"Be the best at everything you do."

Security officers have a challenging job. Everyday a security officer is only a second away from having to put their skills and abilities to the test. It is easy in police and security work to become complacent when days pass by with little activity. As a security officer you have to work hard to maintain your skills for when they are needed. Continually working to improve your skills and abilities will improve your ability to complete your job tasks, respond to emergencies when required, and improve your job satisfaction. So how do you do it while you are working? 

1. Learn About Your Environment - While on post, or patrolling your area, make an effort to learn about that jobs and tasks of those around you. How does the loading dock track shipments? What are the primary duties and functions of office workers? More importantly, who are they? Making an effort to learn more about the environment around you will improve your observation skills in identifying suspicious behavior. You will also improve your understanding of the processes followed by those around you in the event something goes awry. 

2. Stay Current On Local Events - Knowing about events, or activities occurring in the area immediately adjacent to the property you are protecting will improve your skills as a security officer. News, local advertisements, and talking with others will help you identify potential hazards that may impact your property. Maybe vehicle thefts are on the increase in the area immediately surrounding your property. Chances are it will occur on your property. This information will help you warn others and allow you to adjust your patrol plans as necessary to reduce the opportunities for thefts to occur.

3. Tradecraft  - Of course improving your skills as a security officer is critical to becoming more proficient in the services you provide. Take some time every month to learn more about skills, and techniques for conducting better patrols, completing reports, or improving your interview skills. Make a point to spend 30 minutes to an hour each month focusing on a specific skill and learning how to improve it. 

Working hard to be the best at everything you do will increase your performance which can lead to pay raises or promotions. Working hard at being the best at everything you do will increase your job satisfaction and more importantly, increase the safety of those you are entrusted with protecting as well as your own safety. 

Primary duty for a security officer is crime prevention. So, what exactly is meant by "crime prevention"? 

Crime prevention is reducing the opportunities for crimes to be committed. 

The theory of crime prevention is often expressed by the crime prevention triangle.  

Ability  - diminishing the ability for the criminal to complete a crime. While on patrol you look for ways to reduce the ability for a criminal to complete a crime. Verifying that individuals in a facility are authorized to be there is one way to reduce their ability to commit a crime. 

Opportunity  - reducing the opportunities is another element of crime prevention. Securing doors, making sure unattended valuables are secured are ways to reduce the opportunity. 

Desire - taking away the desire of a criminal to act. Most criminals wanting to commit acts of theft, such as shoplifting, are relying on their ability to not get caught. Maintaining high visibility patrols is a way of reducing the desire, by increasing the potential they will be observed in the act. 

As a security officer, if you can reduce one or more of these, you are able to reduce the chances that a crime will be committed. When starting your patrols, think of the triangle and how you can protect those around you and the property.