North American Security Company
ONLINE
Serving East Tennessee
Office: 865-531-8317
Fax: 865-769-4377
WHY CONTRACT SECURITY
The first question that anyone needs to ask, before hiring security personnel, is: “Which type of security will best fit my needs?” In general, there are three “types” of security available: ( 1.) Proprietary Security; ( 2.) Off-duty Law Enforcement; and ( 3.) Contract Security. The third option, “Contract Security,” is, hands down, the best choice for 99 percent of all security needs. Why is contract security the best option? To answer that, let us examine each “type” of security.


Proprietary Security
Proprietary security, which is most often referred to as “in-house security,” is comprised of security personnel hired directly by a company, to protect ONLY the properties owned or controlled by that company. The only advantage of proprietary/in-house security, is that the company hiring their own in-house security personnel retain more direct control and supervision of their officers, since a direct “employer—employee” relationship exists. There are, however, MANY disadvantages of using proprietary/in-house security personnel. First of all, the hiring company must obtain insurance for their proprietary security force. Also, prior to being allowed to operate a proprietary security force, the company must find a qualified security manager who has the right amount of experience to manage the security operations for the company. Next comes the hassle, not to mention the expense, involved in recruiting security personnel. Once personnel selection has been accomplished, the company must invest in the training and (hopefully) bonding of their proprietary security force. The hiring and training of personnel is usually a continuous process, since, often, the turnover rate in security is high. Therefore, while a company may exercise fuller control over their own in-house security force, they must also accept the financial burdens involved in insuring, bonding, selecting, and training security personnel . Also, in the case of proprietary/in-house security, the liability factors involved may also be a major detriment. For instance, if a company’s proprietary security officer uses lethal force (whether by using a firearm, a vehicle, or hitting someone on the head with a flashlight) against an individual; the company itself will always be scrutinized, and held liable for the actions of their in-house security officer; since it was the company that was responsible for the hiring AND training of the officer involved. In addition, the “familiarity” factor may also be a consideration when deciding on the “type” of security to employ. Often, in-house security officers become too friendly with employees, resulting in a situation where, if an employee is caught doing something wrong by their “friend,” chances are, no action will be taken. This situation may result in a company being defrauded out of tens of thousands of dollars, either directly or indirectly through employee dishonesty.


Off-Duty Law Enforcement
While North American Security definitely wishes to maintain a good working relationship with our brothers in public law enforcement; the fact is, the use of off-duty police officers and sheriff’s deputies is, by far, the WORST type of security ever employed. Some people think that because public law enforcment officers receive more training in the police academy than most security officers receive, that using off-duty law enforcment is the most viable option for security. Nothing could be further from the truth. While public law enforcement officers do, in fact, receive more training; the field of law enforcement is “apprehension based,” whereas the field of private security is “prevention based.” In other words, the primary duty of private security is to prevent crimes from occurring by serving as a visible deterrent to would be perpetrators; while the primary duty of public law enforcement is to detect crimes and apprehend offenders. A company or individual that wishes to employ security is more interested in preventing crimes (be it assaults against persons, or theft of property) from occurring in the first place. This is the principle function of private security. Of course, if a crime occurs on the property that a security officer is protecting, the officer then goes into “apprehension” mode. However, a public law enforcement officer’s priorities are exactly opposite. They are usually in “apprehension” mode, and generally do not function in the “prevention” mode. Therefore, it is easy to see why a conflict would arise when working in private security. Furthermore, there is another major issue involved in using off-duty law enforcment—FATIGUE. After an officer finishes his or her shift for the law enforcement agency that they are employed by full-time, they will be tired, and most likely, will not be at their best while working their security job “on the side.”


Contract Security
Contract security is the best option for the vast amount of security needs. By hiring a contract security agency, a company does not need to deal with the hassles involved in starting and maintaining a proprietary/in-house security force. The security contractor takes care of the insurance and bonding; licensing; and personnel selection, training, and supervision. Contract security agencies are experts in the field of security, whereas, all other companies are experts in their respective fields of specialization. A security company does not build their own office building. Rather they hire a commercial builder to build it for them. Sure, a security contractor could probably hire architects, carpenters, masons, etc. Similarly, other companies could delve into providing security for their own properties and ventures. However, why do that? As the saying goes: “A ‘Jack of all trades’ is a master of none.”


Therefore, the best solution for security services is to hire a security contractor that utilizes security officers (not off-duty law enforcement): ( 1.) To protect persons and property, primarily through the prevention of crime and unwanted activity, by serving as a visible deterrent; ( 2.) To detect security breeches, fires, and safety hazards; (3.) To act as a public relations medium for the client; ( 4.) If crime prevention efforts fail, to detect crimes and unwanted activity, and, when possible, to detain any perpetrators; and ( 5.) To respond to emergencies and other incidents at the direction and discretion of the client.

After deciding to proceed with the hiring of a qualified contract security company, the next step is determining whether you want armed or unarmed officers. The next page of this website will give you a comparison of the differences in the capabilities of armed and unarmed security officers.