Celebrating excellence in the security industry There exist a number of vehicles for celebrating excellence in the security industry, but to get the most out of these initiatives it’s important that we get behind them. The security industry is, arguably, the unsung hero of public safety, law enforcement and emergency response. It is perhaps the ultimately incalculable and under-the-radar nature of the contribution that our industry makes to the safety and security of New Zealand that makes us the more frequent subject of bad press rather than good news.
Nick has written for NZSM since 2013. He writes on all things security, but is particularly fascinated with the fault lines between security and privacy, and between individual, enterprise and national security. Prior to NZSM he clocked up over 20 years experience in various border security and military roles.
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In October last year I wrote a research paper for the National Security Journal in which I argued that New Zealand’s private security industry constitutes a potential national security enabler. “The sector contributes to the security of New Zealanders in the various roles it performs for public and private sector clients, and it does so successfully despite issues around pay, skills and standards,” I wrote. “Security guards are more voluminous and ubiquitous than beat police and they effect surveillance and public order functions in most of the places where members of the public choose to congregate.” Much maligned and relegated to the near bottom of the pay grade food chain, security officers in particular receive wide plaudits for the critical service they perform in waves of deafening silence. In the ‘new normal’ of the postCovid era, however, it appears that the traditionally shunned security guard is receiving a little more attention than usual.
In his May report, the Chair of the New Zealand Security Association’s (NZSA) Training and Professional Development Special Interest Group Andy Gollings wrote that the security industry “has stepped up to protect critical infrastructure and provide screening and access control for retirement villages, hospitals and even supermarkets. In doing so a large number of them have worn their heart on their sleeve and made a real difference to the people they serve.” “In an industry that at times struggles to be valued by the public, a number of staff have demonstrated real value and this has been appreciated by the public.” In recent weeks, the NZSA has looked to harness these new levels of appreciation by instituting its weekly Covid-19 Guardian Awards that recognise the efforts of security personnel during the pandemic response period. With some positive light being shone on the industry, it’s an opportune time to identify what vehicles exist to celebrate professionalism, excellence, and people going above and beyond to do good things in security. New Zealand Security Awards This is New Zealand’s premier annual awards event for practitioners and providers within the physical security sector. As the NZSA website says, these awards “recognise excellence and outstanding service delivery provided by those who work within the security industry.”
June / July 2020
