If security forces are going to perform more functions, which they should…they need additional training. More training for your security teams is an expensive proposition, but an all-important one.
1%-2% of any capital program should be put toward security. I would argue that each employee is a capital asset worthy of maintenance. Now consider the typical employee work year. There are 2,000 productive work hours in a year (40 hour weeks, with 80 hours of vacation). This means that a typical employee should receive at least 40 hours of ongoing training and education, this is in comparison to accounting and IT staff and the average training they receive.
It should be noted that these training hours do not include routine baseline refresher training like 1st Aid/CPR and Bloodborne Pathogens in this calculation.
Security officer training is often diminished by budgetary constraints, changes in management and an endemic prejudice against security officers. The latter is a significant factor among enterprise employees. Prejudice thrives as frontline security officers are invariably negatively portrayed in news and entertainment media providing slim chance for a positive perspective on the profession.
A common training sleight-of-hand occurs when contract officers time in the hiring process (interviews, uniform allocation, etc.) is counted as training. Enterprise security leaders or guard companies need to specify required training and audit that process.
The “Captive Trainee Syndrome” takes place with service providers who provide company training and certification programs to their officers. Captivity occurs when the officer seeks a new employer who doesn’t recognize their certifications. The effect slows career development and encourages officers to leave the industry. Some proprietary organizations fail to give their staff certificates or records of their training and such practices need to stop. Security leaders need to confront this issue and ensure that officers are not only fully trained, but receive feedback, certification and accolades that officers can take with them throughout their careers.
