A couple of viewpoints on how the security industry presents itself – literally.
Paul Mercer, the Security Systems Manager EMEA for internet software and hardware giant Cisco, was relaxed enough to pose tieless for photographs for Professional Security in the September 2001 issue. That doesn?t mean that he never wears a tie, nor that security managers (or any managers) or security control room staff do not wear a tie. Rather, security staff like all Cisco staff have a more relaxed attitude to dress than longer-established organisations – as a visit to their UK offices near Heathrow Airport proves. The overall ethos of Cisco, that security shares, is that staff are a valuable resource, doing creative, dynamic work; formal business dress is no more the rule than informal dress.
At Birmingham University, security officers are employed in house, to provide cover 24 hours a day, throughout the year. Like many universities, Birmingham is near the city centre. Its website says: ?For many on their first visit to the university, the likelihood is that the first person they meet is a uniformed security officer at one of the entrance gates. Much has been said about first impressions, but it is that initial contact which sets the tone for a visit, a conference, or even a leisurely walk around. A few years ago we changed the image of the security officer, away from the authoritarian appearance of the police style uniform of navy serge and shiny silver buttons to a much softer tone, and styled a uniform in grey, in line with the corporate identity.?
