Asset protection

Please answer original forum with a minimum of 500 words and respond to both students separately with a minimum of 250 words each

first page- Original Forum with References 

second oage- Micheal Response with References 

third page- Stacy Response with References 

Original Forum 

Select a major challenge facing the security industry. Why do you see this as major challenge? What do you believe are the best ways to resolve this major challenge? Why so? How can security/loss prevention strategies be evaluated for effectiveness?

Student Response 

Micheal 

The major challenge security agencies are facing in current times is acquiring and retaining qualified personnel. Security needs in society have evolved. Terrorism is changing, and the threat of cyber-attack on individuals and organizations is also on the rise (Nalla & Crichlow, 2017).   Getting people with the knowledge to counter these threats has been a difficult task, and the few available are poached continuously by the government, leaving the security without the much-needed skills. Failure to acquire and to lose skilled personnel by the security agencies is a significant risk to society.  This is because there is a great need for individuals to deter terror threats and counter cyber-attacks. Without enough personnel, society is at the mercies of the terrorist and cybercriminals.

The best way to solve this problem would be by training more personnel so that the security industry will have a pool of individuals with the necessary skills to counter any security threats to the country (Ortmeier, 2017).  However, it might take longer, but eventually, it would pay since society needs to be assured of their security. These measures have to be put in place the soonest as possible since the security industry would be widely be criticized in the event that showed negligence in providing security to society. The society has faith in the security industry that they can deter any security threat, and they need to act as the society expects them to.

Effectiveness in the security industry can be improved by the provision of more resources to train more individuals. They should be provided with cutting edge technology that would enable them to predict any imminent security risk to the nation.  Private and federal security agencies should collaborate so that intelligence can be shared, allowing them to be ready and develop integrated security measures.

References

Nalla, M. K., & Crichlow, V. J. (2017). Have the standards for private security guards become more stringent in the post 9/11 era? An assessment of security guard regulations in the US from 1982 to 2010. Security Journal, 30(2), pp.523-537.

Ortmeier, P. J. (2017). Introduction to security: Operations and management. Pearson Hall.

Stacy

One of the major challenges facing the security industry is training, or lack thereof. The demand for private security officers is high, much like the turnover. By requiring higher standards for training, the security officer becomes more knowledgeable, and the law enforcement community becomes more respectful of their positions, both of which enhances the public’s confidence in them, as well as in themselves. The solution to this challenge is simple but can be costly: education. Training programs designed to target specific industries are more efficient than a state-regulated one that provides a general overview versus an in-depth and comprehensive look at specific duties and responsibilities that are expected to be fulfilled in a particular industry. The success of such training programs can be measured by comparing the performance of security guards with only the state regulated training versus that of those security guards with training programs tailored to their specific industries.

Not all states have uniform requirements for security guards. For example, the only statutory requirement by Alabama is that some if not all training is delegated. By contrast, California requires classroom training for a minimum number of hours, a written exam, and in-service training hours. As a result, Nalla concluded that “private security continues to be an under-regulated industry despite the reported increase in the roles of private security employees, and the fact that security guards greatly outnumber sworn police officers in America.” (Nalla, 2017)

“Security has many names within industries such as loss prevention, public safety, protection services, risk management, and loss control.” (Hawkins, 2002) As such, each industry utilizing contract or in-house security should have training programs specific to its industries. For example, a security guard working at a retail store should be knowledgeable of shoplifting statutes whereas a security guard working in a hospital should be trained on dealing with violent patients and mentally disturbed persons, and knowledgeable of HIPAA laws as it relates to patient privacy. By not tailoring training programs to specific needs of the industry sets up organizations for failure. A well-trained, knowledgeable security guard can be the biggest asset to an organization versus a liability as a poorly trained security guard.

Historically, private security has been seen as inferior by sworn police officers. (Nalla, 2017) Undoubtedly, lack of training is one of the biggest factors of the image portrayed by private security officers in the eyes of police officers. Providing more training and education for private security officers creates a better working relationship between security and police. For example, if a security officer is faced with a person who is verbally abusing them, adequate training will allow them to deescalate the situation before police arrive. If they escalate the situation by engaging in a verbal confrontation, the responding police officer may be annoyed with the security guard as he or she now has to deescalate a situation that could’ve been avoided.

By providing adequate training and continued education and refreshers, security guards can be a company’s greatest asset and deterrent thereby saving the company money from property loss or damage, lawsuits stemming from liability, and even lives.

Hawkins, J. (2002). Transition into private sector security. Law & Order, 130-131.

Nalla, M. C. (2017). Have the standards for private security guards become more stringent in the post 9/11 era? An assessment of security guard regulations in the US from 1982 to 2010. Security Journal, 523-537.