Concepts in Security Management
Security and its management is currently the most crucial and vital an issue in the continuation of growth and progress of the nation, its industry and its vital establishments. While Govt. establishments are provided cover generally by Police and especially by Industrial Security Forces, the private industries are provided security cover by private security agencies. In this scenario, while training of the private security agencies assumes added importance, the revisit to concepts of security management in continuous changing environs is equally important. For the private security agencies some of the following concepts may be relevant.
1. Almost 9/10th of the work of private security agency is Access Control and 1/10th work is special measures or emergency response. Achieving good access control should be the target.
2. Since security lies in the mind, the concept of continuous and regular update of the threat perception and security procedures to counter it is a must. This will ensure the viability and relevance of the security agency which will remain current.
3. Threat perception can be evaluated only by regular inflow of intelligence. A security agency must strive to gain intelligence from all the possible sources, conventional and non-conventional, employees of the industry or venture to people having work with it and regular contact with intelligence agencies.
4. Security and facilitation are seen at loggerheads leading to many glitches in the functioning. While the Law Enforcement Agencies draw their rights from sovereign power, private security agencies generally have no such distinct and clear source of power. While ideally security should be done and felt as facilitation, the facilitation should be seen as means of security, but this is rare. What private security must strive is to conduct its activity in a manner and with such courtesy that the customer’s satisfaction is achieved. It must be emphasized that customer is the first and foremost source of the security.
5. Electronic tools, gadgets and surveillance are important so long the person operating them is well aware of their operation and their use. A CCTV system in a place is no security on its own. Monitoring it is by about all in this kind of security surveillance. An alert operator would bring a vital change in the results.
6. The manual records are almost as important as the electronic or other equipment. Record keeping manually by way of registers, visit slips or entry passes are excellent source of information about past conduct and working out a pattern. A method therefore must exist or be created to study, examine and review the manual record kept at various places by the guards.
7. The stepping-up in security measures in view of certain threat should always be in consultation with the controlling authority and with due briefing of the staff/employees or the members being secured.
8. The fixtures in Gates, Chains, Fences, Locks, Lighting and Drop-Arm Barriers should be periodically checked for efficient functioning. Regular maintenance and a schedule of inspection should be drawn.
9. While fixed point checks are important, patrolling in the area being secured is also very necessary. In a patrol they should have to have two security-men or guards. In sensitive or ultra-sensitive establishment intensity of patrolling cycle should be more intense and well provided for.
10. Though seen as necessary adjunct to the administration, Security is requirement of everyone. When applied on an individual employee, he resents it but agrees to tighter security in the establishment. To build on this and to achieve each employee’s/member’s cooperation, do not make exception and implement security procedures equally.
These are few of the concepts in the management of security in an establishment. Security has to be devised according to each establishment’s requirement. From simple watch & ward to security in concentric circle with card based access control can be achieved these days. However, a security requirement audit or survey must be done before taking-up the work of security management of that establishment.
~ By Pankaj Gupta
Your Effort for Secure Society Foundation
E-231-II Windsor Park, 5, Vaibhav Khand
Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, UP 201010
