Nightclubs and Bars with a bad reputation have been forced to close their doors for failing to control assaultive crime on the premises. As a security consultant, I often get calls at the eleventh hour to try to salvage the dangerous reputation of a nightclub. In most cases it is apparent to me what needs to be done to cure the problem, but often times it is too late to save the club. The death of a nightclub comes slowly and there were many telltale symptoms along the way that were not heeded. For popular nightclubs to operate safely, managers must look beyond the bottom line to ensure the long-term health of a club.
Nightclubs are designed to be hospitable social meeting places but are first and foremost in business to make money. The product being sold is entertainment that’s paid for by selling alcoholic beverages, food services, or by collecting door cover charges. Management determines the intended atmosphere and music format of the club. The venue and music format will determine what demographic group will go to the club. The demographic group and their behavior will determine whether bouncers are necessary to control their conduct.
As you can imagine, a nightclub that markets itself to young adults in an effort to become the next hotspot is destined to have a few conduct problems. Clubs ordained as the new hot club begin to lose control when greed replaces reason. Many clubs will promote drink specials such as two-for-one pitchers of beer or oversize margaritas that encourages sales and over indulgence. Some clubs will advertise ladies night specials to attract more female patrons and pack the house. Club managers can dial down the intensity of a club at anytime by modifying the club music format, amount of door charge, limiting the number admitted, adopting stricter dress codes, and altering, or limiting the advertising.
Formula for Disaster
Nightclub problems arise when there is intentional over-crowding, over-serving of alcohol, failing to ban minors, admitting and serving obviously intoxicated persons, and known troublemakers. Other liabilities include failure to control loitering in the parking lot, failure to establish and enforce reasonable club rules, and an intentional policy not to call the police when warranted. Poor business decisions can make a club too intense and will place too much responsibility in the hands of club bouncers to control misconduct. This is a big mistake.
I have seen dozens of nightclubs forced to close down soon after they lost their liquor license or city permits. One day the nightclub is packing the house and enjoying tremendous cash flow. The next day a club is shut down and forced to close its doors. How does this happen overnight? The answer is that it doesn’t. The writing was probably on the wall for some time, but the aggressive club operators failed to heed the warnings.
State Liquor License
Without a liquor-license, a trendy nightclub cannot survive for long. Liquor licenses are issued by the state liquor control board and are subject to suspension and revocation if certain conditions are not met. The most common condition is simply to comply with the law. That is, don’t sell to minors, don’t sell after-hours, don’t sell to intoxicated persons, and don’t sell off-site. Other conditions require the nightclub operator not to run unsafe or unsanitary business and to self-report violent incidents.
Local Permits or Licenses
The city or county usually imposes additional regulations by way of issuing a business license or conditional use permit to operate a nightclub. These regulations are commonly called a business license, a dance permit or a cabaret license, for example. These additional regulations are enforced by the county, city or sometimes by the police or sheriff and are also subject to suspension or revocation. These regulations give the municipality an additional "hammer" to put pressure on a club that utilizes too many police resources. For example, if the police get too many calls for service at a particular club they will issue warnings and/or threaten to revoke the permit or license. Incidents like fights, shootings, drug over-doses, and evidence of over-intoxication will attract the scrutiny of the permit officer. Other issues like alcohol service to a minor and over crowding the club will also be criticized.
Be a Good Neighbor
Nightclubs usually are not welcome neighbors. From the first day of posting the notice to obtain a license there will be protest from the neighbors or from other businesses in the area. Once in business, nightclubs will receive a higher than average number of complaints. Most common are for noise, litter, traffic, loitering, parking problems, graffiti, and area vandalism. It’s important for a nightclub to be a good neighbor but it’s difficult when the club operates primarily on weekend nights. In my experience, clubs that fail made little or no effort to maintain good relations with adjacent business operators or residents. Neighborhood groups or other adjacent businesses make formidable enemies at license or permit revocation hearings.
Police as a Partner
The police are a community resource available to all commercial businesses. Nightclubs that fail often have a reputation of not cooperating fully with the police. Club operators believe that if they call the police too frequently their liquor license could be in jeopardy. This is not a correct assumption. Instead, clubs hire bouncers to enforce club rules and attempt to keep order without police intervention. Unfortunately, bouncers are often ill equipped to handle huge nightclub crowds and often do so in an illegal manner. See my web page on Bouncers Need Training. In many cases, bouncers have not called the police in time to prevent a major incident from occurring. These major incidents are often the trigger that sets the license revocation process in motion.
Most nightclubs have a critical-intensity period that begins thirty minutes before closing time. As you can imagine, once "last call" is announced a major exodus takes place. Within thirty minutes or less, hundreds of high-spirited club patrons are ushered out into the parking lot or street at their most intoxicated state. If you are going to have a serious melee it will happen at this point. Also, consider the dozens of highly intoxicated drivers hitting the street. In some cities the entire police watch must be pulled from other beats to oversee the close of a popular nightclub. From the police perspective this is an abuse of police resources and creates an unnecessary hazard for the officers. Clubs that fail make little effort to mitigate the impact of closing or invite the police to offer workable solutions. Failed club managers mistakenly believed it was solely the duty of law enforcement to handle crowds on the public streets and not their responsibility. At the club license or permit revocation hearing they are taught otherwise.
The Complaint Process
The police will begin complaining from day one. Unfortunately, most of the early police warnings are verbal and may not find their way to upper management. Any police incident reports written will be filed and not automatically provided to the nightclub. Nightclub managers must periodically request information on reported crime at their club and in the neighborhood. Most police agencies forward copies of serious incident reports onto the state liquor control board and local permit officer for documentation purposes. After a while, the police get tired of getting no cooperation from the nightclub and will begin documenting every incident. Police agencies that begin to target a problem nightclub will start sending in undercover officers looking for underage patrons or evidence of over-serving. The vice-squad may be sent in to conduct surveillance of the club looking for drug use or sales. The fire marshal will pop in to inspect for over-crowding, blocked fire exits, and expired fire extinguishers. The club will be cited for any and all violations and infractions.
Complaints can come from an unhappy neighborhood with great intensity if they are organized. A neighborhood association or tenant group can file numerous complaints as well that have an effect with city managers. Law enforcement will sometimes jump on the bandwagon to support ousting of the offending club for being a drain on police resources. Neighborhood groups have been known to produce live testimony supported by photos and video of disorderly conduct, street fighting, public drunkenness, public urination, street sex, drug use, and reckless driving.
Revocation Process
Most failed nightclubs received multiple warning letters, fines or suspensions before losing their liquor license. Based on the warnings, it should have been no surprise that license and permit revocation was possible. In my experience, however, club managers either didn’t believe it would happen or didn’t know how to bring the club under control. In some cases, club management was just too arrogant and too busy making money to take the warning seriously. They would rather just pay the fine, again, if caught violating the law. The majority of their efforts went into not getting caught.
When the day of reckoning comes either the state liquor control board or local permit officer will order a hearing. Many times the club will receive a license or permit suspension notice pending the outcome of the hearing. At the hearing the police will bring stacks of documentation of the excessive calls for service to the nightclub and about violence associated with the club. Each serious incident will be examined (under a microscope) as evidence of an out-of-control and dangerous club. Often in attendance are neighborhood witnesses testifying about constant fighting, public drunkenness, high speed driving, and about shots being fired near their homes.
Rest in Peace
I often get frantic calls at this point to see if I can assist in salvaging their club by adopting an eleventh-hour security plan but it is usually too late. In its defense, the club can only say it was not their fault or spontaneous external events were not within their control. The club will promise anything to the licensing board to get a second chance to cure the problem. But in my experience it is too little, too late. Once the liquor license and operating permits are revoked, the nightclub is dead. RIP.
Leads
Nightclub Security Bouncer Doormen
Bouncers are most visible aspect of security in a nightclub or bar is the often the huge guys working in a club. The proper application of bouncers and doormen as part of a nightclub and bar security plan are important. Inadequate security procedures could contribute to the Death of a Nightclub.
Doormen
The doorman or door-host is the first person the patron sees and sets the tone for the style and attitude of the club. Some clubs employ burly-looking guys who set the tone of the "Barbary Coast" days in San Francisco where bothersome patrons would be forcibly thrown out into the street. Other clubs use well-dressed ladies and gentlemen to make patrons feel like they have entered a nightclub with dignity and class.
The true function of a doorman is to provide access control for a busy nightclub and screen those that enter. A doorman is traditionally the person who stands at the door and checks IDs to assure that each patron is of age to legally enter the establishment and is dressed appropriately. In some urban clubs, doormen use metal detectors and pat downs procedures where the format attracts mostly young people and has an expectation of finding weapons. Another function of a doorman is to prevent admittance to those that are obviously intoxicated or who have previously caused trouble inside the club. Most clubs have an "86" policy where objectionable patrons are barred from returning to the club for some designated period of time. Depending on the club, a doorman can be used to collect cover charges, tickets, or direct patrons to tables.
In addition to normal doorman duties, some nightclubs use the door staff to monitor patron conduct on the sidewalk as well as inside the club. The nature of this additional task can lead to confrontations with aggressive nightclub patrons if not handled professionally. Obviously, more training and experience is required as the doorman becomes more assertive and begins to assume more security-like duties. Most busy nightclubs begin to have problems at the door when too many duties are heaped on to an inexperienced and poorly trained doorman.
Bouncers
Bouncers are an enigma. The term bouncer presents an image of a brawler who will break up fights and forcibly eject obnoxious patrons. Bouncers are often portrayed in movies as tough, thug-like scrappers who love to fight, like in the movie “Road House”. Many nightclubs foster that image by hiring over-sized ex-jocks, wrestlers, or martial artists to handle drunken or out of control patrons. Usually these bouncers have little experience and receive no real formal training in criminal or civil law that they must apply. See my web page Bouncers Need Training. In a crisis, these inexperienced bouncers will be forced to rely on their own common sense and instincts to solve a problem. This can be a scary concept.
The duty of a bouncer is to monitor the crowd to see that everyone behaves. The goal should be to see that everyone has a good time, but within established limits. The best bouncers are personable, friendly and can talk to patrons without appearing threatening or intimidating. The best bouncers don’t bounce anyone…they talk to people. The mere presence of a well-trained bouncer will remind the patron that their conduct is being scrutinized and that their patronage can be revoked.
Floor Men
A better job title for a bouncer might be floor man or floor person. In the UK you often hear the titles of Head Doorman or Cooler. A nightclub is about the business of providing hospitality where people can come to relax, unwind, and have a good time. A good floor man will manage the patrons inside a club and will see to it that no one becomes overly aggressive and spoils the party. A well-trained floor man will circulate throughout the club, be highly visible, and be easily identifiable as a club employee. The floor man should continually evaluate the conduct and attitudes of each patron and watch for changes behavior. Let’s face it, drinking alcohol in a nightclub setting is designed to remove inhibitions and subtle behavior changes are expected. A floor man's job is to recognize the negative behavior changes and begin to manage the patron. Good floor men will use eye contact and body language to let troublesome patrons know that their conduct is reaching the threshold for unacceptable behavior.
Rule Enforcement
It is up to the nightclub to set conduct limits and then require the floor man to evenly and fairly enforce those rules. The best run clubs enforce rules and do so immediately. A well-timed and discreet comment from the floor man about offensive language or noise level is all that is necessary, in most cases, to resolve objectionable behavior. Sometimes, second reminders are necessary followed by warnings that further conduct will result in being asked to leave the premises. Any patron who aggressively rejects a reasonable request to behave should be asked to leave. Remember though that rule violations are not the same as crimes. You can’t manhandle patrons or physically take someone into custody for violating a club rule.
The biggest mistake a floor man can make is to ignore a patron who has become a nuisance and hope that they will either calm down or leave on their own. The worst case scenario can occur when another patron is forced to confront an overly aggressive customer on their own because the floor man was oblivious to the situation. Ultimately, the situation becomes explosive, a fight breaks out, and the floor men are forced to physically separate and eject the brawlers. This is not only bad business, but can become dangerous for everyone involved.
Patron Ejection
Having to eject a patron from a nightclub doesn't always mean that the floor man did not manage them properly earlier in the evening. Sometimes people come into a nightclub just looking for trouble, or can’t handle alcohol, or can’t interact socially with others. Sometimes, patrons bring their outside anger inside the club and no one knows about it until violence erupts. These people need to be asked to leave the club by the floor man as soon as their hostile conduct becomes evident.
No one likes to be asked or told to leave an establishment, especially if they paid a cover charge to get in. If a floor man has reminded the guest several times about their conduct then it will come as no surprise when finally asked to leave. If the patron is taken aside and discreetly told about the decision, the likelihood of an aggressive exchange is reduced. There is nothing worse than having a big bouncer-type approach a young man, in front of his friends, and tell him to leave. After embarrassing this young man, you are guaranteed to get a verbal barrage of insults and foul language that may escalate into a physical fight.
If it becomes necessary to escort an aggressive patron to the door, floor men should be well trained to do so. For safety purposes, a rule of thumb is to have at least one more floor man present than the number of people being escorted out. Unless a patron has committed a crime, floor men are generally not allowed to use physical force. This is not to say that you cannot slightly touch a patron to guide, direct, or block re-entry. Force should only be used in self-defense or for the purpose of detaining a criminal for the police. Punching, kicking, tackling, dragging, or putting someone in a choke hold are all inappropriate methods for floor men to remove someone from a nightclub. Unlike the movie "Road House" it is never appropriate for a floor man to punch a patron out of anger or because of a challenge to fight.
Escorting a patron out of a nightclub involves the use of professional verbal commands and a polite explanation of why they are being asked to leave. If a patron has been dutifully warned previously, then it will be of no surprise. If the conduct of the patron was obviously inappropriate, then likewise it should be clear why they are being escorted out. If the patron has been over-served and is intoxicated the ejection request may be more difficult.
If a floor man is expected to consistently enforce the rules, there can be only two ejection choices for the patron. Either leave the premises quickly and quietly or be arrested by the police. Once a patron has been asked to leave by the proprietor, they become subject to trespass laws if they fail to leave. In some states, trespassers can be removed from the premises using minimal holding force. Typically this involves one bouncer holding each arm while leading the trespasser from the club. Floor men must be prepared to take a little verbal abuse if a patron is asked to leave. Likewise, floor men should consider a refund of the cover charge, if any, for ejected patrons to remove that point of contention. If the patron becomes combative they may become subject to assault and battery charges and it goes down hill from there.
The floor man should be certain that the ejected patron understands that they must leave the premises immediately or be subject to arrest by the police. If the ejected patron attacks a floor man, reasonable force can be used in self-defense. Reasonable force can also be used to take an assaillant in to custody for the police. If you do this, it is important to actually file criminal charges or risk for false imprisonment lawsuit. Under no circumstances should excessive force be used. (See my webpage on Use of Force Continuum for more details on use of force). Headlocks and pain compliance techniques (i.e. arm twisting, wrist locks) are not appropriate ways of escorting a rule-violator from a club. Chokeholds and sleeper holds should never be used except in life threatening scenarios. Floor men should also use care when taking a patron down to the floor, handcuffing, and piling on top. Intoxicated or overweight persons have died from positional asphyxiation from too much body weight pressing them to the floor.
Customer Fights
If two or more customers mutually get into a fistfight, they must be removed from the club immediately for everyone’s safety. The question is how to do it safely? The old fashioned method was to throw both parties out into the street and let them duke-it-out for themselves is wrong. The correct method is to delay the ejection of the more passive offender, if possible, until the more aggressive co-combatant has completely vacated the property. The reason for this is that it is foreseeable that two people who were engaged in a fight inside will continue the assault outside. The nightclub floor men have no legal basis for detaining someone unless a crime has been committed and cannot hold someone who wishes to leave voluntarily and continue to fight. However, the floor men has a duty to be reasonable and see that known offenders have left the property and to call the police if they know a fight is about to occur or if one combatant requests it.
Doormen
The doorman or door-host is the first person the patron sees and sets the tone for the style and attitude of the club. Some clubs employ burly-looking guys who set the tone of the "Barbary Coast" days in San Francisco where bothersome patrons would be forcibly thrown out into the street. Other clubs use well-dressed ladies and gentlemen to make patrons feel like they have entered a nightclub with dignity and class.
The true function of a doorman is to provide access control for a busy nightclub and screen those that enter. A doorman is traditionally the person who stands at the door and checks IDs to assure that each patron is of age to legally enter the establishment and is dressed appropriately. In some urban clubs, doormen use metal detectors and pat downs procedures where the format attracts mostly young people and has an expectation of finding weapons. Another function of a doorman is to prevent admittance to those that are obviously intoxicated or who have previously caused trouble inside the club. Most clubs have an "86" policy where objectionable patrons are barred from returning to the club for some designated period of time. Depending on the club, a doorman can be used to collect cover charges, tickets, or direct patrons to tables.
In addition to normal doorman duties, some nightclubs use the door staff to monitor patron conduct on the sidewalk as well as inside the club. The nature of this additional task can lead to confrontations with aggressive nightclub patrons if not handled professionally. Obviously, more training and experience is required as the doorman becomes more assertive and begins to assume more security-like duties. Most busy nightclubs begin to have problems at the door when too many duties are heaped on to an inexperienced and poorly trained doorman.
Bouncers
Bouncers are an enigma. The term bouncer presents an image of a brawler who will break up fights and forcibly eject obnoxious patrons. Bouncers are often portrayed in movies as tough, thug-like scrappers who love to fight, like in the movie “Road House”. Many nightclubs foster that image by hiring over-sized ex-jocks, wrestlers, or martial artists to handle drunken or out of control patrons. Usually these bouncers have little experience and receive no real formal training in criminal or civil law that they must apply. See my web page Bouncers Need Training. In a crisis, these inexperienced bouncers will be forced to rely on their own common sense and instincts to solve a problem. This can be a scary concept.
The duty of a bouncer is to monitor the crowd to see that everyone behaves. The goal should be to see that everyone has a good time, but within established limits. The best bouncers are personable, friendly and can talk to patrons without appearing threatening or intimidating. The best bouncers don’t bounce anyone…they talk to people. The mere presence of a well-trained bouncer will remind the patron that their conduct is being scrutinized and that their patronage can be revoked.
Floor Men
A better job title for a bouncer might be floor man or floor person. In the UK you often hear the titles of Head Doorman or Cooler. A nightclub is about the business of providing hospitality where people can come to relax, unwind, and have a good time. A good floor man will manage the patrons inside a club and will see to it that no one becomes overly aggressive and spoils the party. A well-trained floor man will circulate throughout the club, be highly visible, and be easily identifiable as a club employee. The floor man should continually evaluate the conduct and attitudes of each patron and watch for changes behavior. Let’s face it, drinking alcohol in a nightclub setting is designed to remove inhibitions and subtle behavior changes are expected. A floor man's job is to recognize the negative behavior changes and begin to manage the patron. Good floor men will use eye contact and body language to let troublesome patrons know that their conduct is reaching the threshold for unacceptable behavior.
Rule Enforcement
It is up to the nightclub to set conduct limits and then require the floor man to evenly and fairly enforce those rules. The best run clubs enforce rules and do so immediately. A well-timed and discreet comment from the floor man about offensive language or noise level is all that is necessary, in most cases, to resolve objectionable behavior. Sometimes, second reminders are necessary followed by warnings that further conduct will result in being asked to leave the premises. Any patron who aggressively rejects a reasonable request to behave should be asked to leave. Remember though that rule violations are not the same as crimes. You can’t manhandle patrons or physically take someone into custody for violating a club rule.
The biggest mistake a floor man can make is to ignore a patron who has become a nuisance and hope that they will either calm down or leave on their own. The worst case scenario can occur when another patron is forced to confront an overly aggressive customer on their own because the floor man was oblivious to the situation. Ultimately, the situation becomes explosive, a fight breaks out, and the floor men are forced to physically separate and eject the brawlers. This is not only bad business, but can become dangerous for everyone involved.
Patron Ejection
Having to eject a patron from a nightclub doesn't always mean that the floor man did not manage them properly earlier in the evening. Sometimes people come into a nightclub just looking for trouble, or can’t handle alcohol, or can’t interact socially with others. Sometimes, patrons bring their outside anger inside the club and no one knows about it until violence erupts. These people need to be asked to leave the club by the floor man as soon as their hostile conduct becomes evident.
No one likes to be asked or told to leave an establishment, especially if they paid a cover charge to get in. If a floor man has reminded the guest several times about their conduct then it will come as no surprise when finally asked to leave. If the patron is taken aside and discreetly told about the decision, the likelihood of an aggressive exchange is reduced. There is nothing worse than having a big bouncer-type approach a young man, in front of his friends, and tell him to leave. After embarrassing this young man, you are guaranteed to get a verbal barrage of insults and foul language that may escalate into a physical fight.
If it becomes necessary to escort an aggressive patron to the door, floor men should be well trained to do so. For safety purposes, a rule of thumb is to have at least one more floor man present than the number of people being escorted out. Unless a patron has committed a crime, floor men are generally not allowed to use physical force. This is not to say that you cannot slightly touch a patron to guide, direct, or block re-entry. Force should only be used in self-defense or for the purpose of detaining a criminal for the police. Punching, kicking, tackling, dragging, or putting someone in a choke hold are all inappropriate methods for floor men to remove someone from a nightclub. Unlike the movie "Road House" it is never appropriate for a floor man to punch a patron out of anger or because of a challenge to fight.
Escorting a patron out of a nightclub involves the use of professional verbal commands and a polite explanation of why they are being asked to leave. If a patron has been dutifully warned previously, then it will be of no surprise. If the conduct of the patron was obviously inappropriate, then likewise it should be clear why they are being escorted out. If the patron has been over-served and is intoxicated the ejection request may be more difficult.
If a floor man is expected to consistently enforce the rules, there can be only two ejection choices for the patron. Either leave the premises quickly and quietly or be arrested by the police. Once a patron has been asked to leave by the proprietor, they become subject to trespass laws if they fail to leave. In some states, trespassers can be removed from the premises using minimal holding force. Typically this involves one bouncer holding each arm while leading the trespasser from the club. Floor men must be prepared to take a little verbal abuse if a patron is asked to leave. Likewise, floor men should consider a refund of the cover charge, if any, for ejected patrons to remove that point of contention. If the patron becomes combative they may become subject to assault and battery charges and it goes down hill from there.
The floor man should be certain that the ejected patron understands that they must leave the premises immediately or be subject to arrest by the police. If the ejected patron attacks a floor man, reasonable force can be used in self-defense. Reasonable force can also be used to take an assaillant in to custody for the police. If you do this, it is important to actually file criminal charges or risk for false imprisonment lawsuit. Under no circumstances should excessive force be used. (See my webpage on Use of Force Continuum for more details on use of force). Headlocks and pain compliance techniques (i.e. arm twisting, wrist locks) are not appropriate ways of escorting a rule-violator from a club. Chokeholds and sleeper holds should never be used except in life threatening scenarios. Floor men should also use care when taking a patron down to the floor, handcuffing, and piling on top. Intoxicated or overweight persons have died from positional asphyxiation from too much body weight pressing them to the floor.
Customer Fights
If two or more customers mutually get into a fistfight, they must be removed from the club immediately for everyone’s safety. The question is how to do it safely? The old fashioned method was to throw both parties out into the street and let them duke-it-out for themselves is wrong. The correct method is to delay the ejection of the more passive offender, if possible, until the more aggressive co-combatant has completely vacated the property. The reason for this is that it is foreseeable that two people who were engaged in a fight inside will continue the assault outside. The nightclub floor men have no legal basis for detaining someone unless a crime has been committed and cannot hold someone who wishes to leave voluntarily and continue to fight. However, the floor men has a duty to be reasonable and see that known offenders have left the property and to call the police if they know a fight is about to occur or if one combatant requests it.
Security Guards :Drive Through Patrol
Security Guard Drive Through Patrol Service. I frequently get asked for a recommendation for a drive-through security patrol service for a commercial property. My first question is always, "What do you want to accomplish with the security patrol service?"
Purpose
Drive-through security patrols serve a limited, but useful purpose. By definition, the drive-through patrol service does not remain on-site and generally uses a vehicle to make the rounds. This type of patrol is less expensive then a dedicated on-site security guard because of the limited time spent on the property. Highly visible, drive-through security services are ideal for the patrol of commercial properties after business hours or on private property not open to the public.
One purpose of this type of patrol is to observe (or test) all accessible gates, doors, and windows and make sure they are secured, and to report the conditions found on the property to the business owner or the police. Another purpose is to make sure no unauthorized persons are trespassing on private property. Some drive-through security services may also respond to alarm signals, but this requires a more specialized guard force. The primary goal of a drive-through security patrol service is to deter property loss and discover vandalism after business hours. This presence is normally supported by signage that states the property will be patrolled by "ABC Security Service."
Drive-through security patrols are not good at catching criminals in the act. By design, drive-through security patrols should be highly visible and therefore should be incapable is sneaking up on a perpetrator. The best patrol vehicles are high profile, and distinctive in appearance. The most visible security vehicles are well-marked and equipped with a light-bar on the roof and high-powered spotlights. This high visibility maximizes the deterrent effect as long as the security officer is patrolling competently and according to post orders.
Random drive-through security patrols are less effective on commercial properties while open to the public. This is because the drive-through security officer probably has 6-10 other commercial accounts to patrol each hour. Random and infrequent patrol does not allow the security officer enough time to observe loiterers or differentiate between the customers, the residents, and the criminals. Many drive-through patrols consist of only a high-speed pass and offer little in the way of observation or scrutiny of suspicious activity. Because of the nature of the drive-through patrol, customer contacts are infrequent and suspicious groups are not likely to be confronted. Drive-through is better than not doing anything, but understand the limitations of infrequent and non-confrontation security services. Due to fear from prior litigation claims, signs supporting the random drive-through security patrol are not always used on retail and rental housing settings for fear of misrepresenting to a consumer that security guards are always on-site.
Post Orders
Any contract security services must have clearly defined and articulated "post orders". Post orders are written instructions for how the security officer is to patrol a site and should be incorporated as part of the contract. These written instructions need to be detailed and reflect the expectations of the property manager and the responsibility of the security patrol service. Post orders are necessary for drive-through accounts because the same security officer will not always patrol the site and each property will have specific requirements. Written post orders allow for consistency in patrol and reporting and set forth the obligations for fulfilling the service contract. Post instructions should specify if drive-through security officers are to get out of their vehicle to "shake" doors or walk behind buildings. If you don't require it...it won't occur. Well-written post order acts like a checklist for the security officer while on-site and helps them fill out their daily activity reports and logs.
Reporting
It is the custom and practice of all contract security patrol industry to complete daily activity reports (DARs) and incident reports for each site they patrol. Despite this practice, it is important to require written DAR and incident reports as part of the contract for service. This is usually one of the items specified in the post orders. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t receive a written report, assume the patrol did not occur and don’t pay for the service until you receive one. This practice will ensure that reports are written and submitted in a timely manner.
Detailed daily activity and incident reports are crucial to a property owner. It is a form of supervision and holds the security service accountable for patrolling the property as agreed. In addition to communicating what was observed in the parking lot, the reports provide important documentation in case of a lawsuit alleging inadequate security.
Daily activity reports are designed to report routine things like when and where the security officer was on your property and what they observed. DARs should be detailed and informative. Each entry should list the date, time, location, and activity. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00 PM or 11:00 PM – All Quiet". A proper daily activity report of an apartment property might state, "9/29/99 -10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "9/29/99 - 10:14 PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and restroom door locks. All were secure." These reports notify the landlord to repair burned out lights or to resolve hazardous conditions. Daily activity reports should document the patrol of all roadways on a property even if no unusual activity is observed.
Incident reports are only written when something unusual happens that requires a more detailed account. Incident reports are not limited to crime. Incident reports should notify the client of an unlocked door, a large group loitering, a flooded parking lot, safety hazards, and of course all crimes or property damage. All contacts with persons on a client’s property should be reported as well. Incident reports should be more detailed than DARs because they chronicle one specific event. Incident reports that say "see police report" are not acceptable. Incident reports should note everything the security officer observed, what they did, and what they were doing at the time of the incident. They must contain the basics of reporting like who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Supervision
One inherent flaw in contracting for drive-through security patrol service is supervision of the officers. Unless someone is checking, the drive-through patrol may not occur or the service may be insufficient. A common problem for some security patrol services is that they overbook, and assign too many accounts to their officers. It is impossible for patrol officers to properly inspect a site if they must make a high-speed pass to keep on schedule. It is important at the beginning of the contract to establish the quality and timing of the patrols and then follow up if you suspect that the service is inadequate.
Worse yet, is when security officers falsify reports indicating that they patrolled when they had not. To avoid these problems, security patrol officers need to know that they are being supervised in some manner. This can be accomplished by a patrol supervisor but will usually involve additional costs. Other methods are to incorporate a mechanical or electrical check in device. Common systems include logging in on strategically placed watchman clocks, dropping patrol slips through the mail slot (hopefully in view of a video camera) or punching in on a time clock. On occupied commercial properties, the guard service should check in or sign off on a log in presence of a site employee.
Selecting a Patrol Service
Finding a quality patrol service can be a challenge. It is easier in a smaller market because a company's good reputation is important to its survival. In large metropolitan areas, a poor patrol service can survive longer and get away with substandard service. This is because there is so much work that lost accounts has little immediate impact on their ability to stay in the marketplace. The other problem is the labor pool. In big cities, all security agencies draw from the same labor source. A poor quality officer can drift from agency to agency for years and end up patrolling your property.
The best way to locate a quality security patrol service is to get a referral from a satisfied customer. It is always best to get multiple proposals and don't consider price alone as the deciding factor.
•Ask for references and check them
•Ask to see licenses, insurance papers, and samples of reports that will be used on your property
•Check with the state licensing board to see if any complaints have been filed against the company or if their patrol license is valid
•Ask to see a copy of the contract and study it or have your attorney review it. It is usually not a good idea to sign the security company contract if it contains language that attempts to limit their liability or shift insurance responsibility to you.
•Make sure that you are involved in drafting the detailed post orders and make sure that they are dated, signed, and incorporated into the contract
•If the post orders need to be modified, do it in writing. Finally, actively supervise the guard service and make sure you receive and read the reports.
Record Retention
Security officer reports should be maintained at least for a period of two years. These reports are important for evaluating your security needs, identifying historical problems on site, and for insurance purposes. These reports are critical in defending premises liability lawsuits since they are proof of providing adequate security. Even reports showing no activity should be stored to show that the property has been reasonably safe. Records can be purged after this period except for reports containing important events.
Security Guard Driving Patrol Services
Purpose
Drive-through security patrols serve a limited, but useful purpose. By definition, the drive-through patrol service does not remain on-site and generally uses a vehicle to make the rounds. This type of patrol is less expensive then a dedicated on-site security guard because of the limited time spent on the property. Highly visible, drive-through security services are ideal for the patrol of commercial properties after business hours or on private property not open to the public.
One purpose of this type of patrol is to observe (or test) all accessible gates, doors, and windows and make sure they are secured, and to report the conditions found on the property to the business owner or the police. Another purpose is to make sure no unauthorized persons are trespassing on private property. Some drive-through security services may also respond to alarm signals, but this requires a more specialized guard force. The primary goal of a drive-through security patrol service is to deter property loss and discover vandalism after business hours. This presence is normally supported by signage that states the property will be patrolled by "ABC Security Service."
Drive-through security patrols are not good at catching criminals in the act. By design, drive-through security patrols should be highly visible and therefore should be incapable is sneaking up on a perpetrator. The best patrol vehicles are high profile, and distinctive in appearance. The most visible security vehicles are well-marked and equipped with a light-bar on the roof and high-powered spotlights. This high visibility maximizes the deterrent effect as long as the security officer is patrolling competently and according to post orders.
Random drive-through security patrols are less effective on commercial properties while open to the public. This is because the drive-through security officer probably has 6-10 other commercial accounts to patrol each hour. Random and infrequent patrol does not allow the security officer enough time to observe loiterers or differentiate between the customers, the residents, and the criminals. Many drive-through patrols consist of only a high-speed pass and offer little in the way of observation or scrutiny of suspicious activity. Because of the nature of the drive-through patrol, customer contacts are infrequent and suspicious groups are not likely to be confronted. Drive-through is better than not doing anything, but understand the limitations of infrequent and non-confrontation security services. Due to fear from prior litigation claims, signs supporting the random drive-through security patrol are not always used on retail and rental housing settings for fear of misrepresenting to a consumer that security guards are always on-site.
Post Orders
Any contract security services must have clearly defined and articulated "post orders". Post orders are written instructions for how the security officer is to patrol a site and should be incorporated as part of the contract. These written instructions need to be detailed and reflect the expectations of the property manager and the responsibility of the security patrol service. Post orders are necessary for drive-through accounts because the same security officer will not always patrol the site and each property will have specific requirements. Written post orders allow for consistency in patrol and reporting and set forth the obligations for fulfilling the service contract. Post instructions should specify if drive-through security officers are to get out of their vehicle to "shake" doors or walk behind buildings. If you don't require it...it won't occur. Well-written post order acts like a checklist for the security officer while on-site and helps them fill out their daily activity reports and logs.
Reporting
It is the custom and practice of all contract security patrol industry to complete daily activity reports (DARs) and incident reports for each site they patrol. Despite this practice, it is important to require written DAR and incident reports as part of the contract for service. This is usually one of the items specified in the post orders. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t receive a written report, assume the patrol did not occur and don’t pay for the service until you receive one. This practice will ensure that reports are written and submitted in a timely manner.
Detailed daily activity and incident reports are crucial to a property owner. It is a form of supervision and holds the security service accountable for patrolling the property as agreed. In addition to communicating what was observed in the parking lot, the reports provide important documentation in case of a lawsuit alleging inadequate security.
Daily activity reports are designed to report routine things like when and where the security officer was on your property and what they observed. DARs should be detailed and informative. Each entry should list the date, time, location, and activity. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00 PM or 11:00 PM – All Quiet". A proper daily activity report of an apartment property might state, "9/29/99 -10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "9/29/99 - 10:14 PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and restroom door locks. All were secure." These reports notify the landlord to repair burned out lights or to resolve hazardous conditions. Daily activity reports should document the patrol of all roadways on a property even if no unusual activity is observed.
Incident reports are only written when something unusual happens that requires a more detailed account. Incident reports are not limited to crime. Incident reports should notify the client of an unlocked door, a large group loitering, a flooded parking lot, safety hazards, and of course all crimes or property damage. All contacts with persons on a client’s property should be reported as well. Incident reports should be more detailed than DARs because they chronicle one specific event. Incident reports that say "see police report" are not acceptable. Incident reports should note everything the security officer observed, what they did, and what they were doing at the time of the incident. They must contain the basics of reporting like who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Supervision
One inherent flaw in contracting for drive-through security patrol service is supervision of the officers. Unless someone is checking, the drive-through patrol may not occur or the service may be insufficient. A common problem for some security patrol services is that they overbook, and assign too many accounts to their officers. It is impossible for patrol officers to properly inspect a site if they must make a high-speed pass to keep on schedule. It is important at the beginning of the contract to establish the quality and timing of the patrols and then follow up if you suspect that the service is inadequate.
Worse yet, is when security officers falsify reports indicating that they patrolled when they had not. To avoid these problems, security patrol officers need to know that they are being supervised in some manner. This can be accomplished by a patrol supervisor but will usually involve additional costs. Other methods are to incorporate a mechanical or electrical check in device. Common systems include logging in on strategically placed watchman clocks, dropping patrol slips through the mail slot (hopefully in view of a video camera) or punching in on a time clock. On occupied commercial properties, the guard service should check in or sign off on a log in presence of a site employee.
Selecting a Patrol Service
Finding a quality patrol service can be a challenge. It is easier in a smaller market because a company's good reputation is important to its survival. In large metropolitan areas, a poor patrol service can survive longer and get away with substandard service. This is because there is so much work that lost accounts has little immediate impact on their ability to stay in the marketplace. The other problem is the labor pool. In big cities, all security agencies draw from the same labor source. A poor quality officer can drift from agency to agency for years and end up patrolling your property.
The best way to locate a quality security patrol service is to get a referral from a satisfied customer. It is always best to get multiple proposals and don't consider price alone as the deciding factor.
•Ask for references and check them
•Ask to see licenses, insurance papers, and samples of reports that will be used on your property
•Check with the state licensing board to see if any complaints have been filed against the company or if their patrol license is valid
•Ask to see a copy of the contract and study it or have your attorney review it. It is usually not a good idea to sign the security company contract if it contains language that attempts to limit their liability or shift insurance responsibility to you.
•Make sure that you are involved in drafting the detailed post orders and make sure that they are dated, signed, and incorporated into the contract
•If the post orders need to be modified, do it in writing. Finally, actively supervise the guard service and make sure you receive and read the reports.
Record Retention
Security officer reports should be maintained at least for a period of two years. These reports are important for evaluating your security needs, identifying historical problems on site, and for insurance purposes. These reports are critical in defending premises liability lawsuits since they are proof of providing adequate security. Even reports showing no activity should be stored to show that the property has been reasonably safe. Records can be purged after this period except for reports containing important events.
Security Guard Driving Patrol Services
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Security News
