Questions have been raised about the quality of service provided by Security Companies.

Problems appear to be caused by questionable staff selection methods, poor or no training, quality of candidate available because of very low wages and little or no supervision.

This situation is improving due to pressure brought to bear on providers by clients unwilling to accept sloppy service. One way of improving this quality of service is by understanding the issues that security providers face and knowing what questions to ask to ensure you will receive reliable service, and how to monitor the services you have chosen.

Security manpower can take many forms:

• A patrol officer responding to an alarm
• The security officer manning the security station at your site
• Mobile patrol performing checks on your premises
• An officer standing outside your premises to deter the criminal element
• Undercover officers detecting and arresting shoplifters
• Security officers providing security at an event

Before selecting a security company…

• Conduct an assessment of your needs by using the checklist provided before you decide what products or service you require. Then seek at least three quotes and ask the salespeople to offer their idea of a solution.

• Remember that person is there to sell you something that his company offers. Carefully check that what they offer is what you actually need.

Questions to ask:

1. What level of security do I need?
This depends on 'fitness for purpose' which means that security should be risk based, depending on the nature and vulnerability of what is being protected.

eg. Are my greatest risks:

• low level offenders such as trespass, burn-outs and minor offences by opportunistic and curious young persons
• opportunists such as people who steal wallets, cash and readily accessible valuables by gaining access during business hours where possible under pretext of looking for a job or some other barely plausible excuse. Includes theft from unlocked cars
• thefts ex dwellings where advantage could be taken of poor physical security of doors and windows; locked cars in accessible areas & unsecured valuables.
• serious, well organised offenders using sophisticated burglary methods or scams for targeted high value, vulnerable goods such as motor vehicles & accessories, consumer electronics, precious metals, drugs, chemicals, banks, etc

2. What do I need to know about the prospective security provider?

• Staff turn over - do they have frequent staff turnover? If so why?
• Projected response time to your premises see below
• Patrol run loadings ( How many sites does the patrolman have to check in an evening)
• Number of cars in the area – define area?
• Multiple site activation procedure in an area what would be reasonable?
• GPS tracking systems in cars and on staff –  ask to see examples of reports
• Regular staff training and good practises for supervision of guards
• Other resources in your area
• How are patrol checks completed on a busy night
• s there an advantage to having a local base in the area?
• Reporting -

3. Other than an initial “bed down” patrol to ensure your property is correctly secured at the end of the working day, how can patrols help you?

• Patrols do provide deterrent and detection capabilities. However in some cases they can be ineffective and expensive to your business. Consider using a shared scheme where you and your neighbours pay a shared cost in having patrols if it is deemed useful.

Things that can be checked on a bed down arrangement

• alarm conditions, ensuring the alarm has been set correctly
• doors, windows and gates have been shut
• laptops placed in secure lockers etc.

They can also be programmed to be there during cleaning times, and provide peace of mind to staff working the late hours.

A bed down takes a certain amount of time. If a reasonable time ascertained by you and your provider is 5 minutes then you want to know if a bed down is taking less than that.   You also will be interested in why the bed down may take 10 minutes or more! The reason may be a simple comfort stop for the security officer or something else!  Its in your interest to keep and eye on this.

4. What is a reasonable response time?

The time it takes a security patrol to respond to your alarm is often the most frustrating issue faced by a business.

It is important to remember that, like the police, security companies do not have many staff sitting and waiting for an alarm to go off. They are conducting regular checks on sites throughout the night and break that patrol run to attend your alarm activation. They must then go back to their run and attempt to complete it by a certain time.

Factors that can affect the response time are:

• Traffic flow
• Delays in monitoring or despatch
• Location when receiving a call
• Other (multiple) activations in the area

An indication what is a good time is as follows;

• 1 – 3 minutes Amazing!!
• 3 – 5 minutes Excellent
• 5 – 10 minutes Very good
• 10 – 15 minutes Good

5. What do I want to happen when there is an alarm activation

Consider the following:

• Should a staff member list be activated to check out an activation?

• Would it be safe for a staff member to arrive with burglars still on site?

• If I had a guard dispatched and there was a break, what should he do? Call down the staff list till he raises a Manager to come and fix the problem, Temporarily secure the site until morning? Call the glass repairers and locksmiths on your behalf?

6. What can I do when the guard response time is longer than agreed?

There are many times when the patrol will take over 15 minutes to attend your alarm activation. You should keep an eye on the response times for all of your alarm activations.  In the end this is what you are paying for!

Your patrol company should advise you each time they attend an activation, by leaving a note on your premises, followed by a brief report the following business day . This gives you the opportunity to check if the response was as promised and the requested sequence of events is the best choice for you in practical terms.

If the response is longer than 15 minutes you should request a full report on the reasons for the delay.   But accept that delays do occur.   Consider the delay carefully; is it a regular occurrence, is it outside the scope of your contract and therefore shouldn’t be paid for?

Once your security provider has been chosen

If the only time you meet your security provider is when there is a problem or a slow response time then you should consider being a little more proactive.  It is certainly true that the squeaky wheel gets the most attention.  It is also true that an established friendly relationship between you and the security company helps as well.

Take some time to meet the patrolmen.  This may require you or one of your staff to visit the site at night on a few occasions and walk with the officer. Gaining an understanding of what the officer has to do, problems faced, etc will enable you to either verify or modify your security plan.

Certainly if security officers know that the odd impromptu visit will be made at your site, they will ensure that a better job is done.

And don’t forget to regularly check your security arrangements with your provider, because of staff changes in both parties. Reviews would be recommended 6 mthly – I year.

Security Managers Group

GETBA has established a Security Managers Group who meet regularly approximately 10 – 12 times per year. This group consisting of the Managers / Owners of local security patrol providers (and local businesses who have dedicated Security Managers), has been meeting with Police and GETBA to ensure the lines of communication are open between Police, Security Companies and our members. This group has demonstrated a willingness to ensure they offer the highest level of service to our Greenmount East Tamaki Businesses.

Printed from the GETBA Website www.getba.org.nz
on