Dennis LeBlanc owns a liquor store in downtown Providence and doesn’t need to hire a private security officer. At Providence Place, downtown, security is top priority. In suburban Rhode Island at the Greenville Public Library, private security has been necessary. So how does a business owner today decide what kind of security, if any, he or she might need?
Don Greene of Strategic Security Concepts, Inc., a Skaneateles, New York company that advises businesses in matters of security, said there is no one answer
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Greene does a “threat assessment” before deciding on security for a business. He said many factors go into this assessment, such as the nature and the use of the property, area demographics, and location of the property — and the criminal history of the property and of the community.
Greene was the consultant for security at Providence Place, which has security officers, a police substation, closed circuit TV cameras and call-for-aid stations in the parking lot, just to name a few of the security precautions.
Greene said because of the factors that go into deciding on security, a place like a library would not require the same security as would a mall. And for some criminals, even the presence of a police officer would probably not make a difference.
“It is impossible to protect against all criminal activity,” said Greene. “Otherwise we wouldn’t need security guards and police officers.”
Dennis LeBlanc at Downtown Liquors on Washington Street in Providence is living proof of Greene’s policy that every place needs different security. He has closed circuit TV cameras that transmit directly to the Providence Police Department. Also, his son is a police officer and his beat takes him by LeBlanc’s store every night. LeBlanc is confident that the local police, with the help of his security cameras, are enough to deter or stop a crime in time
Suburban areas have security needs
The Greenville Public Library hired a security guard a few years ago because some of the teenagers were causing problems after school.
Chris LaRoux from the Greenville Public Library says the employees “liked having the security” on the premises but that the guard merely gave the kids another target for their disruption, including informing their parents that there was an armed security guard on the property, which was not the case.
LaRoux said the library decided to try another tactic; creating a separate room for the teenagers to study in, and getting rid of the security guard. That approach worked very well for the Greenville Public Library. The Providence Public Library on Empire Street, on the other hand, has a full-time security officer.
Providence Place has security guards, police officers and many other precautions, Downtown Liquors has cameras, The Greenville Public Library just has a separate room and the Providence Public Library has a security guard.
So what should a business owner know about hiring private security? Is there a big difference between police officers and guards from a private security company?
Jim Greene, of Pinkerton Securities in Johnston, said that, at least regarding the simple prevention of crime, there is no difference. If a person of ill intent enters the property and sees someone in uniform with authority, he or she is likely to be deterred. Jim Greene also said that the extent of a security guard’s power depends on the company that hires the guard. A company may request that a guard have special skills (like CPR) or that the guard do nothing but call the police if trouble arises. Pinkerton Securities’ security guards do not carry weapons, but there are security companies that offer armed security guards. Some companies want security guards that are willing to physically remove undesirables. Otherwise, security guards act as any good citizen should in helping out those in distress on the property.
Captain Jack Ryan of the Providence Police would not comment on the effectiveness of security guards compared to police officers, but he, like Jim Greene, said deterrence is a large part of the job.
So given that information, what is to be the deciding factor for business owners? Money, for one thing, might play a role. Pinkerton Security hires out guards for $15-$16 an hour, while hiring a police officer costs $38.61 an hour and there is a minimum requirement of four hours. There are other factors, like the fact that Pinkerton Security guards carry no weapons. That might be in their favor or not, depending on the business. And some businesses might have pre-conceived bias or prejudice for either side.
So security is, as Don Greene said, determined on a case by case basis, when a liquor store has never had a need for security and a library has. While the Providence Place and the Providence Public Library hire security, the same does not work for other establishments, even other libraries. And sometimes, as is the case with Downtown Liquors, nothing more is needed than a few cameras and the Providence Police.
