The Personal Safety of University Security Professionals
With a noticeable increase of young people moving away from home and beginning life on campus, university security guards are absolutely essential, in order to ensure the personal safety and protection of our students.
In fact, organisations such as the U.S. based IACLEA (International
Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators) and UK based AUCSO (Association
of University Chief Security Officers) have specialised themselves in, and
dedicated themselves to improving the safety of universities and higher
education colleges.
However, it is rather saddening to see those countries, such as my home country Germany, still don’t see a need for dedicated security teams protecting these institutions.
Why do we have teams of dedicated security professionals
here, but not in many other European countries?
I would love to hear from those in charge of university or
college security, and include their comments, and update my article in
response, if permission has been granted.
The security services within universities usually provide
security patrols, surveillance, and emergency response for all University
property. Their officers are usually on duty 24 hours a day, every day of the
year. Their operational duties and risks, which include:
- Questioning the presence of strangers within the university campus/complex represents a clear operational risk especially if their behaviour can be classed as ‘suspicious’.
- Conducting night patrols (with many universities being based near city centre locations and having an active night life the presence of intoxicated members of the public is reality).
- Securing the buildings (buildings that often harbour multi-millions of pounds worth of technical and scientific equipment, which may well be of great interest to members of the criminal community)
- Taking on additional responsibilities, such as the control of anti-social behaviour and the confiscation of alcohol and other substances etc.
- Monitoring and identifying any attempts of any political or religious extremist’s groups to influence or manipulate students, often with the clear objective of ‘recruiting’ new followers in an environment where individuals are still looking for their chosen life path.
I remember when one security guard was stabbed several times
whilst trying to apprehend three trouble making teenagers on the campus grounds
of Leeds Metropolitan University several years ago.
I also remember the incident in which a University of Bolton
security guard found himself dealing with knife-wielding burglar Anthony Web
who was subsequently sent to prison, as well as the two brothers, who kicked
and stamped on a security guard after he caught them breaking into University
of Hull building.
Well, the USA had their fair share of well documented
attacks within colleges or universities. A rather interesting list of all
attacks within US based sub-secondary schools (universities and higher
education colleges) can be found on Wikipedia, and I must admit it was quite an
eye opener for me: click here
I think it is rather sensible to acknowledge that security professionals,
charged with patrolling university campuses, and engaging with ‘persons of
interest’ put themselves at risk when going about their daily duties. This
‘higher risk level’ especially during unavoidable face to face interactions,
usually justifies or requires dedicated conflict management training as well as
personal protective equipment in the form of stab resistant body armour,
especially offering certified levels of protection from blunt force trauma
injuries. Statistically ‘blunt force trauma injuries’ are the most common
injuries most security professionals will suffer from. Getting punched, kicked,
or hit by a blunt object is more likely than being shot or stabbed!
Several University professionals have been enquiring as to
the use of our unique stab resistant vests within their line of work due and
subsequently issued their frontline staff with this particular type of personal
protective equipment (PPE). In my opinion they have done the right thing, they
taken precautionary steps, rather than being reactive and waiting for an
incident to happen and then having to deal with the operational, financial,
moral, and legal nightmare they may well face after such incident.
If you are working within this specific environment, can I
please ask you to take the protective panel out of its body armour cover, and
check the date your body armour has been produced?
The raw materials used to produce body armour do degrade.
The handling and storage of body armour will also have a significant impact on
the life expectancy of a body armour.
The certification of body armour is valid for up to 5 years.
The certification is invalid following the ‘expiry date’, meaning a) the level
of protection can no longer be guaranteed, and b) the legal consequence for an
employer would be much more severe if such body armour failed, as the body
armour is no longer certified and no longer complying with laws, regulations,
or directives.
Stay safe.
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