Happy New Year
May 2022 be the year the United States and the world recovers from the deadly aftermath of covid. For this to successfully occur, we security professionals must be trained and ready to do our protection part to help mitigate criminal activity during our recovery.
Covid and other factors has heightened the risk for on-duty security professionals. Because of these facts, security guards must prepare themselves to confront these new emerging threats. They must be more vigilant and better trained to ultimately diffuse these higher risk situations. Unfortunately, these situations are occurring right now!
Here are a few incidences that occurred within my jurisdiction last month. How would you diffuse them?
While making your rounds, you notice a person placing a firearm in his pants in the parking lot before entering your hotel. What do you do?
You tell a group of suspicious people hanging out for hours in your parking lot to leave, and they become defiant and confrontational. What do you do?
You see what appears to be a drug transaction with a guest in the hotel...or in the parking lot. What do you do?
These types of challenges presents real risk within our sphere of influence if neglected. Therefore, security guards can't become complacent and expect their mear presence will actually deter these provocations. In other words, the old security guard mentality is not practical anymore.
To become effective in today's climate, we must do more than just be a contracted body on site. We must provide a higher level protection by operating as our client's eyes, ears and their "sergeant-at-arms" while on duty. We must become professional security and protection officers. This proactive approach to security places our officers in a more multidimensional protection mindset. Their patrolling mission is to anticipate potential hazards while constantly scanning 360 degrees. Once that hazard is identified, they must determine the level of threat and risk that hazard poses to the client.
To accomplish this proactive plan, today's security officers must be better trained to perceive/aware of "environmental issues" to effectively deter, detect, delay and dissolve all hazards and threats. They must also have training with the use of force continuum, self-defense and non-violent crisis intervention. The following is how we incorporate a situational awareness mindset with the duties of a security officer. We use Col. Jeff Cooper's white, yellow, orange and black color code to accomplish this task.
WHITE: N/A - The old security guard mentality. These "guards" have no idea what's going on around them unless it's directly in front of them. Even then little is actually done. They are just a paid body in space. Their apathy will breed criminal opportunity.
YELLOW: Deter - Security officers providing real visible presence. The officer is calm yet aware and alert in their environment and with those occupying it. The people within their sphere of influence sees and sense their presence.
ORANGE: Detect - The security officer observes or senses something suspicious or out of place. It could be criminal, hazardous, or could present a risk to the client. Therefore, the officer will start to mentality form a plan while determining if they should approach or observe the hazard.
LIGHT RED: Delay - The officer must then decide which plan to use to reduce the risk. In most cases, it will be securing the hazard or preventing the threat from approaching your client and/or asset.
BRIGHT RED: Dissolve - The officer must activate that plan to neutralize the hazard or threat. This can be accomplished by calling the appropriate agency or by mitigating it themselves.
Unfortunately, many security officers only operate in the white zone. They simply aren't trained (or worse motivated) to see suspicious activities, or even understand the clues and warning signs to detect, delay and dissolve risks and threats. This type of incompetence (whether untrained or uncaring) is unacceptable.
In closing, 2022 will become the year of skyrocketing gun, domestic and other forms of violence. Therefore, our on-duty security professionals must become better trained and prepared to confront and mitigate these threats.