It’s fairly clear why schools hire security companies to provide on-campus guards. Schools face a variety of safety challenges, and having personnel on site dedicated to handling those challenges and nothing else is truly valuable. Frankly, another way to tell the value of school security programs is the cost. The financial investment is certainly not nothing, and any wise investor will have a couple simple questions: What am I getting, for what I’m paying? Is it worth it?
We at Joffe have put together a list of the high standards we hold our guards to. It may be of use to you when you’re auditing your own team.
Responsible, Reliable, and Alert: Guards should be focused on the task at hand at all times. It is a true miracle of the modern age that we carry supercomputers in our pockets, but beyond job-related communication, guards should not be on their phones while on-duty.
On-Time, On-Call: There’s nothing more frustrating than a no-show. If guards at your school are consistently showing up late or not at all, your security team is likely going to severely struggle to provide value. Without focused supervision and clear communication, this problem will plague even the most expensive security teams.
Professionally Attired: This issue may seem minor in comparison to others you’ll deal with in school security, but personal appearance guidelines help guards carry themselves with maturity and presence on campus. Mismatched belts, hats, or shoes undercut the message your security team (often the first people seen on campus) should be sending to the world at large: “Hey, we’re here and we’re sharp.”
Extensively Trained: As you welcome your guards into the school community, you’ll naturally learn more about them through conversation and actions. If you’ve run out of conversation topics, a useful one might be to inquire about the training they received before placement on your campus. Do they know about the unique culture of your school, about the state of your relationships with other local parties, or what you want done every day by 9:00AM? At Joffe, every single one of our guards has gone through industry-leading security training, with a focus on studying the specific school they will be assigned to. That goes along with professional development opportunities as their employment continues (CPR, First Aid, Threat Assessment, Child Abuse Awareness, and many more)
Bonded and Insured: Are you protected financially in the case of an emergency? Unforeseen circumstances arise, well, without being seen. You can, however, prepare for them. Make sure your security company has the necessary liability insurance so that you don’t end up way worse financially than when you began. For the record, Joffe has over $5 million in liability insurance to protect your school from potential financial ruin. Make sure you find out what your chosen company has, too.
We hope these tips help you get a better handle on gauging the success and value of your security team. Check out other articles on school security here. If fixing the problems you identify feels like too massive an undertaking, go here to learn more about the ways Joffe can solve your school security dilemma.
