On April 29, 2015, the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played to an empty stadium at Camden Yards as Baltimore, Maryland, recovered from protests and riots following the funeral of Freddie Gray. Citing public safety, fans were barred from attending the game. Historians say this has not happened in more than a century of professional baseball.

Ports – sea, air and land – handle people and cargo. And they need to be secured. Dr. Daniel J. Benny knows the need. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Dr. Benny now offers a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation security. This program is designed to produce graduates qualified to enter aviation security, intelligence, military, homeland defense and corporate aviation security communities, either as entry-level career professionals or as mid-level managers.

What do you think of when you think about a security officer? Is your perception tainted by Hollywood which generally paints security officers as comedic caricatures with delusions of grandeur? Do you think of security officers as “wannabe cops” who have no career path? If your answer is affirmative, I ask you to push aside these dated and inaccurate perceptions about security officers and learn what is truly involved in this critically important profession today.

Property managers at residential communities wear a lot of hats from filling vacancies and negotiating and enforcing leases, to maintaining the building and property, and securing the premises. To be successful, property managers need the support of their entire team – including security. A comprehensive physical security program at a residential property should extend far beyond the typical security responsibilities to also include a strong focus on customer service. Security officers should contribute to an environment that makes tenants and visitors feel safe and welcome, and encourages people to consider the community as their future home.

Has investigative reporting turned against the security officer? According to Mark Fidelman, biases embedded in news reports can give your security team an undeserved bad reputation. 

There are good ways to handle your contract security officers and bad ways. We break it down here. For CSOs and other purchasers of security services, you first need to define needs and roles.

Depending on the environment you’re in, physical safeguards such as desks, railings and panic buttons can be helpful deterrents. “You don’t want to make it look like a prison, but at the same time, you can make minor modifications that help protect.