Security Manual
David Brooksbank
- 264 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Security Manual
David Brooksbank
About This Book
Security Manual provides practical guidance on all aspects of security work and is a ready made source of information for all members of the security profession, including managers, supervisors and trainers. This eighth edition has been fully restructured to better reflect recent changes in the criminal law, fire protection and security practices. New chapters on powers of arrest, industrial disputes, conflict resolution, dealing with emergencies, cultural awareness and door supervising have been added, including the latest information and procedures that should be adopted in relation to an act of terrorism. The manual continues to pay attention to the law of theft, other criminal offences affecting security and the basics of security practice, and can rightly be regarded as the standard overall work on the subject and a practical reference for existing security practitioners and those who are aspiring to enter the security profession. Security Manual is also ideal for those seeking professional qualifications such as: NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Security Guarding and for Supervisors; NVQ Level 3 in Investigations; C&G, BIIAB and NCFE qualifications in Door Supervision. Security Manual is the essential guide to this subject, and has been described as 'standard issue for every security officer, along with the uniform'.
Frequently asked questions
Information
1 Basics
Why Security Staff?
- Industrial and commercial. To ensure the privacy of the premises and the business by excluding intruders, potential thieves, unwanted callers and other undesirables (access control).
- Public demand. A visible presence in shopping precincts and the like, to give confidence to customers by deterring hooliganism, violence, theft, drug taking and other sources of annoyance.
- Insurers’ insistence. The presence of security professionals may be a condition of providing cover to premises, their contents and users. Research and governmental contracts may impose similar conditions.
- Loss experience. There may be unacceptable levels of theft or damage.
- Impracticality. There may be no other measures that are more suitable to the area being protected.
- Risk limitation. The prevention, detection and reporting of fire, theft, criminal damage, flooding, gas leaks and other hazards.
- Necessary tasks with security implications. The recording and controlling of vehicular traffic, visitor reception areas, out-of-hour’s communications and enforcing company rules.
Recruitment
- integrity
- common sense
- ability and willingness to learn a new profession
- good health.
- shift and weekend working with socially inconvenient hours;
- the possibility of short-notice overtime working and shift changes;
- working alone on occasions;
- an element of personal risk of violence, for example, when carrying cash;
- using initiative when dealing with incidents that are not covered by instructions or training.
Responsibilities
Do not
- Act as if or imagine that you have the authority and powers of a police officer. A uniform identifies you but conveys no legal power beyond those of an ordinary citizen.
- Criticise management or its decisions to fellow employees or outsiders. Criticism may be repeated to your detriment and may be harmful to management and customers because security personnel are generally regarded as an authoritative source of information.
- Gossip about matters that are strictly ‘security’ issues; for example, observations on suspects or secreted property, suspicion about individuals and weakness of security arrangements. Similarly, do not discuss confidential information about the company’s activities that you acquire in the course of your work. This sort of gossip makes industrial espionage easy.
- Expect, solicit or accept favours from those with whom you come into contact in the course of your work. The offering of gifts is often the first step in involving a security professional in corrupt behaviour.
- Show favouritism, allow privileges or permit relaxation of instructions in respect of anyone, whether a fellow employee or an outsider.
- Lose your temper under provocation. It may make you act irrationally. Provocation or aggression is sometimes a deliberate ploy by offenders.
- Use obscene or abusive language when dealing with fellow employees, customers or the general public. Doing so exposes personal limitation and diminishes respect.
- Let yourself become bored to the detriment of your performance and your value to the employer. Boredom will soon show in your appearance and deportment, and may lead to you overlooking important matters where you should have taken action.
- ‘Act the hero’ in attempting something with no hope of success and certainty of injury. Use common sense. A good witness is infinitely more valuable than a brave but badly battered person who recollects nothing.
- Think that you have nothing more to learn about security work. When in doubt ask rather than risk making a fool of yourself.
Do
- Remember that the image you project is all-important in obtaining the respect of those with whom you come into contact. If you forfeit that respect, your job will be less pleasant and you will be less effective. Your dress, deportment, manner and appearance matter. It is important to look interested in what is happening around you and to be polite, patient and good-humoured when dealing with people.
- Always remember that goodwill is an important factor in your relationships. Be as helpful as you can, be consistent in your performance of the job and keep promises, otherwise you will risk creating a lasting grievance. Behave with clear impartiality and even-handedness.
- Study your company’s rules and instructions until you are fully familiar with them.
- Consider your job and how you should behave in foreseeable circumstances. If you are in doubt about what action should be taken, ask in advance. Know where to find contingency plans for emergencies such as fire, bomb threats and explosions, and read them occasionally.
- Take notice of everything of a routine nature that occurs in your area of responsibility, including who does what, when, where and how. This will help you decide whether events or behaviour are unusual to the degree of meriting investigation.
- Learn from the mistakes and misfortunes of others. If you see anything in the media that could have a bearing on your work, discuss it with colleagues and superiors.
- Remember that your employer’s interests are all-important, provided they are pursued within the law. Never give mistaken loyalty to a colleague who is behaving dishonestly or playing the fool. Such behaviour reflects badly on the whole security force.
- Ask if you do not know. Faced with an unforeseen problem, use your common sense to deal with it. If you think that security arrangements can be improved, do not hesitate to report or mention your suggestions.
What Might Be Encountered?
- theft, fraud and false pretences
- fire or safety hazard
- criminal damage
- assault and wounding
- forgery
- drugs usage
- bribery and corruption
- sexual assault or harassment
- civil trespass
- hoax bomb calls and evacuation
- acts of terrorism.
- What discretion does the officer have to immediately involve the police? This would usually be in connection with persons arrested, break-ins, the presence or pursuit of suspects, serious thefts, assaults and the like requiring ambulance call-out, or other urgent matters.
- Who in management would make the decision to call the police? What is the company policy?
- Who would be informed or called out to incidents and in what sequence?
- Who will deal with enquiries from the media, either at the scene of an incident or with telephone requests for information? Security, unless authorised, should not take it upon itself to disclose information.