Security services as the name itself suggest are essential for the safety and protection of people in public places such as residential areas, schools, workplaces, market places, shopping malls, etc. They are required to be present in these areas in order to keep things in place and most importantly, secure. It is possible to think security service officials are the same as police officers as they are both important for the safety of the community, however, it is necessary to understand the fine line between the two of them.
The major difference between the two is that security guards are responsible to keep unwanted activity from happening; from violence, vandalism, robbery, theft to any sort of danger when on the other hand, police officers intervene when all of the mentioned incidents have already happened. Security services unlike police officers are not to respond to criminal threats until law enforcement is present. Since they are present to avoid any criminal activity from happening in the first place, criminals will avoid targeting an area as secure with such an active force. It is important to note that if a situation is unavoidable and gets out of hand, the security service guards are in fact, trained well enough to tackle the situation until the police forces arrive on the spot.
It may still be confusing to differentiate the role of a security service but as you read further, it will become much easier to understand. Following are the basic roles fulfilled by a security service which will clear enough how they play such an integral part in the safety of a community.
A Security Service guard should be
Visible and Vigilant
A very main yet simple responsibility of a security guard is to just be visible which is all that is needed to avoid illegal activity from occurring. A security guard could either be one making rounds in a public space, keeping a watch on the CCTV cameras, guarding the gates of an entrance or checkpoints of a certain area, asking for people’s IDs before they enter an event, or a particular building.
For them to be vigilant is enough for the criminals to stay away from a secured area so there is less or no chance at all of, burglary, robbery, theft, vandalism, or any serious crime.
Why visibility and vigilance go hand in hand is because even if the security guards are present but still not performing their job accordingly, criminals can make them easy and be able to commit crimes. To be a resourceful security guard means to be able to stay put, see, hear, stay calculated, and always remain ready in case of any unwanted activity. They should be able to notice suspicious actions if there is any leakage of gasoline, the occurrence of unusual sounds, and any possible risks that can cause damage.
Reflexive and Responsive
A security service official should have the ability to respond deliberately in case of any unusual activity and should have good reflexes to combat it. Even if a situation is not as serious to requires immediate action, the security guards should be able to make sure they are well calculated and always ready. They should be so skilled and polished that any unwanted situation can dissolve on its own because their presence is so strict, or it cannot even happen in the first place because of how attentive the security guards are required to be.
Being able to ease things out before situations get out of hand and just coincidentally be walking by somewhere at the right time to avoid a serious situation are all the more things, they should be good at to protect a community from becoming targets of unwanted activity.
What makes their job very demanding is that they are required to be alerted 24/7 even if they seem to have everything under their control or have diffused a situation. There is still high risk right after things move back to normal and so the guards need to make sure of any potential threats. They are made to follow the rules accordingly and who to report or involve depending upon how bad the situation is. After a disturbing situation, they are required to let owners, managers, etc. of a place targeted know and guide them what measures to take to be able to avoid a situation as such from happening again.
They should be so efficient to know when to call an emergency, law enforcement, or the police during the handling of a difficult situation. A situation that can be handled by their own doesn’t need the assistance of the police or any other force however if there is serious damage and weapons involved, the security service should be quick enough to realize the complexity of a situation and immediately call law enforcement to avoid private properties and lives of people getting damages and the police to help with tackling the situation.
Able to Monitor and Maintain order in a respective area
Crimes and breaches don’t occur daily but it is very important to not take peaceful days for granted and make sure areas are still looked after and made sure they are secure. People returning to homes after busy days expect peace and calm, when they go to work, they expect to not get distracted or when they are out for some time off, they deserve to have a good time and be safe in the public spaces. The security guard officials are to make sure all things around are under control and protected. Their management sets out ground rules for them that they are required to follow for example, in a workplace, they should know if all people working in the office belong.
They do this by checking their IDs issued by the very workplace. In case of any visitors in the workplace, they make sure why they are there, who called them or if they have a specific appointment. Public events such as business meetings, fundraisers, weddings, parties, conferences, celebrations, or any sorts of gatherings can include hundreds or even thousands of people at times that deserve to be monitored and kept secure. Usually, large-scale public gatherings require a team of security officials. The security service guards are required to maintain order by checking passes if any and prevent any chaos from occurring right from the start as they are used to tackling difficult situations and identifying risks that can have long–lasting effects.
Other Roles and Responsibilities
Businesses, managers, people that hire security service guards should be guided by the officials on how to handle troubling situations on their own as well depending on how much they can. They should provide safety instructions to the staff on how to react when there is an intruder with weapons and how to evacuate a building, area in case of a fire breaking out or gas leaking. The security services should advise their employers when is the best time to call out for an emergency and to never wait out if they sense any unusual activity. They have to make sure to remind their employers in a lighter tone about past experiences if any and communicate what could go wrong. Reassurance is very important to erase fears and provide confidence to the people. The security service guards need to make sure to convey to the people to cooperate when it comes to displaying their IDs when asked and visitors to register themselves when asked to avoid any possible security risk.
The security services are not just required to be on foot during busy times but also when they are over. Places like offices, warehouses, factories, schools, residential areas, shopping malls, require to be kept an eye on even after busy hours, all through the night and the guards should make sure no unusual activity takes place when all of the mentioned areas are left empty.
Why the Security services matter and are an integral part of the community
The security service guards are not just there to be on the front lines to keep you safe but they belong in the community as a family. The effort these security guards put in to assist the working-place staff, clients, and any regular individuals are unfathomable. They deserve the recognition and realization that they matter in the community. You can only give them back by cooperating with them.
Know what makes them different from the police officers, how they are present at your service at most times and understand their vitality to the community you belong to, and know that your safety is because of them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]