If you think you need executive security services, trust your instincts. It’s your responsibility to take all reasonable precautions to protect your staff. This means not only looking into executive security services, but also taking steps to protect everyone else in your organization.
But before we go any further, let’s clarify when you need to call the police, and when you should call Creative Security.
When to Call the Police: Active Threats
If you feel a threat has been made or that there is any sort of imminent danger, please call 911. This is an active threat, and time is of the essence to prevent an active shooter situation.
When to Call Us: Five Common Threats to Executive Security
When you’re thinking about executive security or overall workplace security, the first thing to remember is that threats can come in different shapes and sizes. You can choose the best level of executive security or employee security based on the nature of the threat. Here are five common situations that often call for security services:
- Terminating an employee. Suppose one of your C-level executives or VPs is about to announce a round of layoffs and is worried about how some of the soon-to-be-ex-employees will react. In this case, we might provide security services for your executive on and off your campus.
Now, suppose your CEO received a specific threat after announcing a round of layoffs. In this case, we may be more inclined to shift our focus to monitoring the person who made the threat. - Employee or customer making a threat. You may encounter situations in which one of your employees threatens another employee—whether it’s a superior or a peer. Even a hint of a threat is something that must be taken seriously.
Depending on the nature of your business, you might also encounter angry customers from time to time. Anyone can vent in frustration—but if a customer makes even a veiled threat, that’s a good reason to start thinking about executive security services. - Hostile work environment. If you start to see signs that one employee is intentionally making things difficult or uncomfortable for another, this could represent a buildup of years of resentment. Don’t underestimate the possibility of a violent incident.
- Domestic violence. Suppose a member of your staff just went through a messy divorce. The ex-spouse certainly knows where your employee works. If the ex is angry and wants revenge, he or she won’t necessarily wait until after 5:00 PM to act—something could happen right in your office.
- Executive travelling abroad. When one of your executives is traveling out of the country, whether on business or pleasure, this can increase the opportunities for someone to do them harm. Executive security services can travel with your key people to help keep them safe.
We could list more scenarios, but you get the idea. Some situations call for protection at your workplace. In these cases, we generally don’t recommend an armed security guard—we deploy an executive security professional who has extensive law enforcement experience.
Why? Because security guards don’t have the training and background to deal with the wide variety of threats that a disgruntled person poses. Law enforcement officers, on the other hand, have countless hours of experience in assessing situations, reading people, thinking of potential responses in advance, and finding the best ways to protect the greatest number of people no matter what occurs.
Call Us for a Consultation
As you can see, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to executive security. Our response will vary depending on your specific needs.
One thing is certain though: any time an employee or other individual has made a threat against your company or its employees, you have a legal responsibility to protect your people from harm.
Rather than simply calling a security company and asking them to send you an armed guard, be prepared to explain the whole situation and then listen carefully to their recommendations. We at Creative Security take this consultative approach with all of our clients.
Don’t take your responsibility lightly. Call Creative Security to find out how we can help you keep your people safe: +1-408-874-8836
