Security Guards Research Articles

Rethinking Security Paradigms in the Face of External Backlash: A Case Study in Private Security

Premises security is essential for organizations to function efficiently and effectively. The sanctity of space and its associated perimeter not only signals a boundary for outsiders but also serves as a second home for organizational members. These members cannot meet organizational requirements if they are constantly on guard, protecting themselves and the organization’s property. However, the gradual encroachment of industrial space by squatters, while reflecting uneven economic development, presents significant security challenges, as some inhabitants of informal settlements find pilfering and other petty crimes financially rewarding. The dominant security strategy typically involves armed guards, whose presence may act as a deterrent. However, the death of an intruder or trespasser due to a guard using his firearm has far-reaching implications due to prevailing legal doctrines and stakeholder dynamics. In India, the legal system treats death as a serious matter, out of proportion to the crime of theft, and the socio-political environment echoes this perspective. Such deaths often lead to collective protests from citizens, often in the form of a dharna or a gherao, which not only disrupts the firm’s operations but also poses a challenge to legal and administrative authorities and management. Dispersing the dharna and preventing it from escalating into a violent mob typically requires the management to negotiate compensation with the aggrieved family, alongside a commitment to legal authorities to impose strict restrictions on the use of firearms. The erosion of deterrence following such negotiations renders security guards ineffective. Their response to trespassing and pilfering is reduced to physical confrontation, attempting to evict individuals, which places guards at risk when faced with armed intruders. Our case study illustrates how an organization restored deterrence, and thus the sanctity of its perimeter, by incorporating attack dogs into its security strategy.

A study of security guard deployment and crime reduction in three locations in southern Sweden

A study of security guard deployment and crime reduction in three locations in southern Sweden

Predicting humor effectiveness of robots for human line cutting.

It is extremely challenging for security guard robots to independently stop human line-cutting behavior. We propose addressing this issue by using humorous phrases. First, we created a dataset and built a humor effectiveness predictor. Using a simulator, we replicated 13,000 situations of line-cutting behavior and collected 500 humorous phrases through crowdsourcing. Combining these simulators and phrases, we evaluated each phrase's effectiveness in different situations through crowdsourcing. Using machine learning with this dataset, we constructed a humor effectiveness predictor. In the process of preparing this machine learning, we discovered that considering the situation and the discomfort caused by the phrase is crucial for predicting the effectiveness of humor. Next, we constructed a system to select the best humorous phrase for the line-cutting behavior using this predictor. We then conducted a video experiment in which we compared the humorous phrases selected using this proposed system with typical non-humorous phrases. The results revealed that humorous phrases selected by the proposed system were more effective in discouraging line-cutting behavior than typical non-humorous phrases.

Field Trial of a Queue-Managing Security Guard Robot

We developed a security guard robot that is specifically designed to manage queues of people and conducted a field trial at an actual public event to assess its effectiveness. However, the acceptance of robot instructions or admonishments poses challenges in real-world applications. Our primary objective was to achieve an effective and socially acceptable queue-management solution. To accomplish this, we took inspiration from human security guards whose role has already been well received in society. Our robot, whose design embodied the image of a professional security guard, focused on three key aspects: duties, professional behavior, and appearance. To ensure its competence, we interviewed professional security guards to deepen our understanding of the responsibilities associated with queue management. Based on their insights, we incorporated features of ushering, admonishing, announcing, and question answering into the robot’s functionality. We also prioritized the modeling of professional ushering behavior. During a 10-day field trial at a children’s amusement event, we interviewed both the visitors who interacted with the robot and the event staff. The results revealed that visitors generally complied with its ushering and admonishments, indicating a positive reception. Both visitors and event staff expressed an overall favorable impression of the robot and its queue-management services. These findings suggest that our proposed security guard robot shows great promise as a solution for effective crowd handling in public spaces.

“They are not even called by name”: Security guards in a South African psychiatric hospital

BackgroundSecurity guards (SGs) play a significant role in health care and are an integral part of many psychiatric institutions. While their main duty is to ensure service users' (SUs) and staff's safety and protect the premises, they are also called upon for other tasks, often ones for which they are not adequately trained. This study aimed to explore the roles, formal and informal tasks performed, training, working conditions and well-being of SGs working in psychiatric services. MethodsGuided interviews were conducted with n = 12 SGs and n = 18 mental healthcare providers (MHCPs) at a psychiatric hospital in the Western Cape of South Africa. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. ResultsIn addition to ensuring safety, SGs take on numerous informal tasks, often for which they are not adequately trained and which formally fall under the purview of other MHCPs, mostly nurses, including talking with SUs about their mental health issues, dressing, showering, feeding, and administering medication. SGs also serve informally as interpreters, raising ethical concerns regarding accuracy and confidentiality. SGs lack formal training for working in psychiatric services and handling aggressive SUs, which may lead to increased violence instead of de-escalation and, in the worst case, injuries. SGs work under precarious working conditions (i.e. low salary, outsourced employment, absence of labour rights and job insecurity) and lack professional recognition, potentially leading to lower job satisfaction and increased emotional distress. ConclusionAddressing the challenges outlined in the study requires collaborative efforts between government, psychiatric institutions, private security companies, SGs and MHCPs. The establishment of clear roles, implementation of comprehensive formal training, psychosocial support and improved working conditions, particularly in-house employment, higher pay, increased employee rights and job security, are needed.

The Alteration of Microglial Calcium Homeostasis in Central Nervous System Disorders: A Comprehensive Review

Microglia, the unique and motile immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), function as a security guard in maintaining CNS homeostasis, primarily through calcium signaling. The calcium dynamics in microglia control important functions such as phagocytosis, cytokine release, and migration. Calcium dysregulation in microglia has been linked to several CNS disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and ischemic stroke (IS). Calcium entering through channels such as voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is essential for microglial activation and pro-inflammatory responses. Under pathological conditions, like the formation of amyloid-β plaques in AD, aggregation of α-synuclein in PD, and oxidative stress in MS, calcium dysregulation exacerbates neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. Therapeutic strategies targeting calcium signaling pathways, using calcium channel blockers and antioxidant interventions, show promise for alleviating microglial activation and slowing down disease progression. This review summarizes the underlying mechanisms of microglial calcium dysregulation and potential therapeutic benefits for restoring microglial calcium balance in CNS disorders.

‘The doctor doesn’t understand Xhosa and the service user doesn’t understand English’ - exploring the role of security guards acting as informal interpreters in psychiatric care in South Africa

IntroductionAssigning qualified interpreters is considered one of the most effective approaches to facilitate communication in language-discordant encounters in mental healthcare. However, particularly in settings with fewer resources, they are not always available and informal practices are often used.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate informal interpreting practices in mental healthcare in South Africa, focusing on security guards (SGs) serving as interpreters.MethodsGuided interviews were conducted with SGs (n = 12) and mental healthcare providers (MHCPs) (n = 18) at a psychiatric hospital in South Africa. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.ResultsDespite recognizing that SGs serving as interpreters is not an ideal solution to overcome language barriers and could potentially jeopardize the quality of treatment and its outcomes, MHCPs reported relying heavily on them due to the underrepresentation of South Africa’s linguistic diversity among them. Given the lack of formal interpreting services, the perceived racial, linguistic and socioeconomic similarities between SGs and some service users, as well as their immediate accessibility, were described as beneficial to providing a minimal level of care (e.g. obtaining information about service users’ backgrounds, getting an understanding of their symptoms, psychoeducation, explaining treatment options). Drawbacks reported are SGs being pulled away from their actual duties, experiencing emotional distress, juggling multiple sometimes conflicting roles, and the risk of incorrect interpretation, which could compromise ethical standards of care. Additionally, the complexity of power became apparent: While SGs hold little institutional power within the mental healthcare system, they become powerful figures when serving as interpreters.ConclusionIt can be assumed that MHCPs will resort to informal interpreting practices as long as effective alternatives are lacking. In doing so, risks such as reduced quality of care are accepted, and the consequences and effects on those serving as interpreters are neglected, which raises concerns from an ethical point of view.

Epispadias, a correctable cause of structural infertility in a middle-aged man: a case report

BackgroundEpispadias is a rare form of genito-urinary congenital anomaly and presentation in the middle-ages is even rarer. The reproductive outcome of treatment which was almost immediate, highlights the life changing effect of appropriate treatment for this condition in a middle-aged patient. We hereby report this rare case of a middle-aged man presenting with complete male epispadias with background infertility and the outcome of effective treatment. (Reviewer #1. Comment 1).Case presentationOur patient is a 54-year-old security guard who presented to our facility in February 2022 (Reviewer #1. Comment 3) with passage of urine from an abnormal opening since birth. Examination revealed a middle-aged man having ammoniacal smell. He had a spade like glans penis, ventral hooding, urethral meatus at the root of the penis dorsally with no chordee. He was diagnosed to have complete male epispadias (CME) for which he eventually had a modified Cantwell–Ransley procedure under general anaesthesia. About 3 months after the procedure, patient was able to impregnate his wife, a feat he will be achieving for the first time in his life.ConclusionsThe right treatment irrespective of age at presentation could significantly improve the quality of life of patients as evidenced by our patient whom after surgery was able to impregnate his wife for the first time at 54 years of age.

A mixed methods study on poisoning and injury-related emergency department visits associated with opioids in Canada, 2011 to 2022: from the Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program

BackgroundThe opioid crisis is a serious public health issue in Canada. There have been many surveillance programs and research studies on opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits at a national, provincial, regional or municipal level. However, no published studies have investigated the in-depth contexts surrounding opioid-related ED visits. In addition, few studies have examined injuries other than poisonings in those visits. The objective of this study is to investigate the contextual factors and co-occurrence of poisonings and injuries among the opioid-related ED visits in a Canadian sentinel surveillance system on injuries and poisonings from 2011 to 2022.MethodsThis study used a mixed methods design. The data source was the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program. We first selected all opioid-related ED visits during our study period and then identified the contextual factors through a content analysis of the combination of the narrative description and other variables in the patients’ records. The contextual factors were organized into themes as opioid use context, social resource utilization, bystander involvement, and prior naloxone use. The opioid use context was used as a co-variable to examine the other themes and ED presentations (poisonings and other injuries). Quantitative descriptive approach was used to analyze all the contexts and ED presentations.ResultsThe most common opioid use context was non-prescribed opioid use without intention to cause harm, followed by self-poisoning, children’s exposure, and medication error. Various rare contexts occurred. Paramedics participated in 27.9% of visits. Police and security guards were involved in 5.1% and 2.3% of visits, respectively. Child welfare or social workers were involved in 0.4% of visits. Bystanders initiated 18.9% of the ED visits. Naloxone use before arriving at the ED occurred in 23.4% of the visits with a variety of administrators. The majority of patients presented with poisoning effects, either with poisoning effects only or with other injuries or conditions.ConclusionsOur study has provided an in-depth analysis of contextual factors and co-occurrence of poisonings and injuries among opioid-related ED visits in Canada. This information is important for ED programming and opioid-related poisoning and injury intervention and prevention.

The Politics of Quotidian Gestures. Screening the Migrant and the Host in Marian Crișan’s Film, Morgen and Cristian Mungiu’s R. M. N

The article discusses two contemporary Romanian films which, in the changing contexts of globalized migration, address the question of encounter, conflict, and hospitality between the migrant and the local (community) by focusing on the perspective of the host. The encounter with otherness is discussed through the concept of the gestural understood as an imbrication between the somatic and the social. Marian Crișan’s Morgen (2010) focuses on the encounter between a security guard from Salonta and a Kurdish refugee, dismantling the anonymous, faceless image of the migrant. The encounter between the local and the foreigner occurs in the affective medium of quotidian gestures that engender an embodied, accented solidarity and hospitality. Mungiu’s R. M. N. (2022) tackles a conflict in which the inhabitants of a fictitious Romanian village oppose the employment of three workers from Sri Lanka by the local bakery. The film addresses the conflict not as a local instance of xenophobia but as a complex set of socio-economic relations within global capitalism and labour migration. If Mungiu’s film allows the viewer to recognize global relations in local occurrences, Morgen, through a micro-approach to the quotidian, enables the viewer to recognize the other as a face among global processes of displacement.

Prevalence and characterization of sleep quality and insomnia in security guards working on the day and night shift in Delhi-NCR.

In today's modern world, shift working has become an important part of society and industrial work; prolonged wakefulness is a widespread phenomenon due to which the sleep patterns of individuals are getting disturbed, and many sleep disorders are arising. This study compared the sleep quality and insomnia of the security guards working the day and night shifts. This observational study comprised 100 security guards from Delhi and the NCR region. Self-administered questionnaires, i.e., the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), were used to assess sleep quality and insomnia. Fifty questionnaires were filled out by the day shift security guards, and the night shift security guards filled out 50. The data underwent analysis, and a comparison was conducted between security workers on night and day shifts using a Mann-Whitney U test, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. The result revealed a significant difference (95% CI; p < 0.05) for the variables, sleep quality and insomnia when compared between night and day shift working security guards. Among night shift workers, 74% reported issues with sleep quality and 48% experienced insomnia. In comparison, among day shift workers, 58% reported concerns about sleep quality, while 32% reported experiencing insomnia. The study concluded that night-shift working security guards had poorer sleep quality and a higher prevalence of insomnia compared to their day-shift counterparts. These differences are highly significant, highlighting the potential adverse effects of night shift work on sleep health, urging the need for interventions to improve sleep quality and manage insomnia among night shift workers.

Misconduct by private security officers and trust in the police: evidence from a natural experiment in Sweden

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that police assaults reduce trust in the police among the group affected by the incidents. As the phenomenon of plural policing emerges and the actors in policing become intertwined, blurring the boundaries between them, analysis of the impact of security guards’ actions becomes warranted. This paper investigates the impact of two security guard incidents on trust in the police in Sweden, a high-trust society, using the Unexpected Events During Survey Design, with data from the European Social Survey Wave 9. The results can be interpreted as a causal relationship and point to the fact that immigrant women’s trust in the police significantly reduced as a result of incidents, raising the importance of the fact that the immigrant group is not homogeneous and that those who suffer multiple stigmatisation may be particularly vulnerable to incidents of abuse. Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential for spill-over effects within plural policing even in high-trust societies, and the need for continuous cooperation among the actors in the security network.

Bystanders’ willingness to assist using automated external defibrillators during cardiac arrest

The “bystander effect,” in which the presence of others inhibits rescue actions, has not been specifically examined in the context of cardiac arrest; understanding this effect in relation to rescue with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is important. This study aims to identify the presence of others as a factor inhibiting rescue actions using an AED, from a social psychology perspective. We collected data through a web-based questionnaire involving registered residents in all 47 prefectures of Japan. The participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios of witnessing cardiac arrest events at train stations, under sparse or crowded conditions, and with or without the presence of competent parties (e.g., station staff or security guards). Their willingness to intervene was assessed across three levels of rescue behavior: (1) running and calling for help, (2) retrieving an AED, and (3) using an AED. This study found evidence of the bystander effect, indicating that the presence of competent others reduced behavioral interventions by bystanders during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) events. Moreover, the perceived presence of competent parties at the scene of a cardiac arrest reduced bystanders’ willingness to initiate rescue under certain circumstances. While many bystanders were willing to initiate rescue efforts in response to calls for help, they resisted rescues involving an AED. This study observes that a bystander effect occurs among bystanders witnessing OHCA, explores the inhibiting effects of identifying competent parties on the initiation of rescue efforts, and suggests that there are significant invisible barriers to using AEDs in rescuing patients with OHCA.

Robust Security Guard Scheduling Problem in Dynamic Environment

Robust Security Guard Scheduling Problem in Dynamic Environment

Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Security Guards - A Cross-Sectional Survey

Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Security Guards - A Cross-Sectional Survey

Impact of Prolonged Standing on Activity Limitation and Participatory Restriction Among Security Guards: An Observational Study

Impact of Prolonged Standing on Activity Limitation and Participatory Restriction Among Security Guards: An Observational Study

“We just ignored them.” Adaptation strategies used by emergency department personnel in the face of workplace violence: A qualitative study

BackgroundWorkplace violence (WPV) can have adverse psychological, physical, and emotional effects on emergency department (ED) personnel. Adaptive strategies can help them better adapt to WPV. The study aimed to explore ED personnel’s experiences with adaptive strategies used in the face of WPV. MethodsIn this qualitative study, 22 ED personnel (nurses, doctors, services patient care assistants, and security guards) were selected using purposive sampling from Urmia city hospitals. Deep semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. After recording and implementing interviews, conventional content analysis was used to extract concepts. ResultsData analysis led to extracting an overarching theme of “mastering the situation and avoiding harm.” Two categories that supported the main theme were: “effort to avoid violence” and “effort to escape suffering.” The seven subcategories supported main categories included “managing patients and companions, ”self-control,“ ”seeking support, “emotional discharge,” “thought diversion, ”tendency to spirituality,“ and ”seeking medical assistance.“ ConclusionGiven the experiences of ED personnel regarding strategies used, health managers and policymakers are recommended to develop and implement comprehensive programs to reduce violence and empower nurses before and after dealing with violence. The following programs will help: developing and implementing guidelines such as zero-tolerance WPV policy, criminalizing violence against personnel and punishing perpetrators; holding classes related to communication skills, self-control skills, and deviant thinking skills for ED personnel; raising public awareness of the prevailing conditions in the emergency through mass media, and counseling and treating violent ED personnel.

Staff Welfare Programs and Performance of Security Guards in Selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City, Uganda

Purpose: The study examined the effect of staff welfare programs and performance of security guards in selected private security companies in Mbale City, Uganda. The specific objectives were: i) to establish the effect of training and performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City; ii) to identify the effect of medical benefits and performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City, and iii) to investigate the effect of wages and other allowances on the performance of security guards in selected Private Security Companies in Mbale City. Methodology: A correlational research design was employed, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the research problem. Data was collected from 91 respondents, yielding a response rate of 77.7% which was adequate to conduct the study. Sampling techniques included simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data collection tools comprised a questionnaire and interview guide for managers/supervisors of private security companies in Mbale City. Findings: The analysis involved the use of descriptive and inferential statistics in the form of percentages, frequencies and multiple regression analysis, respectively. The findings revealed a positive and significant effect of training and performance (β=.112, t=0.993, p&lt;0.0001); a negative but significant effect of medical benefits and performance (β= -.583, t=6.334, p&lt;0.0001), and a negative but significant effect of wages and allowances and performance (β= -.264, t =2.417, p&lt;0.0001). Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommends the continuous training of security guards, adhering to the procedural terms and conditions set out in the training policy of private security companies, and strategically investing more resources in training and developing the capacity of personnel. Additionally, it is crucial to provide a minimum medical insurance package and enhance basic medical care standards. Furthermore, improving wages and related allowances like transport is essential to motivate the workforce, necessitating more investment in the remuneration budget to boost performance.

The Application of GPS-Based Friend/Foe Localization and Identification to Enhance Security in Restricted Areas.

This paper is devoted to the application of object localization and identification with information combined from a radar system and a dedicated portable/mobile electronic device equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. This device is able to provide object's (staff member, and staff vehicle) rough location and identification. Such systems are required in very restrictive security areas like airports (e.g., open-air area and apron). Currently, the outdoor area of the airport is typically protected by a surveillance system operated by security guards. Surveillance systems are composed of different sensors, video and infrared cameras, and microwave radars. The sheer number of events generated via the system can lead to fatigue among staff, potentially resulting in the omission of critical events. To address this issue, we propose an electronic system equipped with a wireless module and a GPS module. This approach enables automatic identification of objects through the fusion of data from two independent systems (GPS and radar). The radar system is capable of precisely localizing and tracking objects, while the described system is able to identify registered objects. This paper contains a description of the subsystems of a portable/mobile electronic device. The fusion of information from the proposed system (rough location and identification) with the precise location obtained from short-range radar is intended to reduce the number of false alerts in the surveillance system.

THE ATTITUDE OF SECURITY GUARDS TOWARDS DISABLED INDIVIDUALS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF TURKEY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Negative social attitudes towards disabled people make it very difficult for disabled people to integrate into society and the acceptance and integration of disabled people into society continues to be limited to negative attitudes encountered outside the home. The aim of this study is to determine security guards' attitudes towards people with disabilities in Turkey. Data were collected from 469 security guards working in the private or public sector using a questionnaire including the Attitudes Towards Persons with Disabilities Inventory (APDI). The mean (standard deviation) of the APDI is 180.3 (19.1). Positive attitudes are held by more than 98.0% of the research group, both overall and by subcomponents. Security guards with higher levels of education and income had significantly more positive attitudes towards people with disabilities than the others. Acquaintance with a disabled individual is a significant predictor for the competency-independent living subscale (B:2.3, p=0.008). In conclusion, presenting people with disabilities in a realistic way, with their competencies and limitations, is key to developing positive attitudes. In addition, employing individuals with a high level of education in security jobs with appropriate wages can be useful in strategies to develop positive attitudes towards people with disabilities.