Security Guards and Public Safety

Security Guards and Public Safety

The value of security guard services is usually considered in terms of pounds and pence; in other words, the immediate difference that good security can make to a company’s bottom line. Most obviously, that’s about preventing losses as a result of theft or vandalism. However, there is another significant dimension to the role of the security provider: the contribution it can make to maintaining public safety.

Safeguarding the public is, of course, important for its own sake, and security guards across the world have always played a part in protecting people’s lives and wellbeing. For those working in the sector, this is one of the attractions of the job; it helps to make shops, streets and other public places safe for ordinary people.

However, for certain types of businesses, there is another consideration – brand reputation. If you run an annual festival, for example, or a popular night-time venue, then the security provision will be a visible element of the visitor experience. If guests feel unsafe as a result of rowdy behaviour, violence or other threats on the site, then that’s going to reflect badly on you as the organiser. That, in turn, could give rise to negative reviews online and fewer word of mouth recommendations, and it could deter repeat visits. The effects on profitability are less immediate than, say, the losses associated with shoplifting, but they can be just as important.

Safety and security matter to people, but so too does the way that they are maintained. If security staff appear overbearing, intrusive or in any way impolite or unprofessional, then the customer experience is certainly going to be tainted. In such a case, most guests won’t make the distinction between the organiser’s brand and that of the security provider; they will simply associate any negative emotions with the event and the host organisation itself.

This is why we always emphasise to our security staff that, through their work, they are not only upholding our reputation as a business, but also the reputation of our clients. It doesn’t take much to spoil the customer experience – whether that’s at a music festival, a popular tourist attraction, in a shop, a hotel or anywhere else – so security guards must always be wholly mindful of the impression that they are making.

Public Safety in Hospitality Businesses

In many pubs and nightclubs, high spirits and the presence of alcohol can prompt people to behave in ways that they normally wouldn’t. In town and city centres at night, the greatest threat to people’s safety is very often just other people.

Door staff play a vital role in minimising those risks. By refusing entry to unwelcome guests, they can help to keep venues safer for those inside, and by stepping in early, they can prevent disputes between customers from escalating into violence. Often, security staff will also liaise with the police service to share information about antisocial behaviour or altercations on the streets, so their steadying influence can extend beyond the doors of the establishment that employs them.

Public Safety at Large Events

It’s a sad fact that large gatherings of people can make an attractive target for terrorists. Attacks have been carried out in many European cities in recent years, leading to deaths, trauma and life-changing injuries.

Fortunately, good security at large events can make a positive difference in several ways. The most visible of these will be the presence of security staff – officers who will control entry to the site or premises, carry out bag-checks and patrol the site, inside and out, looking out for any potential threats. However, this is not the first or perhaps even the most important role that security staff will perform with respect to public safety.

A good security team can also assist at the planning stages, advising on issues such as perimeter system design, the provision and placement of monitoring systems (such as CCTV), and mitigating risks of attack by hostile vehicles. We’ve discussed this in more detail in previous blogs but there are some simple and effective ways of preventing marauding vehicle attacks, such as making optimal use of existing physical barriers within the local environment – trees, benches, bollards and so on. However, doing so demands early-stage planning, and an experienced security specialist should be able to make a valuable contribution at that stage.

Terrorists have also sometimes hidden bombs in parked vehicles, close to areas where crowds may be expected to gather. Here, again, security staff can help to minimise risks by keeping a watch for suspicious vehicles, challenging drivers who park in high-risk areas and, of course, by liaising with police and emergency services whenever necessary.

Finally, security staff can also promote public safety by standing ready to assist with the evacuation of a site or building in the event of an emergency. Uncontrolled surges and bottlenecks in crowds can be extremely dangerous, but with proper training and good communications, security officers can play an important role in directing people towards exits, and enabling a safe and steady flow through the doors.

More Information

All our staff undergo intensive training to ensure that they can act promptly to maintain public safety in venues of all kinds. For information about any aspect of manned guarding and security services