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Lesson 2: Private Security: A Profession of Just a Job? Private security has sometimes been defined as a "function in search of a discipline." Perhaps another definition might be "a discipline looking for professional standing." Too often the businessperson looks at security operations as a luxury, one that can be afforded in good times, but the first to be cut during economic downturns. part of this fault lies with the security professionals who fail to clearly demonstrate the value of security and loss prevention throughout the year, often discussion the cost of these vital services only at budget time. The generally accepted test of a profession comprises five specific guidelines:
This may seem to be quite a menu for private security, but much has been done on all these points we will discuss how each principle is meet in the following paragraphs. 1. Specific standards and a code of ethics and conduct that governs the actions of the members of that profession. The security field has many organizations that profess to represent one or several segments of the industry. That seems to be one of the major problems in describing the security "profession." An example of this is the list below of the standing committees of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), it reveals the vast diversity found in that one association:
The ASIS does its best to approach the model of the American Medical Association or the American Bar Association in trying to make the sum greater that the whole. Therefore, it seems possible that the individual groups of security activity are moving toward the adoption of standards to meet this first point. 2. A body of knowledge, professional journals, and a historical perspective that acts as a guide for new members of the profession. The body of knowledge in security has grown rapidly in the past decade. Until recently, most of the books and treatises on this broad discipline were simply modified versions borrowed from law enforcement and criminal justice. The growth of quality publications and journals in the security filed has produced a library of reference and guidance materials ranging from:
3. A recognized association that provides a forum for the continuing discussion and development of the profession. There are many fine security organizations that work diligently to provide leadership in specific fields of security. 4. A certification program that ensures that the members of the profession are competent to practice in the field. Most of the organizations mentioned, and many others have some kind of certification program. The Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation is perhaps the best know and is open for examination to anyone in the security profession who meets the CPP criteria. Additional information may be found at www.asisonline.org/cppg/cpphome.html. The Certified Hospital Protection Administrator (CHPA) designation is awarded only to those who are security administrators in the hospital field. Many other organizations have also developed professional certifications for their associations and specific fields of security, such as the Certified Fraud Investigator (CFI) designation. 5. An educational discipline that prepares students in the specific function and philosophies of that profession. Numerous two-year certificate programs or associate degrees are offered at community colleges and other educational institutions, the movement toward a clearly defined security administration undergraduate degree and graduate degree has been slow and limited. The political and fiscal restraints public servants face in achieving their individual or agency goals have become increasingly difficult to deal with. Our nation’s national and local political campaigns send a clear message that citizens are unhappy about how they are lead and in how their tax dollars are spent. State and local governments are experiencing cutbacks in federal grant monies, which forces them to fund more and more public services independent of outside aid. Shifting responsibility for managing many service functions to the private sector is seen by some as a method of solving part of the political and fiscal problems faced by state and local governments. Security is caught up in the impact of the trend toward private funding of public services, popularly referred to as privatization. If a city can no longer allocate sufficient police staffing or patrol activity in and around the area of a private facility, the burden for protection service shifts. The private security in and around the area must manage to protect patients, visitors, and staff over large areas encompassing man blocks—which is often public or privately held property not at all affiliated with the private security agency’s mission or client. But since clients have satellite buildings and parking near the main focus of their business, they cannot ignore the risks inherent in persons and property in proximity to or on these facilities. Only when strong standards of
professional security services are accepted and implemented, and when
these standards lead to training and academic programs for security
personnel, will we be able to call security a profession. Then it will
no longer be just a "job" but a desirable and satisfying career pattern
for well-educated and professional leadership. |
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