Current issues in security: Manned Guarding

One of our latest Security Research Initiative (SRI) reports was recently referenced in an article for IFSEC Global on whether security guards are becoming unvalued. Our report ‘The Security Sector in Perspective’ looks at how those working in the security sector view it and looks at their perspectives on economic and regulatory changes.

The article discussed the current problem of falling profit margins in the security industry and a trend towards tenders that may be ‘unsustainable’. Two possible futures were considered, the first entailed reducing operating costs, although it explained that this was difficult to do without making compromises in areas that might not be immediately visible to a customer but can cause a long term detrimental impact, on staff training for instance. The second possible option explored was that manned security could be provided at or near cost, with suppliers having to accept reduced profitability where they can get it.

The article closes by posing the questions of what should or could be done by the industry to reverse a move that puts an emphasis on getting the lowest price over getting the best ‘value’, especially considering the potential risks that come from security service failure.

You can download your own free copy of the SRI report ‘The Security Sector in Perspective’ and many of our other research reports by signing up on our member’s page.