Barry Vincent takes a slightly ‘tongue in cheek’ view of the issue of security professionalism, and poses the question whether security is a profession or just a game of fantasy football where anyone can play!
I am fascinated by the discussions about professionalism in the world of security. As a practitioner, arguably for over 38 years with the police, then in retail and logistics and more recently as a consultant, am I qualified to regard myself as a ‘professional’ or does my status fall short for lack of qualifications? For example, I am a humble but proud member of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals. Although the essentially a charitable institution carrying out excellent work both in raising money, for good causes, it is a microcosm of the industry. But are we professionals purely because we say we are? Is the title of ‘professional’ solely an honorary one bestowed on anybody working in the industry? Does it merely reflect the fact that someone receives payment for their work?
Definition
My dictionary defines a profession as ‘an occupation requiring special training in the liberal arts or sciences, especially one of the three learned professions, law, theology and medicine’. As for security I am not so sure that the term ’liberal’ has ever applied, and it could be argued either way as to whether it is an art or a science. Law certainly has its place. Little evidence of theology, although I did come across individuals in my policing days who thought they were divine, and more recently Peter French has described the membership of ASIS as a broad church! As for medicine, I also served under several sergeants who were medically qualified, prescribing a ‘kick up the backside’ as the cure for almost all ailments. My dictionary defines a professional as ‘someone engaging in an activity as a means of livelihood or extremely competent in a job’. Rather worryingly the dictionary uses ‘or’ not ‘and’! However it identifies the professional as possessing distinctive qualifications. There is nothing to deny anybody in our industry, apart from in some areas licensed by the Security Industry Authority, working within a company structure or indeed outside of one, engaging in provision of security and declaring a professional competence, regardless of background or training.
Football fantasy
As a younger man I had aspirations to become a professional footballer, and was invited to join the youth team of a club now hovering in the Premier League mid-table. In some ways the security industry can be viewed as analogous to a fantasy football team. If you will indulge me, I think the range of participants in the world of security can be likened to roles in a football club. In my Security Industry XI the goalkeeper and back four comprise the equipment suppliers, providers of access control, CCTV, EAS, and alarms etc, trying to stop ‘opposition’ from piercing our defence. Such providers even possess names that suggest their strength and capability: for example Checkpoint, Intrepid, Guardian, and er, ADT – it almost works! As good as they are in many cases in protecting their ‘goal’, they are always potentially vulnerable to the ‘own goal’ scored by well-meaning colleagues further forward in the line!
Midfield links
Next, the midfield, where we have the equivalent to the Scholes, Lampards and Barrys (Gareth, not me!); the strategists, security heads and those managers who provide the essential link between the suppliers etc at the back and those delivering at the front. These talented individuals see the bigger picture, they possess the vision to direct and orchestrate operations, and ‘pass’ to those at the front the best equipment, resources and support available to them. Up ahead are the frontline guards, store detectives and other ‘sharp end’, staff whose job it is take the attack to the opposition, and to turn whatever they are provided with into ‘results’. What formation I hear you ask? Although I have set out my team as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 I suspect that as the game goes on, those in the forward line often feel they are increasingly playing in a 4-5-1 situation, regardless of how they may have lined up at the start!
Fitting consultants in
It is at this point that my analogy starts to creak a little since there are a number of other participants who don’t make the playing team but need to be accommodated – so here goes. Where do we consultants fit in? I suspect that we would all like to be considered as comparable to the team coaches, revered and hopefully well rewarded for passing on wisdom to playing staff. However, a word of caution at this point for the fantasy football team manager, be aware that not all have their equivalent of a UEFA coaching qualification! Others may compare consultants to those shadowy figures known as ‘directors of football’, sometimes, but not always former players, well paid, but no one is quite sure what value they add! Others still may agree with my simile of the consultant as team coach, but in the sense of taking out their teeth and putting in seats!
Agents
Next, the recruitment companies, academics and journalists who report on the industry; and the regulators. Recruiters are equivalent to the football agents, attempting to match their star players to the appropriate team at the best salary (and rates of commission). At the risk of upsetting some friends in the recruitment world I think that this is as far as my analogy with football agents should go. Then we have the ‘commentators’. As for the SIA: clearly the equivalent of the Football Association, big on regulation but comprised of people who may or may not have played the game but have probably managed in other sports! Last, but by no means least, the spectators – the public and those on the receiving end of security, largely oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes but probably aware of whether they see a good or bad performance.
What’s the difference?
So much for fantasy football, but of what relevance is it? At this point I should like to return to my own brief flirtation with football. As an 18-year-old joining a professional team, it quickly became apparent to me that whilst I was largely self-taught, albeit to a reasonable standard, I had a huge amount to do to compete with those of my age group who had been at the club for several years. After a brief spell with the youth team, I was despatched to the amateur Essex Businesses Houses League. So what makes the difference between a ‘gifted’ amateur and a professional? My peers had been under expert qualified coaches, and achieved skill and tactical awareness well beyond my own. In short, skills and training! I believe that in security, as in football and in many other walks of life, while the self-taught may succeed, true professionalism comes through quality skills development and training, which does not stop at the point of entry, and if that training is recognised by a certificating body so much the better.
Career path
We are in an industry where ‘security’ or derivatives of it, is often viewed as an amateur occupation, where the responsibility for security management can often be assigned to those for whom security is not their main area of expertise. They may be ‘professionals’ in other disciplines, facilities management, health and safety, retail operations etc or merely given security on a temporary basis while on a different career path. We know that even where individuals are appointed as dedicated security personnel their knowledge and skills may be limited and they are unable to deliver because they are denied, or deny themselves, the opportunity to continue their skills development. This is not to say that some do not make a good contribution but, a bit like my football career, they will only ever achieve good amateur status, Blue Square rather than Premier because they have not received professional ‘coaching’. In my view this applies to all the players, including some on the touchline.
Competency
But should we be concerned by the absence of professional qualifications and training in the security game, and-or a requirement for them? Recently, David Cresswell of ARC Training raised the issue of professionalism in security with his endorsement of the certifications, the CPP and PSP offered by ASIS – no disrespect to David, but are professions also defined by the number of acronyms that they can develop to confuse the uninitiated? David makes an extremely valid point however about competency in security, and he is one of the few in the vanguard of delivering a range of quality security training courses underwritten by Skills for Security as well as some universities. Neither is he alone among a number of eminent individuals who have championed the need for the security industry to raise its game in this way. Baroness Ruth Henig, chairman of the SIA (sorry, another acronym!) has also identified the need for benchmarks for security management, and trade associations such as the BSIA, Security Institute (SyI) and the Association of Security Consultants (ASC; is there no end to acronyms?), are making contributions to ‘raising the bar’ for their members. Academia is also playing its part in diploma courses, or undergraduate and postgrad degrees in security and risk management.
Applause
As a member of the SyI and ASIS, and a regular attendee at ASC events, I applaud the efforts of all concerned to generate momentum to improve professionalism. I believe that there is a general apathy among security practitioners, and among those who employ, contract and regulate them to demand and create a professional infrastructure that includes education, training and regulation. Those taking recognised qualifications tend to do so by personal motivation, not because the industry requires it. If we are truly to be regarded as professionals, the industry as a whole must address these issues and as in traditional professions, require some credited certification underpinned by a well-established body of knowledge and values that all members subscribe to.
The author
About Barry Vincent: Barry is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Retail Security Magazine. A former senior police officer with a risk and crisis management background, including service with the United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. More recently he was head of security for the supply chain and distribution network with the UK’s number one supermarket, and advisor to the heads of security in the retailer’s international businesses on retail and supply chain security. His responsibilities included risk analysis, developing security specifications including developing tender documents, and defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring performance for in-house security staff and contract manned guarding arrangements. In 2007 he formed his own consultancy company specialising in security risk, and crisis management and is a non-executive director for several companies supplying security services to the retail and logistics sectors – including leading security integrator Intrepid Security. His passion for contributing to effective security is only surpassed by his love of Manchester United FC and golf, where after 30 years of playing he has reached novice standard! Last but not least, he has an MA (Criminal Justice, Reading, 1988) and MSc (Security and Risk Management, Leicester, 2007).
