Security guards are dangerously unqualified

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Despite playing a more important role in the wake of 9/11, the security guard industry remains plagued by inadequate training and standards in many states, indicates new research by Michigan State University criminologists.

According to HomeLand Security News Wire formal training of the nation’s one million-plus private security officers is widely neglected, a surprising finding when contrasted with other private occupations such as paramedics, childcare workers, and even cosmetologists, said Mahesh Nalla, lead investigator and MSU professor of criminal justice.

An MSU release reports that by and large, security guards say they are unprepared to handle problematic people and physical altercations and to protect themselves. They strongly endorse the need for systematic and standardized training in the $7 billion-a-year industry.

That study, published in Security Journal, found no dramatic increase in the stringency of industry regulations since 1982. In fact, many states still lack any training standards — meaning security guards must learn on the job if their company doesn’t provide training — while some states do not require any minimum education or even a criminal background check for guards.

A second study by Nalla, also in Security Journal, drew on in-depth interviews with security officers. While some guards were able to improvise based on previous experience as police officers, many others believed the lack of training was a hindrance to performing their tasks effectively.

Nalla noted private security is a relatively low-paying industry with high turnover, which can make it difficult to recruit qualified guards, especially for small security companies. He added that many other regions around the world, including Australia and Europe, have stricter standards and accountability for their private security industry.