnel, cybersecurity professionals, and security dogs have different roles and responsibilities depending on their working area. Every working place requires different training depending on the functions expected from them. Security personnel deployed in homes and other premises requires no license as opposed to those employed by agencies that must have SIA (Security Industry Authority) license.

 

Part 2 next week.