The holidays are a busy and risky time for everyone, security professionals included. There are more events, more unfamiliar people, and more money involved than usual, and a failure to protect a client during the holidays is a much bigger PR blow than it would be at other times.
The winter holidays are a time when you and your team need to be at the top of their game and refresh their security training. Let’s look at why the risk is higher, then we’ll go over how to mitigate these risks with some tips for keeping your clients safe this season.
Why is risk higher for protection specialists during the holidays?
Times of increased activity are always riskier for security personnel, but the winter holidays add even more complications that you have to account for.
- Increased travel and shipments: Gift orders, promotions and sales, vacations, and work leave mean more deliveries at all hours and plenty of unfamiliar faces coming and going.
- Desperation and depression: Unfortunately, the holidays are not a happy time for everyone. A lack of wealth or resources is more pronounced during this season, pushing people further into crime. Furthermore, an absence of personal connection hurts more in a time of fellowship, driving those with mental issues to take drastic action.
- Frequent and intense celebration: Simply put, people drink more alcohol and consume more substances during the holidays, putting themselves and those around them at risk.
- Inclement weather: In many parts of the nation, the weather is much colder and more hazardous, making outdoor events riskier.
The job of a security personnel is more difficult during the holiday season, but it’s our duty to rise to this challenge and create safe spaces for celebrating clients.
Tips for keeping clients safe in the face of holiday season risks
Here are a few ways to mitigate the increased risk in public spaces and special events during the winter holidays.
Watch for the intoxicated
Many people use the holidays, especially the new year, as an excuse to indulge in heavy alcohol consumption or other forms of intoxicants. Even if you usually don’t experience belligerent and intoxicated individuals in certain spaces, this could easily change during the holiday season, so prepare for the worst.
Increase monitoring of deliveries
With so many seasonal shipments coming in, it can be easy for trespassers to blend in and access restricted spaces. High amounts of deliveries also means more valuables left unattended, so expect more thieves (AKA “porch pirates”) to attempt collecting others’ packages. For these reasons, you should assign more security to loading and delivery areas where possible.
Put more eyes on parking lots
Similar to deliveries, parking lots see increased risk due to distracted clients and security specialists as well as the high likelihood of there being expensive gifts left inside cars. Thieves take advantage of these relatively low-risk, high-reward hunting grounds, so assign extra monitoring to parking areas.
Increase team sizes and staff counts
Security companies often add extra personnel for security details during the holidays due to the increased risks detailed above. Some even hire temporary staff to deal with the surge. This increases your costs, but it’s worth it to handle the extra workload and prevent a high-profile holiday security failure that could permanently stain your reputation.
Don’t let aesthetics hold you back
It’s a common practice for security details around the holidays, but it bears repeating: Don’t let decorations block sight lines, obstruct exits, increase fire risk, or otherwise make your job harder. Clients want their events and holiday spaces to look their best, but this can’t come at the cost of security, so be firm and explain the risks in detail.
Layer up
And finally, a simple but vital tip: Bundle up in the cold weather. Cold and wet security personnel are more distracted and respond slower, so keep an eye on the weather reports and prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Does your team need specialized training to prepare for a busy holiday season? Contact Aspis Training Center and enroll in our DCJS-certified courses to give your security personnel the skills and knowledge needed to meet seasonal challenges, protect your clients, and prevent a holiday disaster from tarnishing your reputation.