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Gratis Security Surveys by
Guard Services and other Providers:
Many contract security services provide security surveys free of
charge for their clients or prospects. Alarm contractors, patrol
services and similar security service or product providers often
provide this service at no cost.
Pros and Cons of Gratis Security Surveys by Contractors and
other Providers:
Generally speaking, we recommend against taking advantage of these
services which are often self-serving and, in some cases, can
actually increase exposure. Typically, contract security services
will use these "surveys" as sales tools, recommending that
apartment management increase the services they are providing; or
contract for the services they hope to sell. Alarm firms often tend
to recommend expanded alarms systems and the installation of access
control systems--products they handle.
Utilizing this type of type of survey might be compared to asking an
aluminum siding salesperson to provide advice as to whether your
home needs siding.
Recommendations from these gratis surveys are usually prepared in
some type of report form, often accompanied by a proposal. In the
event of a premises liability suit, these free surveys could prove
costly. Apartment managers who rejected the recommendations of these
so-called surveys--no matter how absurd they might have been--could
have a problem justifying this to a wily plaintiff attorney and a
jury as in the following scenario:
Plaintiff's Attorney: "And what did they
recommend in this security survey?"
Apartment Manager: "Well, they recommended five guards around
the clock and that was ridiculous because we only have two hundred
tenants and--"
Plaintiff's Attorney: "--Excuse me, but I didn't realize you're
a security expert! Could you give the court a brief summary of your
experience and training in the security industry?"
Apartment Manager: "I'm not a security expert and I've never
worked in security, but any idiot could--"
Plaintiff's Attorney: "--I see, that's fine. I just wanted to
get that clear in my mind. Thanks for setting me straight on that. .
. . So after these experienced security professionals conducted
their risk analyses and made their recommendations for increased
manpower, did you comply?"
Apartment Manager: "Well, see this was an obvious sales--"
Plaintiff's Attorney: "--I thought my question was fairly
simple. . . just needed a yes or no answer. Well, let me rephrase
it, make it clear for you. Did you follow the recommendations of the
security professionals who conducted a professional risk analysis
and security survey at your apartment complex at your request--I
just need a yes or no here."
Apartment Manager: "I wouldn't call them pro--"
Plaintiff's Attorney: " --I just need a yes or a no."
Apartment Manager: "Well, no, but--"
Plaintiff's Attorney: "--So if I understand this correctly
then, you asked these security professionals for their
recommendations, they conducted their professional risk analysis and
then you totally ignored their recommendations and. . . ."
There are exceptions here of course. There are some contract
security agencies that provide a variety of other services including
professional consulting by a staff CPP. In most of these cases a fee
would be charged for the survey, but in some cases, legitimate
objective security surveys might be provided gratis for a regular
client. In one unusual case, Loss Prevention Concepts, Ltd. was
employed by an exceptionally conscientious contract guard service to
conduct comprehensive and objective security surveys at several
locations of one of its major clients. The guard service paid for
this service and their objective was to improve the overall security
at their client's facilities and improve their relationship with the
client. (No increase in security guard coverage was recommended.)
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