Homework Responses Wk 2

 As I watched the video of the 15-year-old girl being beaten and robbed at the Seattle Bus Terminal I was shocked to say the least that the 3 security guards didn’t do anything to stop this attack from happening. The video clearly shows that one of the guards could have stopped the attack as soon as it started. I watched the same video from a local news station and in the report, it states that the guards were only allowed to “observe and report”. As an observer watching this unfold from the platform, my initial perception of the contract guards is that they don’t really care for the teenager that’s getting beaten and robbed. But strictly only observing this situation, I am ignorant as to what these guards can and cannot do in the performance of their duties.

To “observe and report” is very generalized language, and in essence, very limiting to the security guards and their Rules of Engagement (ROE). If the attacker had a weapon, then by only “observing and reporting” they have put the lives of every person in close proximity at risk as well as themself and their co-workers. The CCTV system that recorded this incident is “observing and reporting”, the human factor could have minimized the potential damages to the victim and kept the security company out of the court room. One of the goals that a private security company should strive for is mitigating liability. This can be done with various methods. Increased training for security personnel, common sense language and directives that can empower your security guards to be able to protect the public interest with minimal actions. If the security guards were strictly prohibited from taking any action because of the provisions of their contract, then this identifies several “failures” starting with the language in the security contract and training of your security personnel. The inaction taken by these security guards has now put their employers at risk for liability and damages to the victim in this case.

This situation does create an ethical dilemma for the security personnel. Do they violate their company’s policies and risk being reprimanded or losing their job versus doing the morally right thing and stopping the attack as soon as it started? At what point do you step outside the boundaries of “observe and report” and take action to do what is right.

-Matt

Seattle transit guards stand and watch as 15 Year old girl severely kicked and beaten [Video]. (2010, February 10). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hrG3lz2PQs&feature=youtu.be

Brownyard, T., & Buckley, S. (2011, June 23). Observe and Report: Does it Work? Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/82148-observe-and-report-does-it-work