Relations with other Agencies...

[FederalSecurity]

Something else that I'd like to bring up... What other companies,

departments, or agencies are near your duty station or site? How good are

your relations with them, if any? In my case, there are two Police

Departments, Tribal Police and Resource Rangers, two different S.W.A.T.

Teams, National Park Service Law Enforcement, Washington State Parks Law

Enforcement, at least two Sheriff's Departments, and a Security Force on an

Air Force Base. Aside from the City Police Departments and S.W.A.T. Teams,

there are no relations and no cooperation whatsoever. I believe that this is a

terrible waste.

[sgtnewby]

Sounds like the Dysfunction of Homeland Security...

That is a huge waste...

[HotelSecurity]

The Directors of Security of the major downtown Montreal hotels meet once a month to discuss common problems, criminal trends etc. The Montreal Police, Sureté du Québec, RCMP & Fire Department Prevention Office send reps to the meetings.

[FireEMSPolice]

We have pretty good relations with the County Sheriffs Office and City Police & Fire.

Since Columbus is a big city, there is a fire station a couple blocks away. We put portable radios on the Squad, Engine and Ladder trucks so they can advise if they have a run to our property.

If we see a City or County cruiser in the lot, we will approach and see if they have an incident. I wish they could put our frequencies in their cruiser radios but the City and Counties radio systems are too far advanced (digital, etc).

[craig333]

One of the first things I asked my site trainer was about the relations with beat cop, the security next door (we're connected with a third floor walkway) fire etc. Reply-"dont know, never talked to any of them". So far when they respond to my building, I might as well not exist.

I still hold out some hope though, as I'm there longer I change that.

[talon]

One of the first things I asked my site trainer was about the relations with beat cop, the security next door (we're connected with a third floor walkway) fire etc. Reply-"dont know, never talked to any of them". So far when they respond to my building, I might as well not exist.

I still hold out some hope though, as I'm there longer I change that.

Don't count on it.

[Mall Director]

Ohhhh, If you want to be successful, you have to have good realtions. By my job requirement, I am required to maintain a good liazonship with local LE. As for the rest, I have learned quickly to keep excellent relations with the stores, the security of any of the stores we have, loss prevention, DHS, local civil interest groups (get in with them, its a must), surrounding area security services from properties bounding with our own, regional levels of Security liazonship.

These are key, as information can be spread quickly to one and another, and provide powerful keys in handling situations, and situations to possibly come!

[Bill Warnock]

Ohhhh, If you want to be successful, you have to have good realtions. By my job requirement, I am required to maintain a good liazonship with local LE. As for the rest, I have learned quickly to keep excellent relations with the stores, the security of any of the stores we have, loss prevention, DHS, local civil interest groups (get in with them, its a must), surrounding area security services from properties bounding with our own, regional levels of Security liazonship.

These are key, as information can be spread quickly to one and another, and provide powerful keys in handling situations, and situations to possibly come!

Mall Director, without close cooperation in today's post 9/11 we are letting it all hang out waiting for someone to come and kick it; given the chance they most certainly will. It works both ways.
Mall Director, nice touch!
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[Mall Director]

Thank you Bill!

Everything in the way I handle my operations end, is a group effort. From the minor end of the department to the bigger end of society. I have found this to be very key in any successful operation. Now if we can get everyone aboard this train we will be doing better!

My biggest peice of advice, find anyone in the area you wish to liazon with, develop somewhat of a friendship or working relationship, and then move yourself up their chain of command until you get in touch with the right people. Different agencies appreciate and value your approach when handled like this, as you are not toe stepping!

[SecTrainer]

One channel for liaison between security directors/managers and the local PD is the Crime Analysis division (or crime analyst, if they just have one). CA's often produce, or can be persuaded of the value of producing, analytical "products" that serve the security sector and even the general public (e.g., what are the crime statistics for this neighborhood where I'm thinking of buying a home?). It's good PR for the PD.

And, once you know your local CA's, a security director might be invited to attend local meetings of crime analysts from different departments in the area.

So, drop by the local friendly CA and introduce yourself. Ask if they have any regular reports that would be available to you, and take it from there.

One caveat: This channel is an "information channel", and information has to flow both ways for it to work effectively. For instance, a CA would be interested in knowing if your facility will be conducting a special event that would attract more people than usual to the area, or whether you have noticed an influx of certain "undesirables" for some reason, etc. Be prepared to share this sort of information, which is quite legitimate to share, and might be incorporated into the daily bulletin that the CA issues to patrol officers or passed along to operational planners.

[junkyarddog]

We have good cooperation with LE and other agencies we have to regularly deal with. We have a huge number of sites we patrol over three counties (multiple Mobile Patrol Units per shift) and the number of police departments we deal with would be overwhelming without the dedication of the Mobile Patrol Supervisor to keep in touch with all of them.

In the case of high-priority alarms, reported criminal activity, or highly suspicious activity caught on CCTV, the police will often team up with us in responding to the situation. Hard to express how valuable that is or how much it is appreciated by us.

Likewise there is a Penitentiary a stones throw away from our Base and we are pretty regularly in incidental or intentional contact with the Correctional Officers. There are always S/Os going into or out of the Base and Correctional Officers patrolling, doing access control, or coming or going from the prison. You wouldn't believe the idiotic things people do in plain site between two such fairly high concentrations of security.

The Agency I wish we had better cooperation with, and which I really wish had over site as well as cost off-sets is Homeland security as regards critical infrastructure protection. As it is now, the mitigation phase of the CIP event cycle involves us responding to one of the above warnings with whatever LE we can muster at the time. Meanwhile truly effective CIP programs simply swim like blind paper fish between the various gvt bureaucracies and ngo think tanks.

[1stWatch]

I recently found an interesting article regarding a "fusion center" that allows private security companies to share information with law enforcement on a real-time basis. I think it will be interesting to see how well this is utilized since this is the first system in my area to allow security access.

http://www.assisttexas.org/art169.shtml

[Andy Taylor]

We have very good relations with both the local PD and the county sheriff. In the year that the CHPD has been in exisistance (as opposed to a contract with the sheriff) we have cultivated a good relationship. My boss (casino owner) and I recently took the police chief and the LT who is in charge of patrol services on a tour of our facility. They left quite impressed. Previously, when the sheriff had the contract for police services inside the city limits, I got to know several of the deputies quite well and still maintain friendships with a few of them.

[hrdickinson]

Here in Houston (might be statewide) there is an organization called L.E.A.P.S. (Law Enforcement and Private Security). They meet monthly and generally have a quest speaker. I'm not sure how effective they really are, but at least it is a vehicle for sharing general information.

[Andy Taylor]

1stWatch posted a link to the one in Dallas. It looks like a great idea, but like any tool, it will only be effective if used properly.