Lessons from a Lawsuit #4. Competent Staff Deployment and Supervision.
In defending inadequate security claims, one of the main areas examined is deployment and supervision of security staff. The public’s intolerance for negligent behavior and lack of security presence has resulted in an environment in which a violation of accepted industry standards and best practices can place a private security company at significant risk of an adverse verdict.
Private security companies face unique risk assessment-related challenges when providing staffing and supervision for multi-site clients. Areas of risk that should be considered include the following:
On-Site Deployment Schedule - Security Officers deployed in correct hours-per-week, time-of-day, day-of-week and patrol locations.
Corporate Presence - Corporate supervision through regular onsite visits should be required.
Supervision - Programs must provide documented, structured supervision of Supervisor and Officers.
Time Keeping - Accurate time keeping systems are a minimum requirement for officer deployment management.
Guard Tour Tracking - Patrol accountability, including GPS Tracking of officer movement and tour point scanning systems should be employed.
Appropriate Patrol Types - A standardized, data-driven approach to assigning Foot Patrols and/or Vehicle Patrols is important for maximizing the impact.
Incident Management - Incident Management Systems are needed for Reports, Guard Tracking, Incident categorization, incident forensics/analysis, and even ML-informed predictive and prescriptive models in some cases.
Training - Training of on-site personnel on policies and procedures is a critical element of any deployment program, and provides a baseline set of expectations against which officers can be held accountable.
Process Accountability - Processes need to be in place to ensure compliance with/accountability for patrol assignments, various program checklists, and adherence to safety guidelines. This is critical to prove that officers are doing what they are expected to be doing.
Client Communications - Ongoing collaboration with clients in both formal (email, survey, recurring meetings) and informal formats should be required to elicit positive and negative feedback which guides and informs operations. Business reviews (i.e. Quarterly Reviews) with your clients provides auditable evidence of program performance.
Baseline Situational Awareness/Crime Trends - Ensuring that the team has the context they need to deliver the right set of security services, baseline situational awareness can be gleaned by reviewing crime stats/data and crime trending (history of the property.) This information can and should be used as one of many sources to help inform deployment schedules.
Cost/Benefit Analysis - The cost, feasibility, and effectiveness of various physical security measures and security technologies needs to be analyzed to determine the “right” combination. This combination is foundational for delivering a security program that best meets the specific needs of each client.
BluDog approaches staff management as one of the most critical elements of any program, and will help companies raise the standards for their officers through programs, processes, hiring, training, and ongoing mentorship.