Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Officers: In-house or Outsource?

November 21, 2006
Control, supervision, training and loyalty are elements important to in-house and outsourced security officers. Photo courtesy: Lion Apparel


The benefits of outsourcing security officers or operating a proprietary force are variable, dependent upon the nature and situation of your organization.

Here are reasons to use contract security, according to Joe Ricci, executive director of the National Association of Security Companies (NASCO).

CONTRACT ADVANTAGES

  • Reduce administrative, office and operational overhead to recruit, screen, license, train, schedule, uniform, manage and pay security officers.

  • Increase efficiency and productivity by concentrating on core security and business functions.

  • Improve management of officers and quality due to focus of the contractor.

  • Increase ability to define the service requirements.

  • Access specific supplier benefits, economies of scale and “learned” best practices, i.e., recruiting, screening, training, management, post-orders, scheduling, payroll and operations.

  • Increase flexibility to meet changing business and security conditions.

  • Spread risk and liability. This is the single most compelling reason. Companies with proprietary programs are liable for any incident resulting from the action or inaction of their officers, as well as deficiencies in the training, operation and management of their program, adds Dan Rakestraw, president, Valor Security Services.

  • Leverage contractors project management experience, security expertise and investment in people, equipment and technology.

  • Minimize requirements to track and implement changing standards.

  • Reduce costs and lower ongoing investment required in internal infrastructure, turning fixed costs into variable costs.


Says Ricci, the Outsourcing Institute finds “outsourcing is rapidly becoming an accepted management tool for redefining and re- energizing the corporation. It challenges today’s executives to rethink the traditional, vertically integrated firm in favor of a more flexible organization structured around core competencies and long-term, outside relationships.”

PROPRIETARY ADVANTAGES

There are advantages to a proprietary operation, according to Michael Stroberger, CPP, director of loss prevention with an internationally known luxury hospitality company, who takes a look at some of the commonly held beliefs which support the argument for keeping security in-house.

Tighter Control and Supervision. One of the primary motivations for most proprietary operations is the ability to closely control, correct and modify behaviors. Although contracts with outside vendors typically allow for some level of control, usually in the form of being able to ask for reassignment of persons when required, there is certainly a much greater level of ability to correct or modify the performance of personnel which you directly employ.

Better Training. In most cases, the operation which maintains staff in-house has the ability to provide more extensive, continuous training to the personnel who perform the security function. Largely, this is related to the fact that a facility or company which chooses this route enters into it expecting to have to maintain such support. The benefits are obvious, of course. Better training usually equates to better performance, and has a dramatic impact on both the quality of applicants, once a program is recognized for its level of quality, and also the pride and dedication of those experiencing this training.

Employee Loyalty. Maintaining security operations within your own organization creates a much stronger sense of ownership, as compared to bringing in persons perceived to be “outsiders.” This, in turn, often creates a sense of loyalty among the employee population, as they are more likely to see the officers as part of their own team, and among the officers, who are more likely to identify with the rest of the employee population, and act in support of them. Certainly, as an employee gains experience, and longevity in a given company, their sense of ownership is likely to grow.

Culture Integration. It is often far easier to achieve a high level of integration into a given companies culture or values when one is directly employed by that company. Strongly related to the previous point on Loyalty, this involvement in and support of the workplace culture, is a critical component in gaining acceptance, support and compliance. One pitfall with bringing in outside vendors is that they are more likely to be seen as “outsiders,” and therefore may have significant challenges in being accepted into the culture.

Support of Company Interests. When an officer has both an increased level of loyalty to the company and has become integrated more fully into the culture, it is logical that they then act more willingly and actively in support of the company interests. Persons with a personal, vested interest in the long-term success of an employer will logically be more motivated to stretch themselves in actively promoting that success. The perception is often that contracted personnel are less likely to reach this level of involvement, as the belief is that they can simply be moved to another contact site, should the current location no longer need them, want them or be able to continue employing them.

Officer Experience. One of the benefits of the previously mentioned aspects of better training, loyalty and cultural integration is the tendency for proprietary officers to continue their employment for longer periods of time than their contracted counterparts. Coupled with the fact that proprietary operations often offer entry level salaries above those that could be offered by an outside service which might be employed to provide the same level of staffing, this usually results in persons with increased levels of experience being attracted to the employer, and also the development of experience and familiarity over longer periods of continued employment.

When it comes to homeland security, in the regulations implementing the SAFETY Act, the DHS has indicated that customers who benefit from certified technology will also be protected against liability.

SideBar: Safety Act Certification

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided Valor Security Services with certification as a seller of anti-terrorist technology under the provisions of the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act. Specifically, the Certification provides significant liability protection to Valor and, in the regulations implementing the SAFETY Act, the DHS has indicated that customers who benefit from the seller’s certified technology will also be protected against liability.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Logical Security
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Technologies & Solutions
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security camera

40,000 IoT Security Cameras Are Exposed Online

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • cyber

    83% of IT leaders look to outsource security to MSPs in 2021

    See More
  • SEC1219-Cover-Feat-slide1_900px

    Contracted vs. In-House Guarding: No Universal Right Answer

    See More
  • Generic Image for Enterprise Services

    Pennsylvania House of Representatives Security Officers Unarmed

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Hospitality-Security.gif

    Hospitality Security: Managing Security in Today's Hotel, Lodging, Entertainment, and Tourism Environment

  • Physical-Layer-Security.gif

    Physical Layer Security in Wireless Communications

  • s in europe.jpg

    Surveillance in Europe

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing