Deterrence: Where Security Begins
The Surprisingly Effective First Line of Defense in Security
Security: Where to start?
I receive many calls from prospective customers, usually with an urgent tone to their voice, asking about security guard services or security patrols at their facility. It’s often a similar story, a resident’s vehicle was stolen, an employee was accosted in the parking area, a suspicious vehicle was seen circling the parking lot, buildings on property found vandalized; the first question they usually have is, “we need security, but where do we start?”
Security begins with one key element: deterrence. As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The goal is to push criminal activity away from your property. It is security in its simplest and purest form. It might seem selfish to think this way, but if an individual is going to commit a crime at one of three properties; yours, or the neighbors on each side of you, our job is to ensure that your property remains safe.
Security Guards Should be Seen
The criminal element in our society typically chooses soft targets or takes the path of least resistance. When designing a security guard program for a client, our security presence is highly visible to the surrounding community. We use bright security uniforms, frequent and consistent walking or driving patrols and high engagement with residents and members of the community. Simply put, you’ll see our guards from a mile away, and our guards will see and greet everyone that comes on your property.
Security Cameras aren’t Enough
With recent progressive bail reform, combined with lenient sentencing and understaffed police departments, criminals have become more bold. Police response times, especially in large cities, have grown to a point where criminals are long gone before an officer arrives. Much has been made of the evolution of camera technology, to include artificial intelligence and threat monitoring, but the technology has limitations and criminals often don’t care who is watching. Time after time, I see footage of criminal activity that has been part of a police report. The criminals are usually hard to identify, and the crimes committed, theft or vandalism, are low on the list of priorities for an overworked, backlogged police department. In this environment, your personal security plan becomes the first line of defense. If your security program is not robust, this can be a very thin line. This brings us back to deterrence.
Avoid Being a Target
I’ve always recommended placing a heavy emphasis on deterring the criminal element. This can be accomplished by environmental and technological design; gate access, fencing, lighting, alarms and monitored cameras. These are typically expensive options but executed and implemented correctly, will pay dividends. If you have security guards, high visibility is the key. Criminals are opportunistic, if they don’t see an opportunity or their opportunity is obstructed, they will move on to an easier target. Diligent security guards who remain active, visible, and engaging provide a major deterrent to criminal activity. If your budget allows, combining both elements, security guards and technology and environmental design, provides the greatest level of protection.
Security Guards are worth your investment
If you had to choose to invest in one or the other, security guards or technology, the current climate would steer you towards security guards. Having real-time intel and information about your property, no matter what time of day, is critically important. A competent, well-managed and well-prepared security guard can effectively deter and report issues in real-time.
A successful security guard program is composed of many elements, and when each element functions in unison with one another, your site will be optimally protected. However, every program requires a starting point. You should begin with deterrence because stopping the problem before it begins is always easier than fixing something that is broken.
