Traditional guarding is getting shaken up by new skills, services and technology. How are guarding firms and security officers shifting their priorities and offerings to keep pace and continue to add value to enterprises and security departments? It’s time to go beyond basic patrol, observe and report functions.
The global market for security robotics will grow at a compound annual rate of 20 percent over the next five years to reach a total market value of $2.8 billion by 2023, according to an IDC Market Spotlight report titled, “Extending the Capabilities of Human Security Officers With Modern Robotics,” written by John Santagate, research director, service robots for IDC.
Middle and high school students feel safer with security officers and a moderate level of security camera use outside of their schools, but a greater deployment of cameras inside school buildings makes them feel less safe, according to a school climate survey of more than 54,000 students from nearly 100 schools in Maryland, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Violence perpetrated against employees by patients, their families, and unauthorized visitors – including estranged members of employees’ own families – tops the list of concerns and threats for healthcare security directors.
Hospitals can be dangerous places. From 2012 to 2014, healthcare institutions reported a 40 percent increase in violent crime, with more than 10,000 incidents mostly directed at employees.
The size, scope and importance of America’s utility sector make it a tempting target for terrorists looking to wreak havoc or for financial criminals looking to infiltrate and pilfer.
The nation’s seaports, which handle freight traffic as well as cruise and ferry passengers, continue to face physical threats like terrorism or active shooters as well as ever-increasing concerns about cyber warfare.
The contract security industry continues to boom in the U.S. and worldwide, although security officers are finding an increasing number of technological devices patrolling alongside them.
As schools and districts contemplate the right mix of equipment, technology, training and policies and procedures to keep students and staff safe, the debate churns over how they should institute lockdown procedures for their buildings during an active shooter event.