Officers Down?
Chris Hertig,CPP,CPOI
Advisory Board Member, International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO)
There is an increasing number of security officers being murdered on-duty.
Unfortunately, we lack data on this. While OSHA certainly keeps records; the vast array of different job titles makes sorting it all out very difficult.
An additional difficulty is not with our perceptions and how these murders are reported. Fairly often, the slain security officer has or had a police affiliation. The law enforcement aspect dominates the media reports and conversations we have about these tragedies.
We need some good data on security officers murdered on-duty. Where to start?
Perhaps one place would be tracking the number of off-duty police being murdered. That would shed some light on the matter. The case below happens far too frequently.
Capital punishment needs to come back for the safety of security and police officers
Police/DOT Officer 1986-2012 CDL / Traveling ELDT Provider. Third Party CDL Driver Examiner.
3 年Certainly there is a marked difference between Law Enforcement and Security. All Poluce Officers are armed and can use deadly force if justified. Officers are not required to back down in the face of threat or resistance. Law Enforcement has ( generally) stricter hiring standards. Security generally are not armed and generally have no arrest authority. They may wear a similar uniform but few do the same job.
Security and Safety Professional/HSSE Manager/ Project HSSE/ Operations HSSE
3 年When security officers get murdered it could only be possible for the following reasons; If there is no proper risk assessment on the area they are operating from. Lack of adequate training to prepare them for the risks involved. Lack of Intel from their fellow security or law enforcement colleagues. When they are being set up and are not aware of who they are dealing with and how deep they have gotten into issues they know nothing about. Most of them don't know that security job is risky and full of hazards, so they accept a job they feel they can do like other jobs. Lastly on my current list is lack of support from their employers and the police. If these are considered and put into practice, I strongly believe the casualty rate will reduce. Thank you