Probably the most oft cited and egregious mistakes a security person can make would be not recognizing a threat until it is too late. The goal of a security professional would be to notice a serious threat that is encroaching upon those that he/she is hired to protect. If the security professional cannot provide the much needed safety people are relying upon, the professional is being seriously derelict in his/her duty. Such oversights are not just mistakes. They would be extreme derelictions of duty. People's lives are at risk in certain situations. The prime duties of personal security job responsibilities are to keep those people out of such danger.
Responding with undue force would be among the most common mistakes made. Personal security professionals need to make judgment calls all the time. There will be those instances when it is difficult to make a proper decision. As much as we wish this was not the case, such an outcome can occur. There may, however, be a way out of incorrectly dealing with a perceived threat. This would come in the form of using control and restraint holds designed to avoid causing injury. What must be avoided is using blunt trauma (i.e. hitting, striking, punching, kicking, etc) as a first response without clearly determining threat levels. Really, a security guard hitting someone without cause could lead to serious civil and criminal sanctions.
Another common mistake that is made in personal security or security guard jobs would be escalating a situation. In some instances, a very minor scenario could turn into an incredibly dangerous one solely because the supposed security professional did something that escalated the problem. For example, a security guard could consider someone a potential troublemaker and engage the person is such a way that provokes the person to action. This can lead to a very violent outcome that could have been completely avoided. Security personal must always respond in the appropriate manner and this does not solely refer to physical action. How you talk to those you deal with as part of your daily tasks is a must as well.
Not being qualified to handle a particular type of security job and not owning up to the fact. People ''fudge'' their qualifications all the time in all manner of jobs. In some instances, the problems unqualified people cause can be addressed and corrected with little trouble. In security positions, this is rarely the case and a professional that botches a job can cause serious harm to others. If you are seeking such security jobs, do not misrepresent yourself! There is too much at risk for applicant to do this.
Not maintaining proper physical condition. Security work can be physical. That is why those serious about working in such a professional should keep themselves in proper shape. In addition to the performance benefits of being in shape, a security professional that is out of shape rarely makes a positive impression on others. Physical presence commands attention and that is why those working in security related fields needs to maintain proper physical conditioning.
Not staying on top of trends in the security industry could undermine the ability to successfully perform security jobs. The world changes at a rapid pace and this impacts all professions and personal protection personnel are no exception. Is it difficult to stay on top of trends in the industry? It will require some effort but the effort really should not be considered to difficult to take part in.
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