I don’t like the term security guard. About 30 years ago, I started using the term officer instead, as it better reflects the responsibilities and professionalism required in today’s security industry. Yes, we do guard the lives and property of the company and client, but we also do much more than that. Using the term officers will put our employees in a more professional light and hopefully inspire them to live up to the name.
The key is that both management and the officers need to play a role in making this happen. The management team has to refrain from using the term guard unless it’s being used in a derogatory way because of their work performance. They also have to provide valuable Top Security Professionals training, which brings us to the second group, the officers themselves.
They need to change as well. The officers must improve their performance to make the transformation work. They won’t try to improve if they don’t buy into the importance of their role as security officers. One of the main differences between guards and officers is that guards don’t want to do anything more than they need to.
So, what do you have to ask, or order them to do, to become officers? The answer is simple: you don’t. It is all up to them to want to change and act like officers, not guards. Hopefully, these tips will help them figure out what they want to be and encourage them to complete the transformation for themselves.
The Importance of Education
Good officers don’t need a Bachelor’s degree or any college experience, for that matter. Even a high school graduate can be an excellent security officer. The key is that they enjoy learning and never stop. I surprise people when they find out I don’t have a degree. Many people ask me how I’ve become so educated in security, not to mention my specialty in workplace violence. What happened is that I started learning on my own, and I never stopped.
Before going blind in 2003, I read as many as 4 – 5 newspapers daily. Additionally, I read as many magazines as possible, especially those focusing on the security industry. By constantly reading, I educated myself. I read whatever and whenever I could, even industry-specific magazines on plastics, cardboard, construction, and heavy manufacturing, amongst other things.
I’ve had security officers who were conscientious and dedicated to their jobs, but they weren’t educated and didn’t look like professionals. On the other hand, I’ve also had ‘guards’ who had college degrees and could put me to shame mentally, but their lack of dedication meant they were still just guards.
Promote a Spirit of Learning
The key is letting your officers know what’s happening within the company and industry. Every security company should offer an introductory orientation class and provide an employee handbook, but that alone is not enough. Things will be different when they get on the site. Still, this early training is essential, as it establishes the habits and expectations of a professional officer.
Encourage them to read about a variety of topics. If they’re in a plastics plant, provide them with magazines about the plastics and manufacturing industries. If you’re contracted, your officers must know your client’s business and how it works, even if they are just rovers.
The Best Training Happens on the Job
Just because your guards have completed the required hours of training, seminars, or videos, it’s not even close to being enough for training. The difference between classroom training and on-the-job training (OJT) is enormous.
OJT is one of the most significant aspects of becoming a professional security officer. While the orientation training is generalized, OJT shows officers the ins and outs of their specific posts. If your officers pay close enough attention to OJT and allow themselves to become ‘lost’ in their new facility, then they’ll become intimately aware of almost anything that occurs in it, both day and night.
Part of your officer’s education should be understanding every inch of the facility. Have them check and report on all the dark corners, doors, creaky windows, storage areas, etc. They will become familiar with every part of it by learning these things, wandering around, and even getting lost in the facility at first. By doing so, they can detect anything wrong and correctly report its location, sound, and condition. So, on the other hand, education is just one step in helping your guards become officers.
