In our daily lives it is inevitable that Private Security
Professionals and Law Enforcement Officers will have the "opportunity"
to work together. Today more than any
other time in history, there is an ever accelerating importance to this
relationship. Interaction with Private
Security and Law Enforcement Officers can be a greatly rewarding experience for
both the security officer and the police officer or a frustrating event for all
and a loss for the private business / public entities. It is a cooperative
relationship between these two professions that puts everyone on the right side
of the law in a superior position to those who choose to ignore the laws of our
society.
Prior to criminal or unwanted activity the roles of both
security professionals and law enforcement share a commonality. Both the security officer and the police
officer share the role of creating and maintaining a deterrent to crime or
unwanted activities for a private business or public entity. Once a crime has been committed the roles diverge. From the perspective of a professional
security practitioner, the security officer is often the first on the scene or
even a witness to the crime. The
Security Officers role becomes observe and report! Once the call to Law
Enforcement is made, en-route Law Enforcement is already gathering information
towards their role of apprehension. Based
on the mission of the security officer and the situation, Security Officers may
take control of preserving the scene and observing what takes place until Law
Enforcement Officers arrive. Upon arrival of Law Enforcement, Security's role
is then to assist the police officer by giving a comprehensive report of the
facts observed by the security officer. This aids the police officer, giving
them a chance to use these facts for a fast apprehension of the wrong doer or for
use of these facts to report to their department. Their department will then submit to the
District Attorney a compelling set of facts and circumstances in order to
arrest and successfully prosecute the wrong doer. Each officer in this case gets what they need
to consider this a job well done. Both
parties can get the personal satisfaction that they fulfilled their role for
the private businesses / public entities they both serve.
While the scenario above is an overview, it points out the
fact that “Cooperation between law enforcement and private security benefits
all parties!" Private Security and Law Enforcement in Los Angeles and other
cities have come up with a LEAPS (Law Enforcement and Private Security)
program. It supports the positive interaction between the industries. Maybe it is time for the same type of program
in Northern California cities and counties.
Roy Rahn, Executive Director of CALSAGA (California's Largest
Organization for the Private Security Industry) and Association Management
Expert with FSB Core Strategies, has been instrumental in organizing and
supporting LEAPS in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Let me know what you think about a LEAPS program here in Sacramento or
where you live? If you would like to contact Mr. Rahn directly his email is
RRahn@CALSAGA.org.
For your employees be sure to utilize eduGuard.com for
training on proper interaction with Law Enforcement and all AB 2880 security
related compliance training!
On a personal note, I am a strong supporter of all Law
Enforcement and urge you to do the same.
There are citizen groups such as the Sacramento Citizen's Crime Alert
board or Crime Stoppers International who need volunteer leadership. Check out
crimealert.org!
Thanks for reading! Comment
on LinkedIn or Facebook!
Bryon A. Bayer