What do Security Managers need to qualify in?

What do today's Security Managers need to qualify in?

Security managers need to know the capabilities of equipment, such as, cctv, access control and perimeter security. Legally speaking, the security manager must know the law of their land pertaining for their region-of-interest. What more truly qualifies a security manager for the job in today's times?

For argument sake, let us call the opening paragraph above be termed hard-skills, but ask any head of security and one may hear '' all I do now is vetting and compliance - I am so bored - I wish I was in the field'' Why would that be?

The point to this article is to consider the fact that the methods of crime and terror have evolved besides increased dramatically in numbers and range due to the fast changing world in tools used by criminals or terrorists. Furthermore, the motives of criminals and terrorists impacted by social changes and migration have contributed even more so to the changing environmental threat. Perhaps a good example, what could be considered as a crime to one culture, could be considered as normal behavior by another.

When the security manager cannot read the situation or the people involved then they invite collateral damage which could be life impacting or life & death situations. One should just do a bit of research to determine how large, the value or culture of crime is related to their location of interest - or field of interest. Organized crime and gang crime could be operating without the knowledge of the security manager, which is the biggest nightmare of any serious and professional practitioner.

A question was once asked to a group of 30 security managers. ''Who considers themselves as criminologists?''. There were only 2 people that put up their hands. It is outrageous that security managers do not know their daily function which is seeking, handling and investigating crime. What do they think they do - vetting and compliance of what - guards? Or, summoning crime investigators after the fact.

Security success depends on the level of situational awareness of the decision-maker on the ground and their reaction speed. Situational awareness is based on knowledge. When one has no idea of the culture of the crime, criminal method and who is taking part - then there is no situational awareness. One may think that they know all because they have been years in their field - however, one should not be so arrogant when lives are at risk and especially because of the fluid nature of the criminal. The criminals and terrorists' daily function is to out-think and outsmart the system and 'the security'.

It is not the weapon that causes the mayhem - it is the person!

There is a big difference between a security manager that investigates and a criminal investigator. Participate with like-minded practitioners in the ISIO Endorsed 1-Hour Virtual Interactive Group Meetings.