May 12, 2023
The issue of security theater has become increasingly prevalent within the security industry, leading to heightened risks and even fatalities for security personnel. Security theater is characterized by maintaining the appearance of security without possessing the necessary training, resources, and equipment to effectively protect clients or the public. Regrettably, the security industry is saturated with companies engaging in security theater, which renders them ill-prepared for genuine threats or active shooter situations. I recently came across a tragic incident on LinkedIn involving a security guard who was killed in a mall during an active shooter situation. The guard courageously attempted to rush people to safety but was likely underpaid, unarmed, under-trained, and unequipped to handle such a threat, largely due to their company's reliance on security theater. Shockingly, I later read that another individual within the same company revealed that they had lost two employees in similar circumstances within a year. This ongoing sacrifice of security professionals' lives for the sake of cost-cutting and theatrics is unacceptable. The recent tragic loss of this security professional underscores the urgent need for effective security measures and highlights the importance of prioritizing high-quality, armed services over cost-effective, unarmed alternatives. In these challenging times,when law enforcement staffing faces difficulties, the role of security professionals becomes even more crucial. The St. Louis school shooting in October 2022 illustrates this point, as one of the seven unarmed security guards present saw the shooter before shots were fired but was ill-equipped to stop the attack, resulting in the loss of two innocent lives. As industry leaders, it is our responsibility to equip security professionals with the finest training, resources, and equipment, enabling them to effectively prevent, deter, secure, and neutralize threats as they arise. The question is not "if" but "when" such situations will occur, and we must ensure our personnel are well-prepared for these moments. Despite this, we continue to see prominent security companies within the industry prioritizing profits and contracts above the lives of their employees by engaging in security theater. Regardless of whether the public wants to admit it or not, private security is a form of law enforcement. While not government-run or employed, private security is hired to protect the lives, assets, and relationships of clients, the public, children, and other private individuals. As security providers, it is our job to educate the public about the real way to provide security services and how to adequately protect the public and our clients in the event of a real threat. If we choose to under-train, under-equip, and under-prepare our security professionals, we are opting to value money over the value of the security professionals’ lives. In light of these unfortunate events, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting both our clients and the public, while also increasing the likelihood of security professionals returning home safely after serving their communities.
