Security and Loss Prevention
Targets
Hospitality Businesses are targets for criminals. The late hours of business, cash, guests with wallets/purses and valuables, employees, valuables on the premises all make the hospitality business an attractive target!
Security involves protecting the guests, employees and the physical assets of the property from criminal activities, severe weather, and emergency situations.
Student activity with shoulder partner
Prevention
The emphasis of security is Prevention. Security is the responsibility of all employees.
Loss prevention can be defined as the prevention of inventory loss, employee work time loss, loss of assets and or cash.
Security Officer’s To Do List
Today security officers:
•respond to reports of criminal activity (theft, vandalism, robbery, etc.)
•assist local law enforcement with on-property investigations
•provide property security (key control, foot patrols: perimeter checks, floor checks, VIP Guests, etc.)
•participate in property emergency planning and management
•monitor for:
•human trafficking
•drug-related activities
•acts of violence
•signs of terrorism
Security vs. Police
Hotel security does not replace law enforcement but acts as a watchdog for guests, employees and property security. Security staff may be a private security firm contracted from outside of the property or be a part of the hotel staff.
Clothing Optional
Security may be uniformed or plain- clothes personnel.
Uniformed security can make guests/employees feel more secure or make guests and employees feel uncertain, as if there is something wrong that needs security
The presence of plain-clothes security can be comforting because they are an undetectable presence or their presence is not detected so guests/employees do not feel protected and secure.
QUESTION:Other than hotels what are some other businesses that employ plain clothes security/law enforcement?
ANSWER:
Qualities of a Security Officer
The most important characteristic of a good security officer is honesty. They must also be:
•trustworthy
•able to stay calm, cool and collected
•able to think quickly on their feet
•able to problem solve
Size of the Security Dept.
Department size is dependent upon:
•size of the lodging property
•number of guests & employees
•type of guests- residents, transients, VIPs, world leaders, etc.
Communication
Communication is a key element in security as they must communicate with guests, hotel personnel, law enforcement officials and other community agencies to guarantee that appropriate levels of security are achieved.
Reasonable Care
The Security Dept. must provide Reasonable Care. Reasonable Care can be defined as “the degree of care that a cautious person would use under like circumstances.”
Liability
•Liability means responsibility, especially responsibility to pay for damage or loss?
•In the case of a lodging property who is responsible for replacing a wallet when it is stolen?
–Stolen from a guest room?
–Stolen from the hotel lobby where it was accidentally left by the guest
Innkeepers Laws
Innkeepers Laws were passed in the 1700s to protect travelers and overnight guests from inconvenience and injury. The laws today focus on the hotel operator’s areas of responsibility such as guest security, evictions, and discrimination.
Liability
•Most states have rules that protect hotels by limiting the amount of the liability for losses.
•Hotels must post signs that state their legal liability limits and the availability of safe-deposit boxes and safes.
Most hospitality businesses are at risk for lawsuits. If the company/property consistently follows good safety and security procedures, the company can reduce the chance of losing a lawsuit.
Proper documentation of safety and security issues is mandatory by hotel employees.
Insurance
Property Insurance – pays for loss or damage of property owned by the business due to fire, tornadoes, hail, accidents, burglary and arson
Liability Insurance –pays if the court determines the loss or damage is the responsibility of the lodging property.
Crime Insurance - pays for losses due to crimes such as theft, arson, forgery, and embezzlement. Theft and arson may be covered under property insurance too.
Emergencies
Emergency preparedness involves planning for an emergency, organize and equip the hotel with necessary supplies; train every employee with their responsibility for a time of emergency; practice the emergency responses; evaluate the practices and work to improve performance
4 Areas of Security
- Structural security
- Security policies
- Surveillance
- Safety and emergencies
1. Structural Security - The security systems built into the structure:
emergency alarms: fire, smoke, flood, burglar; door alarms; security lights, motion detectors, locks on windows and doors, employee lockers, all keys, In-room safes, main vault & safe deposit boxes,
guest rooms and corporate technology.
2. Security Policies -rules that employees must be familiar with and follow:
- Employees wear name badges at all times on property
- Practice Key Control
- Limiting entrances to property
- Lost and found
- Special procedures
3. Surveillance - The process of closely observing what is going on in an area; looking for trouble both with people and property; also the task of locking/unlocking doors at certain times, turning lights on and off at certain times.
4. Safety and Emergencies - Plans and procedures must be in place for responses to accidents, bad weather and other emergencies and disasters. These plans and procedures must be practiced frequently so employees know what they are supposed to do.
5. Safety and Emergencies
Lock-Out and Luggage Liens
Guests that do not pay their bill or that are storing contraband in their rooms will be “locked-out.”
A luggage lien is also used. The guest’ luggage is kept until payment is made or the situation is resolved.
Current Technology - There are systems used by lodging properties that alert a central control panel when the fire alarm goes off. Immediately guest room phones are rung to alert guests of emergency; all doors at the bottom of stairwells are unlocked; a 911 call is made and exhaust fans are activated to push smoke out of the building.
Important Duties of the Security Dept.
The important duties of a security officer are to:
- Patrol all areas of the property at random times to ensure guest and employee safety and security (surveillance)
- Utilize electronic surveillance of public and employee areas if necessary
Questions: Why do security officers look at the physical conditions of:
–the parking lot? ______
–entry and lobby? ______
–guest room hallways & staircases ______
–all Pull-Stations? ______
3. Investigate any incidents reported by guests and employees, determine if law enforcement should be involved, and assist law enforcement as needed.
4. Keep a current and active log of all “security incidents”
Questions:
Why is the Security Log kept? ______
Why are Patrol/Surveillance Logs kept? ______
Why are Accident Report files kept? ______
What type of information should be recorded in an Accident Report?
5. Report to management the results of daily patrols, all investigations, and other security activities experienced
6. Safeguard sensitive guest information and confidentiality
7. Keep in touch with Front Desk personnel at all times
Questions:
Why must Front Desk and Security be able to be in-touch at any time?
What are some devices that could be used to ensure Front Desk and Security were able to be in-touch?
8. Respond to medical emergencies of guests and employees
9. Respond to the death of a guest or employee by evacuating the area and leaving the sceneof the death as is until authorities arrive and take control
10. Respond to elevator malfunctions, especially when a guest or employee is trapped inside the elevator
11. Maintain a Lost-and-Found system
-tag item with date found, place found, found by __, condition of item found
12. Emergency preparedness -protocol for emergency situations
13. Key control – (controlling access)
Policies to Reduce Employee Theft
•Employees are not allowed on the property before or after work hours
•Any package that an employee brings into or takes off of the property must be inspected
•Employees must punch-in and punch-out with time cards that record the arrival/departure time/date
•Employees must enter and exit through the employee entrance. Security will be posted at this entrance during employee arrival and departure times.
•Theft can be prevented with proper storage and inventory of all assets.
•Locked storage units secure alcoholic beverages, etc. on a property.
•Surveillance cameras at certain areas also monitor who is accessing the area and what is being brought in or removed
•Requisition systems that require 2+ signatures for certain items
Questions
Those of you that are employed is this protocol for your place of employment?
Does your place of employment have an employee handbook?
Why are employee handbooks important?
Why not just tell the employees what the policies are?
Does your employer use a Requisition System?
Do you know of an employee that was fired because of theft? (no names, only facts!)
How many keys do you have on your key chain? ______
What do the keys open? ______
Hard or Electronic Keys??
•Hard keys are metal, less expensive in the beginning but can become a security threat if lost.
•Electronic keys are easily and quickly changeable; often use a magnetic strip or RFID.
**RFID (radio frequency identification) – no swiping necessary
Electronic key systems can indicate which keys have been used to access an area.
Key Control
A strong key control system is needed in a hotel operation.
•Key Control prevents unauthorized access of guest areas and back of the house operations
•It also manages the issuing of keys to employees
•provides security for and control over, who has access to master keys and emergency-use keys
•manages all points of access to a facility/property such as side doors and vendor entrances
•Some hotels use a double door lock for the guest rooms. There is an entrance key and then inside there is a flip-bolt.
4 Specific Responsibilities of the Security Dept.
- Develop and implement safety and security policies
- Train all employees
- Prepare security staff schedules
- Maintain all security equipment
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