Security Officers’ Role To Eliminate Risk

It would be wonderful if all New Zealanders were able to live in an environment where their actions and reactions to security were not driven or at least underpinned by fear, says the newly elected chairman of the New Zealand Security Association, Mr Scott Carter.

But the reality, he told delegates at this week’s Southern Security Symposium, is that this is never going to happen.

“So we, as security professionals, are tasked with the role of minimising the impact of that fear by ensuring that we do as much as possible to eliminate risk,” Mr Carter says.

He believes that as well as doing the practical and technical things such as installing the latest technologies and putting in place guards or mobile security patrols, we also have a responsibility to keep up with all that is happening globally and to educate our own professionals and clients.

Mr Carter says the growing security industry will need to confront a number of challenges, including the revision of the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act.

“We also have to carefully manage the public effects of poor performance by some security industry operators and the negative public perception that can result.”

“We need to be able to regulate the behaviour of our members and form a code of ethics that defines acceptable behaviour. We will need to be able to exclude those people in our industry who do not conform to the rules and ensure we have good certified training programmes.”

Mr Carter says today’s security officers need to be widely acknowledged as accountable, responsible and transperant.

“The best way to guarantee this occurs is to ensure we have a strong industry organisation which is able to promote security services and products of the highest standard.”

Mr Carter, who is the managing director of the Matrix Security Group which he established 10 years ago, has a background in policing. He also has substantial experience in both governance and management and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

The father of two energetic daughters, Mr Carter is an enthusiastic fly fisherman, a student pilot and a qualified riding instructor who maintains his interest in horses after his stint in the mounted police.

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