New Guard on Duty

Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Ashley Roe

But the need for ongoing training is a problem Coleman of AlliedBarton says can pop up after a technology provider installs a system, conducts the initial training process and leaves users to develop their own expertise by frequent use of the system. “There is a training gap in ongoing advanced training on the system and ongoing expertise in the ins and outs of a system,” he says. “Suppose there is a software upgrade. We as a service provider may miss the opportunity to take advantage of training from the provider on the upgrade of a system. The gap appears in the ability to keep our staff trained on a management or supervision level, so they can then train the operators to successfully operate the systems.”

Patrol trends

As technology advances, security officers may tend to spend less time on their feet. “There is less patrol work because officers can now use video analytics systems and surveillance camera systems for response,” Ricci explains. “Officers can now look at an incident and see if they need to respond to it. It's limiting the number of hours officers need to devote to the task.”

But the patrol task is unlikely to fade into the background as a result of automation technology. “Because of camera and access control systems, there is a tendency for people to rely on these systems more rather than assigning security officers to patrol,” says Jim Crumbley, CPP, PPS, president of JCrumbley Associates, Risk Response Team, an Atlanta-based risk mitigation firm. “But there is nothing that can deter criminal activity better than an actively alert security officer. There needs to be a human element there.”

An exception might be, for example, where at outlying or remote facilities, users may install cameras, intrusion detection devices or access control to secure the areas. They may be tied to an alarm and monitored at an alarm center that is manned by an officer, who will be dispatched when the alarm goes off. “But under most circumstances, crime is a human problem, and it needs a human element to combat it,” Crumbley says.

Technology is also helping officers during their rounds. In the past, an officer patrolled with the help of a mechanical watchclock that hung on a strap around his neck. As the officer patrolled a facility, he or she would insert various keys — which were chained to different locations on the premises — into the device. The more modern electronic data collector later replaced the watchclock. The device was activated at checkpoints using radio frequency identification (RFID), magnetic stripe, barcode or proximity chip technology.

Now, handheld computer-assisted field devices are walking officers through their tours, allowing them to communicate with supervisors and send data instantly.

“Today's interactive guard tour systems allow a guard to communicate incident reports for situations that require immediate action,” says Fernando Pires, vice president of sales and marketing for Morse Watchmans, an Oxford, Conn.-based provider of guard tour systems and key management systems. “Moving around the facility, the guard has now become a source of data that can assist with risk management and facility assessment in real-time.”

Morse Watchmans' PowerCheck Guard Tour System is a handheld, computerized unit that includes a data recorder, reporting software and a collection of checkpoint stations. Officers minimize paper-based reporting tasks by using the system's 99 pre-set incident codes, which can be input on-site using the built-in keypad. “The immediacy of networked electronic data protects the guard as much as it does the facility. If a guard fails to check-in within a specific time period, the system will generate an alert, and someone can physically go and check to ascertain if there has been any kind of incident,” Pires says. The system's data sorting software converts the data recorder's information into custom reports that can be used on a business operational level.

G4S Wackenhut recently launched its SecureTrax device, a specially programmed PDA that includes telephone, e-mail, time-and-attendance, tour management, GPS, camera and real-time incident notification capabilities. The device was launched in early 2008 after a six-month trial with the company's retail customer, Weingarten Realty, a Houston-based owner and manager of more than 400 retail properties in 23 states. “With SecureTrax, an officer has the ability to signal alarms and alerts, and, most importantly, to send real-time information and notification to the command center,” Burns says.

G4S Wackenhut officers patrol approximately 100 Weingarten properties, collectively using nearly 50 SecureTrax devices. Bill Strother, Weingarten Realty's director of corporate security, says he expects that number to grow to about 80 by the end of the year. “It's always a challenge for someone in my position to find out things when you are all spread out in multiple locations. It's hard for me to keep abreast on what's happening on my properties,” he says. Previously, Weingarten officers reported incidents on paper, which took a considerable amount of time. Now, Strother's officers are communicating with him about events on the properties instantly through e-mail, telephone and the system's management software, accessible through a Web browser.

SecureTrax has also helped with Weingarten officer accountability. The system includes GPS tracking to document an officer's whereabouts. Strother has the devices configured to automatically report his officers' locations every 15 minutes. “I can log on to the Web site and see a map of where the officers have been and assess that they are completing their rounds correctly,” he says. “This is extremely helpful because unless we have some way to track our officers, the accountability is really low.” The GPS feature is also building on the confidence level of Weingarten property tenants. At any given moment, Strother says, a tenant can ask to see a breadcrumb trail of an officer's movements to ensure that there was a security presence.

Additional skills

In addition to advanced technology skills, better communication skills have become increasingly important to the job of a security officer. “The guard of tomorrow is a better communicator, and he or she is more sophisticated in how they approach the position,” NASCO's Ricci says. Officers are being asked to monitor equipment, facilitate visitor management procedures, give instructions, create and write security policies and communicate more with the public. “In many ways, they are a representative and a reflection of the company or facility they work for,” Ricci says.

Officers are also morphing into cross-functional employees, performing non-security duties because technology has made it more convenient. At Weingarten properties, officers are frequently using SecureTrax to notify management and maintenance providers of issues so they can be resolved quickly. Morse Watchmans' PowerCheck system includes numerical codes for problems such as ice in a walkway, unsafe stairwells or lights left on.

In a landscape where advanced security systems with capabilities that rival or replace those of a security officer are introduced to the market almost daily, officers are learning to adjust their skills to complement technology. Overall, the bar for qualifications has been raised for the officer. “It's now a more professional position, and it's more focused on adding value to your organization,” Crumbley notes.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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