Campus Safety: What kind of Campus Security Officer do you Need in Your Campus?
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March 03, 2016
Campus Security Officer is very important to maintain the safety and security of schools. Every school culture is unique. Campus safety and security program and Campus Security Officers must be viewed through the same lenses. When a school district, the principal or administrator makes the decision to hire a Campus Security Officer, many types of security responsibilities need to be considered so that the right type of Campus Security Officer is selected. To ensure campus safety, to create a safe and secure environment, the role of the campus security officer is critical.
What type of Campus Security Officer do you need for your school and college?
- Is a military or law enforcement background is required?
- How important is customer service experience?
- Does the campus have gang, drug, graffiti, racial violence and other types of security threats?
- How is the racial profiling of the school?
- Does the CSO need to break up fights very frequently?
- Does the campus have a suspension or truancy center?
- How are the crime statistics of the community and neighborhood?
- Is there a possible threat of active shooting?
The list is just a start. There are many factors to consider in the selection of Campus Security Officer (CSO) or Student Intervention Assistant (SIA). When needs and expectations are clearly defined, the stage is set for success. By defining your security program needs, careful recruiting and screening can occur to align candidates with positions where they will excel.
Campus Security Officer – Role Model:
So how do all of these come to life? First is the role model. Everyone on the campus is a role model. SIA/CSO Plays a special part in ensuring that students and parents are served efficiently and effectively. Students look at CSO/SIA and are watching their behavior and interaction at all times. They are observing them not only when they are at the top moment of their professionalism but also when they let down their guard. People, who are good citizens and teachers, are good role models. People who get involved and have time to help others are good role models. To be a role model, he has to be a friend, cheerleader, and teacher. CSO should answer their questions, listen to their problems, and teach them about the new phase of their life.
Campus Security Officers must have these five qualities to be a role model:
- Passion and ability to inspire.
- A clear set of values.
- Commitment to the community.
- Selflessness and acceptance of others.
- Ability to overcome obstacles.
- Teach people to serve.
- Show them that success is possible.
- Responsive, vigilant and alert.
Often role models don’t have to do anything that significant, many teenagers just want someone just to listen to them, and occasionally offer advice.
Campus Security Officer – Friend:
CSO/SIA must be friendly to the student on the campuses, especially who are known as the trouble makers. Campus Security Officer cannot expect to gain respect for the student if the students do not trust them. This is why they must work as hard as possible to build a relationship with students as possible. Seek out the loners of campus.
Campus Security Officer – Cheerleader:
CSO/SIA should show up as many school events as possible and root their students on gusto. Parents, teachers, and students need to see that the office cares about their school as much as they do. This is why the officer is working to keep their school safe. They have to be a visible presence.
Campus Security Officer – Teacher:
Every adult who works on school campuses has a dual role as a teacher, and a Campus Security Officer should not be an exception. SIA/CSO should use every opportunity to teach about personal safety, tolerance, and personal excellence. Make sure every conversation is full of positive words and encouragement because the best role model is also the best teacher.
Campus Security Officer – Mentor:
CSO/SIA is a role model to serve as a mentor on school campuses. As a mentor, they need to provide caring, consistent and engaging support for a student for the duration of the school year. Practice what you preach, treat everyone with respect and be consistent in implementing rules, regulations, and behavior.
Motivation and Influencing Capability:
CSO/SIA can teach life lessons, guide them in the right direction. SIA/CSO can be one of the most influential people in a student’s life. He can guide them through another transition (Adolescence). They also want someone who will:
- Encourage them to pursue their passion.
- Listen to their opinion and stories without judging.
- Provide insight when asked/needed.
- Remind them that they are not alone.
- Help them explore college/career options.
- Teach social skills.
School Emergency Threats
Schools face numerous security threats, and all these threats vary from location to neighborhood. There are three basic sources of threats to the campuses:
- Intrusion/Attack from the population we serve
- Intrusion/attack from our own ranks
- Intrusion/Attack from outsiders
Intrusion/Attacks from Population we Serve
- Bullying, Graffiti, and Hate Crime
- Gang Related Violence
- Fights
- Racial Tension
- Girls
- Alcohol and Drugs: Prime cause of teen violence. Drug dealing in and around schools.
- Shooting, Guns and Weapons, and Bomb threats: Carrying weapons at school
- Hazing and Shooting
- Sexual Harassment
- Computer Hacking and Social Media Threats: Growing number of violent threats to public schools are being delivered through social media
- Theft, Vandalism, and Burglaries
- Statutory Rape
- Sport Violence
- Threat to teachers
- The disruptive and violent student in the school to be concerned about
- Irate Disgruntled Parents
- Racial Violence
Intrusion/Attacks from Our Own Ranks
Intrusion/Attack from Outside
How to Ensure Campus Safety and Security
Proactive Approach:
A proactive approach to security is the only way to ensure a safe and secure campus. A reactive approach to security not only ineffective, it causes the problem.
Parents Responsibility:
Parents should be involved with the security function of the school. Ask children if they have seen a weapon on campus.
Students Responsibility:
Talk to the teacher, and parents, the immediate concern that needs to be addressed. Have you been threatened? Did anyone mention about shooting?
Enforce Rule of Law:
Campus Security Officer has to be consistent in enforcing the rule of law. Teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn in a hostile environment.
Security Training:
Educate and counsel students and teachers. Training should be conducted on security strategy and practices. Concerned administrators and Campus Security Officers are to be trained regularly on a new pattern of threats and how to mitigate the threats. Monitor premises security and technology.
Training should also be conducted on:
- Crisis Intervention
- Proactive approach
- Non Violent Intervention
- Physically responding to a student, disgruntled teacher, and parents
- How to best approach threats received through social media (Email, text message and electronic means, Email, Facebook, Twitter)?
- How to Manage an Active Shooter Situation?
- Emergency Response
So how does all this come to life? The first step is realization and recognition that there are so many things as a cookie-cutter security program. Then you need to identify and partner with a security service provider who shares that philosophy, and also has the resources to provide a tailored security program to meet your campus security need.
Campus Safety – Basic Efforts
Regular meeting to discuss/revise emergency readiness plans:
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- Prevention/Mitigation
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
- Pandemic
- Special needs students/staff
Ongoing Training
- All administrators and key staff have been trained in ICS Course
- Majority of administrators have been trained in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
- The key staff has been trained in Threat Assessment, Security Risk Assessment (SRA) and Risk Mitigation Strategies
- The key staff has been trained on emotional recovery
Communication Redundancy:
- PA system
- Classroom Telephone
- Two-way handheld radio
- Base station
- Telephone
- Cell phone
- Emergency Cell Phone with PTT
Supplies:
Campus Security Officer: Seven Critical Steps of Campus Safety Must be Taken into Consideration
- Target hardening
- Campus Security Officer
- Training
- Response Protocols
- Breaking the code of silence
- Building a positive school culture
- Threat Assessment Team
In addition to expertise and a commitment to excellence, these also require formal recruiting and quality assurance processing, local management, support, and industry-specific training. That type of security provider can offer the right people and processes that will make a difference for your campus.
Protection Four has the experience, expertise, and resources to provide top-notch Campus Security Officer support to the Southern California campuses. Protection Four Security’s Director of our campus management team served Southern California campuses for many years and has long experience, up-to-date knowledge, and in-depth expertise to provide professional campus security support. Call today.
