44.312 Security Management

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How does the shift to a learning organization play out in terms of the management functions we have studied?

Training:

• Problems:
  • Private security firms need to improve training
    • "contract agencies are dropping the ball when it comes to providing adequate training for their men and women,," contends Lawrence
      Fennelly, CPO and editor of the third edition of Effective Physical Security. "On-the-job-training has flaws and is outdated, plus is unacceptable." (my emphasis)
    • old exam and video training isn't enough
    • cost of training is expensive, but the article speculates that the issue relates to having to pay better-trained guards more -- "Some security managers have a hidden agenda and really don't want people to advance," said Chris Hertig, CPP, CPO, and professor at York College of Pennsylvania , "Unless they embrace wholeheartedly the professional development of their subordinates, protection officers and the security profession will not achieve professional status."
    • Competition has also been a disincentive for more training, especially for those firms that provide very minimal services. "Competition has kept costs down. Some purchasers of security services desire only a warm body,and expect nothing else, nor will they pay for more.," -- Glen Kitteringham, manager of safety and security for Brookfield Property Management of Calgary, Alberta.
    • HOWEVER, that creates risks both for the guard and the company, "Security officers are sometimes expected to react to situations that should only be handled by well-trained police officers, We recognize the demand for a high level response, we need to provide training at a higher level. Additional training protects the individual officer, the employing agency, the client and the general population. Is there a reason to not provide a higher level of training other than because professional" -- Larry Leclair of Miami Dade Community College.
    • "the time spent by security officers responding to unpredictable loss event occurrences, calling for a highly skilled police response, will be greatly minimized. In most of these cases that response should be transferred to the public law enforcement officer and not handled by the security officer."
    • "The training bottom line: An officer will do, under stress, what he or she repeatedly performed in training. This means training must be as true to life as possible, or risk ingraining the wrong responses. It is also imperative that training curriculum be current. But the primary emphasis of any security officer training must be predicated on prevention, not response." (my emphasis)
      • a sidebar article, "The Double-danger of On-the-job Training,* emphasized that too many security officers get much too little training.
  • Current state of training has been a long-term concern:
    • Private Security Task Force/National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals (1977) called for:
      • certification programs
      • at least 8 hrs. of pre-assignment & 32 hrs. of basic training (16 of which could be in service
      • training in firearms where applicable
      • training of supervisors and managers
      • on-going training
      • involvement of appropriate state agencies to coordinate and approve curricula, certification of instructors and accreditation of training schools.
      • report didn't result in federal legislation, but did help security-related organizations compare their existing training levels to the recommendations.
    • Hallcreast Report I (Private Security & Police in America, 1985) and Hallcreast Report II 1990):
      • determined clients have few methods to verify training of contractual guards, even in those state with mandated training.
      • "..misrepresentation of the level of training given to contract security guards was a frequently reported complaint from clients and competing guard firms. On-the-job training was often the only type of training that a security officer received." (my emphasis)

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