Yea, I know, your contract with Great Guards, Inc. says they will send a roving supervisor by to check on your security officers on a random, unannounced basis a couple of times per week. But who actually makes sure they are doing this and what does the supervisor actually do when he/she visits your property? Have they ever reported finding the assigned guard doing anything but a terrific job?
One of the key components we suggest when assisting clients who are going out to bid for guard services is to include an electronic guard tour system in the RFP. Current technology expands on the old “Detex” system requiring officers to walk to specific points within your facility and “read” a bar code or magnetic strip with a hand-held device. Today, the guard company and the client can watch the officer make rounds in real time using GPS. The hand-held device can also be used to write an incident report as well as take a photo and attach it to the report. The system can be programmed to alert you in real time via email or text when patrols are not completed on time, when the officer leaves the property or if the officer remains stationary for too long of a period (could have been injured).
Security officers are often at the lower end of the wage scale. Add lax supervision to low pay and you have a recipe for failure. By using available technology, you can do a reasonable job of supervising your guard force without having to do surprise visits at 2:00 a.m. (although occasional surprise visits are still a good idea). But you have to insist that your security contractor provides the right technology and gives you the same access they have to monitor the officer’s activities and to receive alerts when things don’t go according to plan.