Private security officers have a broad range of responsibilities. Although these include patrolling their rounds, assisting public law enforcement, and intervening when they see signs of trouble, they are far from the only ones. Beyond the basic tasks that are part of their jobs, security officer responsibilities also include adhering to a moral and ethical code of behaviour. This is critical because it ensures that they perform their jobs fairly and to the highest standards of professionalism. Doing so means they earn the trust and respect of the people they protect. Read on to learn more about the most common values security personnel are expected to follow as they perform their duties.
Looking Out for Employers’ Interests
One of the prime responsibilities these officers have is to uphold the interests of their employers. This means watching out for suspicious activity, serving as a deterrent to crime, and reporting anything they see to law enforcement. Depending on the circumstances, some employers may have strict guidelines about confronting suspects or interacting with patrons. Another important aspect of this is respecting confidentiality. Security guards may encounter sensitive information or intellectual property that they must be able to safeguard in accordance with the company’s wishes.
Acting Without Prejudice
Private security professionals must be able to perform their work without allowing personal preferences or biases from influencing them. First and foremost, this means avoiding profiling based on race or other inherent qualities, as well as treating everyone equally regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity. This also applies to the application of any rules on the premises, which should be observed in the same manner with no exceptions. Failing to do so opens the door to liability as well as potential security risks.
Working With Professionalism
These officers represent more than just the security firm that hires them. They also serve as ambassadors for the company or institution that they protect. Because their work is public facing, they need to be able to do their jobs with high levels of professionalism. They should be as courteous as respectful as possible when dealing with the public, and they should avoid any behaviour that would reflect poorly on their employers. This includes using foul language, wearing inappropriate attire, shirking their duties, and using excessive force.
Committing to the Task
Companies and institutions depend on private security firms to ensure the safety of their properties and the people who use them. In turn, these professionals must be dedicated to their work and never waver in that commitment. They must take their responsibilities seriously and discharge their duties as thoroughly and completely as they can.
Protecting Those Around Them
Keeping others safe is one of a security professional’s most critical jobs. This can involve anything from preventing members of the public from entering a construction site to preventing physical assaults. This is why their training includes de-escalation of potentially dangerous situations as well as self-defense. Even though they are generally not bound to the same standards as police, they still must be sure to react to a given situation with the appropriate level of response.
There’s much more to being a private security officer than watching monitors or asking guests to sign in when entering a building. As a critical component of keeping businesses and institutions safe and secure, they must be held to a high standard of behavior and responsibility when it comes to performing their duties. These are just a few examples of what they need to keep in mind when the report to work each day.
Recent Comments