The security of the premises of a company is crucial in attaining success. Without any visible security personnel inside the company grounds, employees and clients do not feel comfortable working or transacting with the company. Companies that may have multiple office locations or project sites may hire the services of static security guards to protect their properties. However, some security agencies hire mobile patrol officers that companies may hire to intensify the safety protocols of their properties. It is important to note that mobile patrol officers have roles that encompass that of regular security officers.
What Is A Mobile Patrol Officer?
Corporations and enterprises usually hire the services of static security guards to protect their properties, assets, employees, and customers. They may train their staff to work as their security guards, or they may hire security guard services offered by most security agencies in their locations. However, some companies are not familiar with mobile security that is offered by some of the reputable security agencies. This is a service where instead of hiring the services of static security personnel, companies may have mobile patrol officers working for them.
These mobile patrol officers are capable of doing the jobs of static security personnel. They also have additional roles that only they are capable of doing. The most visible difference that you can see between mobile patrol officers and static security personnel is that mobile patrol officers are issued company vehicles that are used to help them move around as they proceed doing their tasks. Also, they may be tasked to silently evaluate the static security guards assigned on different sites.
Qualities Of A Mobile Patrol Officer
Security agencies are known to evaluate their applicants as thoroughly as they can. This would mean that the personnel that they will be sending to your site have met the qualification requirements that they are looking for. Reputable security agencies hold themselves accountable for the actions that their personnel do on the client’s site. Before discussing the roles of a mobile patrol officer, it is important that people get to know the qualities and characteristics a person has to become one. You may refer below to some of these qualities and characteristics:
They must be eligible to work in Canada as security guards.
o Not everyone can become mobile patrol officers in Ontario, Canada. The most important quality to be hired by a security agency is intelligence. Before anyone can be hired as security personnel, they need to acquire their security guard licenses. This is a requirement imposed all over Canada. Interested applicants must be able to meet the following requirements before they can receive licenses:
- Applicants must not be younger than 18 years old;
- Should interested applicants have any proven criminal record under their names, they will be immediately rejected;
- They must acquire their Emergency First Aid/CPR certificates;
- They should have documented proof that they are legally eligible to apply for work in Canada;
- They must finish their basic training courses for security guards and pass their licensing exams.
They must be licensed to drive in Canada.
o Technical skills are very important for a mobile patrol officer. Those who wish to apply for such a position are required to acquire class G driver’s licenses in Canada. This is important as they may be required to drive different types of vehicles that are within the limitation of the class G license while they are on duty. The class G license may seem to be the most basic class for a driver’s license in Canada, but not everyone is capable of getting one.
They must be able to show that they are trustworthy and can be left alone to handle their jobs.
o As mobile patrol officers, these personnel are required to move around to different offices and project sites. They must be able to do their jobs with integrity since there may be little to no supervision. Since they may be tasked by their superiors to check and evaluate the security teams that have been deployed on different project sites; they must be able to give their honest findings on the security personnel. Furthermore, they must use their assigned security vehicles properly. They must always keep in mind that they are driving the security agency’s assets, and if something happens to the vehicles, they must be honest in reporting the details.
They should have good physical and mental fitness.
o There may be cases in which mobile security officers become heated while they are in the middle of their jobs. They must be able to keep their emotions in check since they are operating moving vehicles. Failure to do so may cause accidents that would cause a lot of problems for both the customers that have hired their services and the security agency that they are working for. A person with good mental fitness will be able to determine the correct actions that must be taken to handle a certain situation. Also, some people cannot handle being authority figures and may do actions that are not within their roles. Mobile patrol officers must always remember their limits to avoid unnecessary issues that may have negative effects on the companies that have hired them. Physically, they must be able to handle constant movement between sites while also doing the security roles on site. This may become tiring for people who are not in good physical condition.
Roles Of A Mobile Patrol Officer
Businesses can benefit a lot from the mobile patrol officers that they have hired. These officers have wider scopes of work as compared to the security personnel who have been tasked to protect only one site. Below are the common roles that mobile patrol officers are required to fulfill:
Perform site checks on different company or project locations
o The main role of mobile police officers is that they are required to move around different sites and perform surveillance checks on site. For companies that have many sites that require their mobile patrol officers to regularly check on them, they may opt to have the officers check the other sites randomly or they may give them predetermined schedules. This is a great way of ensuring that the project sites are given extra protection. Also, this will ensure that the static security personnel assigned on the sites will not slack off because they may be randomly evaluated by these mobile patrol officers. This can be beneficial to both the client and the security agency.
Complete mobile surveillance on company grounds
o Even though static security personnel are required to go around the company premises to perform regular surveillance, mobile patrol officers can opt to choose their own schedules to do their own rounds of surveillance within the company grounds. This will be a good way to prevent people who have plans of creating disturbances from proceeding with their plans. Static security personnel have pre-determined schedules on when they will be making their rounds, perpetrators may take advantage of this and wait until the security personnel have finished with their surveillance. But with the presence of mobile patrol officers doing rounds on random schedules, these perpetrators will not be able to create their schemes.
They should be able to alarm the respective authorities in case problems happen on site.
o Canadian law requires that all types of security personnel must turn over all persons that are caught doing illegal activities against the companies they are working for to the police. They may temporarily detain these perpetrators until the police officers arrive to perform the actual arrest. Furthermore, in cases in which the company building is on fire, mobile patrol officers should be able to contact and alert the fire department so that immediate action can be made.
Mobile patrol officers should help control vehicular traffic around the company’s premises.
o This is one of the jobs assigned to static security personnel, but mobile patrol officers are also required to handle this type of job. As long as they are not scheduled to do more important tasks, they can help keep the company grounds free from traffic issues.
They may escort company staff into or leave the building.
o In most cases, mobile patrol officers are known to help escort company executives when they arrive or leave the building. They may also escort other employees who may need their support. They can assist employees who are bringing valuable company materials. The security industry is always evolving with
They should be ready to learn and deploy new techniques and technologies.
o Security agencies always find ways to improve their ways of working. The security industry is always evolving. There are constant developments of newer security techniques and technologies that are used to counter new types of security threats. Mobile patrol officers are tasked to join training sessions that may be required by the security agency. Also, these officers should be able to use the tools and knowledge they acquire from these training sessions.
Mobile Patrol Officers Help Security Teams Cover More Ground
Hiring only static security personnel may not be very effective, especially if a company is big enough and has multiple offices or project sites. Even though each site may employ dedicated security teams, it is still important to add extra protection to all these sites. With the additional roles that mobile patrol officers have that cannot be done by the hired static security personnel, any company will benefit a lot from having them as part of their teams. If you have any concerns that involve mobile patrol officers, you may contact Northern Force Security at (647) 982-1385.