Introduction of New Security Management Strategy in Hospitals - Coursework Example

Please kindly just send a message if you need anything. Thanks CRIME PREVENTION AND SECURITY MANAGEMENT Introduction of New Security Management Strategy in Hospitals Table of Contents Contents Contents 1 1. Introduction Security of those working and receiving treatment in a hospital has been a major concern of government as physical assault, abuse, violence and other abusive behaviour threatens their well-being. However, ensuring security for this large and diverse workplace is somewhat difficult and requires high standards of professionalism. For this reason, the government institution responsible for health introduced several changes in hospital operation including a new approach to security management. This new approach aims to ensure that the highest professional standard in security management is implemented along with additional skills training for staff and other professionals working in hospitals particularly those that are likely to get involve in conflict resolution. More importantly, it requires not only professionalism but demonstration of real and permanent improvements in the extent to which individuals and property are protected. For this reason, the main office of the security management agency complied and implemented the government initiative but it was met with opposition from the security manager and other high-ranking security personnel. Although unwanted, the new initiative in enhancing security management was partly implemented as majority key officers believed that the new security management approach is unnecessary, additional burden, duplication of existing security management, and already complied with modern security practices. These arguments is based on Vellani (2006:160) claim that modern security practices is consistent with situational crime prevention and therefore meeting all the requirements of crime prevention which in theory requires the ability to anticipate, recognise, assess, and take necessary actions to reduce or eliminate risk of crime. In contrast, this essay argues that existing situational crime prevention and associated security management practices are not enough to protect both workers and patient in hospitals against those who would irresponsibly endanger lives, property, and create potentially violent situations. This is because security management based on situational crime prevention is place-specific with no concern over the possibility of displacing crimes elsewhere. For instance, a crime prevented inside the facility may later occur just outside the gate of the hospital because security personnel failed to recognise a potential crime and take necessary measures to prevent it. Note that the new government initiative is after real and permanent improvement in security management and it cannot be realised when the extent of hospital security’s crime prevention is limited inside the perimeter and does not concern with crime displacement. Moreover, the new security management policy promotes conflict resolution techniques and encouraging frontline staff to train and benefit from the skills. It also promotes coordinated efforts of stakeholders not only inside the hospital but outside the facility which by analysis can increase the effectiveness of crime prevention. It encourages learning from experience particularly in incidents arising from security management shortcomings and ethically and socially insensitive security measures. Another evidence supporting this essay argument is the reality that existing security management lack adequate legal powers to avoid criminal and or civil liability when making an arrest or performing search and seizure (Levinson, 2012, 1256) thus defenceless against resistance and most likely lenient in general. It is important to note that the aim of conflict resolution training for staff and other professionals working in a hospital is in other words eliminate opportunities for crime and other violent behaviours and therefore valuable to the success of security management. The following sections discuss the issues involved in the introduction of new security management approach. It analyses and evaluates the impact of such approach in current practices, its advantages and disadvantages, its limitations, and recommended appropriate actions that should be taken by the security manager and others. 2. The Relationship Between Crime Prevention, Situational Crime Prevention, and Security Management Crime prevention as mentioned earlier is about anticipating, recognising, assessing, and actions to reduce or eliminate risk of crime. Similarly, security management follows the principle of situational crime prevention is to reduce the opportunity for crime (Robinson, 1999:34). According to Fay (2007:480), situational crime prevention is consistent with two other theories – Routine Activities Theory and Rational Choice Theory – which in practice are about recognising potential offender, the target and its vulnerability, and the likely decision of the criminal to act. In other words, situational crime prevention which is the main feature of security management deters potential crime by risk assessment and preventive measures. This prevention approach involves several strategies in reducing the opportunity for crime that include controlling prompts, pressure, permissibility, and provocations. The first one is somewhat similar to gun control or imposing restrictions on potential source of violence such as immediate repair of vandalism and symbolic territorial markers, controlling television content, installation of warning signs, setting examples, and others. Similarly, controlling pressures is about eliminating potential sources of crime such as dispersal of gang members, encouraging compliance through persuasive signage, and low-profile crowd management (Fennely, 2012:112). Situational crime prevention which was originally developed in the United Kingdom is not to be confused with U.S. CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environment Design) or Defensible Space strategies as the former is broader than the two. According to Feins et al. (1977:74) situational crime prevention goes beyond environmental design as it include active strategies and techniques to influence human behaviour. Moreover, situational crime prevention is more consistent and relevant to place-specific crime prevention as it analyse and alter not only environmental designs but interactions among people, use and management of a particular area. The relationship between crime prevention, situational crime prevention, and security management therefore is in the principle of reducing the opportunity for crime using several control measures and active strategies designed to alter human behaviour. However, situational crime prevention as well as security management is generally place-specific and therefore with limited scope and power particularly in the extent to which it can prevent crime beyond the facility, arrest and perform search and seizure, legal liability, and amount of force that can be use whenever resistance is encountered (Levinson, 2002, 1256). 3. Evaluation of Security Management based on Situational Crime Theory Security management in the hospital is place-specific and therefore security managers tend to focus on the security needs of the hospital alone. According to Levinson (2002: 1256), security management based on situational crime prevention create security managers that are only concern about their respective organisations and ignore the possibility that crime prevented in the facility persist elsewhere. It is important to note that Vellani (2006) aside from claiming the consistency of situational crime prevention to the theory of crime prevention also emphasised that situational crime prevention is “target-oriented” (p.160) which is in actual practice are assets, people, property, and information belonging to a particular organisation (Vellani, 2006:160). Moreover, it is the reverse of traditional criminology that is generally interested on the offender rather than the assets, the place where these assets are located and reducing crime opportunity within a certain facility (Vellani, 2006: 161). Clearly, security management based on situational crime prevention which security managers and other high-ranking personnel claimed modern security practices is merely about assets and micro-level analysis of crime. In other words, this is crime prevention that is limited to identified assets, potential crime that could occur within a certain facility, uninterested on the offender, specific in scope, and with legal powers comparable to “private citizens” (Levinson, 2002, 1256). The introduction of a professional approach in security management in the hospital undoubtedly is a good experience as physical assaults and abuse do occur in the current security management setting. Moreover, violent or abusive behaviour against people who work so hard to deliver patient care is a major concern and cannot be tolerated. Working under the new initiative, which in the opinion of the majority of security personnel is helpful particularly in raising the standards and professionalism within the ranks, is a remarkable experience considering the support being provided by the new policy, legal framework, operational guidance, and higher standards for security personnel. Moreover, the thought of providing a more secure environment for the hospital is appealing and motivational. However, the implementation of such good initiative was partly hindered by the security manager and senior officers who firmly believed that it’s unnecessary regardless of benefits. This experience on the other hand is somewhat unpleasant as senior security officers are commonly expected to lead and welcome innovations in the system. According to IFPO (2007:219), the security industry is already matured and now being involved in dynamically changing threat such as natural disasters, pandemics, terrorism, and others. For this reason, managing security is increasing becoming complex and the need for effective leader is critical to the success of security operations. For instance, an effective leader create a compelling vision for his team (Hess, 2008:39) but since the security manager refused to implement the new initiative, the tendency for subordinates is also to reject and support what their leader believes. Moreover, according to Hess (2008:39), chief security officers need both business and interpersonal skills including unquestionable emotional security. The chief must also capable of understanding the strategic direction and goals of the business, which in this case is the hospital, and build support for the implementation and development of business security programs. Apparently, this never occurs with the introduction of new professional approach to security management as it was partly supported and implemented by those who believed differently. 4. Displacement, Legal Powers, and Issues in Managing Liability Security management based on the principle of situational crime prevention is subject to the same inherent weakness of the theory it came from. For instance, according to Gilling (1997:182), the effectiveness of the situational crime prevention is limited because it relies on the dispositional view of offense which in essence ignores the deeply entrenched human motivation to offend. This dispositional view of offending as discussed earlier is based on Rational Choice Theory that preventive security measures can discourage a potential criminal from committing a crime. Moreover, this dispositional view of offending ignores the possibility of crime displacement which according to Gilling (1997:182) is the most criticised weakness of situational crime prevention. Since security management is place-specific in nature, it is vulnerable to criticism about the potential for crime displacement where effective security in one area shift crime to a different location (Vito & Maahs, 2011:70). Contrary to Vellani (2006) claim that modern security practices is meeting the requirements of crime prevention, letting a criminal commit a crime in another place seems an ineffective crime control strategy. For instance, although most people will be satisfied when crime moved out of their area, it cannot be ignored that crime has social cost for everyone no matter where it is committed. According to Vito & Maahs (2011:70), study about crime prevention shows that there was a diffusion effect whenever crime is reduced in one area as evidenced by increasing crime in the surrounding communities. Displacement can take several forms including temporal or criminal change of timing, tactical or criminal change of tactic, target or criminal change in victim, territorial or change in place, and functional or change in type of crime (Welsh & Farrington, 2012:12). Although the occurrence of displacement is never hundred percent, situational crime is often seen as contributing to harmful social consequences such a displacement of crime to other areas, escalation of crime severity, reinforcing the notion of excluding undesirables from public places, and promotion of victim blaming (Welsh & Farrington, 2009:26). For instance, CCTV, bright and strategically located street lights, security watch and security check points, and other forms of situational crime prevention can lead to different forms of displacement as targeting hardening tend to increase the required effort to commit a crime (Welsh & Farrington, 2009:26). One of the most noticeable benefits of the new security management initiative or the security professionalism enhancement in the hospital is the fact that it is providing some additional powers to security personnel. For instance, the initiative enables security personnel to track cases from report to conclusion and take necessary action to ensure best possible outcome. More importantly, the legal framework mentioned earlier include legal protection unit including the police who would assist and give advice on wide range of legal matters in arresting violent individuals. The enthusiasm to recognize this new initiative as a positive and useful change in the workplace is encouraged by the fact the security officers do not actually possess legal powers in fighting crime. For instance, Button (2007:10) clearly emphasised that although that there is a general public perception on the existence of security officers legal powers, the law does not provide any special powers to them except those considered as “tools of the trade” (Button, 2007: 10). For clarity, these tools are derived from various legal sources such as property law, contract and employment law where they derived the legal power to wear uniforms and carry weapons. However, there are private security officers particularly those are working on special assignment who derived their legal power elsewhere as in the case of power to search provided by the courts in England and Wales on private security officers working in specialist locations or police deputised security officers in the United States. Another is the powers derived from being a citizen of a country or “citizen’s arrest” that everybody has (Button, 2007:10). Although partly implemented, the experience of having a security management system that is clear, supportive of the needs of those working in the hospital, provide an effective structure for engaging with security issues, and ensuring high standards of professionalism within security personnel is somewhat encouraging particularly to someone who wants to excel in this field. The regretful thing however is the fact not all security personnel share the same feeling, some feel bad about it while few others are totally displeased about the way government manage security issues in hospitals. 5. Analysis of Key Issues and Impact on Current Security Management Practices The main issue about the new security management enhancement initiative is acceptance of the fact that contrary to Vellani (2006) claim, modern security practices are not entirely compliant with the principle of effective crime prevention. Levinson (2002), Gilling (1997), Vito & Maahs (2011), and others are well aware of these limitations as security management based on situational crime prevention suffers the same restrictions inherent to place-specific, target-oriented, and asset-based crime prevention. Along with Vellani (2006), this modern-day security prevention according to Arrington (2006:32) is more accurate and useful as it is based on the principle of reducing opportunity for crime or situational crime prevention. But crime prevention focusing on the situational aspects of causation or reducing the opportunity for crime alone is somewhat short-range and nearly irrelevant response to crime (Von Hirsch et al, 2000:109). This is because effective crime prevention tackles the root causes of crime and despite improvement in situational crime control, it lack scientific and research basis that is vital to its successful application (Von Hirsch et al, 2000:109). In other words, modern security practices that lacks interest on root causes of crime is limited in scope and therefore not an effective means to deter all crimes. Moreover, modern security practices is not that accurate and useful as it cannot succeed without considering other important aspects of crime prevention such as social and economic difficulties and harmful consequences of crime displacement. Although this essay does not claim that one approach is inherently better that the other, situational crime prevention like many other theories has advantages and disadvantages. Its main disadvantage is its excessive focus on opportunistic crime and target hardening techniques while ignoring the social and economic issues of crime (UN, 2010:15). Therefore, a security management based on such principle practice opportunistic crime prevention and has no interest in pursuing other and more relevant aspects of crime. This will clearly put the existing security management practices of the hospital into a situation where it collides with government supported security policies particularly in areas where it needs to pursue a much deeper analysis of opportunities for crime. For instance, if the usual security practice is normally considering an angry patient-relative arguing with the billing clerk as threat to security then he or she will be automatically escorted out of the hospital rather than implementing a conflict-resolution strategy. By analysis, this security scenario will likely lead to further conflict as the difficulty of the one who was brought out the facility is increased by both the security measure and the conflict with the billing clerk. In other words, security merely displaced the threat outside the hospital rather than reducing the opportunity for crime. Similarly, successful confiscation of deadly weapon ( a knife for instance) at the hospital gate will be taken as reduced opportunity for crime regardless of the possibility that after sometime, the same person can re-enter empty handed as he or she intend to use other means to harm the target inside the hospital. It is important to note that situational crime prevention as mentioned earlier is not generally interested in the offender but rather in the potential of someone to commit a crime. Similarly, target hardening increased the required effort to commit the crime while displacement entails either tactical (change in tactic) or functional (change in type of crime) change in potential criminals’ approach to crime. Again, this scenario is much more associated with displacing crime elsewhere than actually reducing the opportunity for crime. There seems some confusion on reduction of opportunity for crime and target hardening as by analysis sending a potential offender away does not necessarily mean that the target is harder to get. Similarly, sending a potential away does not necessarily mean he will no longer look for other opportunity. What is clear here is the fact that regardless of the method used; the possibility of crime is still there and can occur in different time, place, and means. If the new security policy is not fully complied, the occurrence of crime inside the hospital in the near future can lead to a number of controversies including accusations on whoever is to blame regarding the incident. For instance, the Security Manager may insist that security measures taken were correct while hospital executives who believed in the value of the new security policy uncover the defect and demand compliance. Moreover, within the ranks of security personnel, the possibility of professional conflict will be greater as such incident can generate subdivisions among them. For instance, some officers particularly the senior ones will try to control others who expressed their disappointment over the way crime prevention is being handled in the hospital despite the presence of new policy promoting conflict resolution techniques, coordinated efforts of stakeholders from in and outside of the facility, learning from operational experience, ethical and socially sensitive security management. Analysis of the conflict between security management and the new security policy in hospitals uncover some interesting facts about crime prevention. For instance, not all crime prevention strategies are compliant with the ultimate goal of crime prevention. Another is the reality that security management need not to be situational most of the time as crime can be displaced and an individual with firm intention to commit a crime is not actually disheartened by lack of opportunity but rather encouraged to innovate or take his malevolent business somewhere else. More importantly, professionalism in crime prevention and security management is not always received with enthusiasm particularly when it intends to alter traditional belief in situational crime control. 6. Conclusion Security of all people inside a particular facility is the main concern of situational crime prevention-based security management. However, there seem some shortcomings in the security management of the hospital as physical assault, violence, and different abusive behaviours continue to threaten the lives of both staff and people getting treatment in the hospital. For this reason, government introduced a new security policy for health services and in order to ensure safety, it demands additional skills, compliance to highest professional standards, and demonstration of real and permanent improvements. However, security managers and other high-ranking officers were not enthusiastic about it and have no interest in the full implementation of the new initiative. Consequently, security personnel were divided as some are complying and practicing while some are hesitating and arguing about the completeness of the existing security management strategy in terms of crime prevention which this essay firm opposed. This essay is clear in its argument that existing security management is not fully compliant with the theory of crime prevention as it is based on situational crime prevention, which is historically criticised for its excessive focus on opportunistic crime and target hardening techniques. Crime prevention is not all about depriving opportunity for crime but root causes that can only be resolved outside the security perimeter. Moreover, since situational crime prevention has no interest in pursuing other relevant aspects of crime then existing security management in the hospital will likely experience more unexpected crime in the future. The new security policy provides relevant legal powers through a common legal framework where coordination between the police and security personnel is enhanced particularly in legal matters concerning arrest and detention. This is a positive change considering the fact that security officers as discussed earlier do not have legal powers beyond those of ordinary citizens and provided by legal sources as mere tools of the trade. The experience is in general beneficial to professional practice as it demonstrates both side of crime prevention and security management. The primary benefit is learning the fact that security management based on situational crime prevention can be further enhance and crime prevention is more than just target hardening and opportunistic crime but root causes, ethics, and social sensitivity. Another is the encouraging effect knowing that government acknowledges the fact that security measures regardless of commitment can never succeed without relevant legal powers. More importantly, professional practice should be open to innovations and should focus on protecting lives rather than own belief and interest. The argument presented in this essay is not meant to expose individual fault but rather clarify the importance of complying with a more effective policy and reviewing existing security management strategies that were based on situational crime prevention principles. The essay actually reflects on current practices affected by the organisational change and relevant theories that can help clarify the position of the security manager and other high-ranking security staff. The argument in this essay carefully weighted the relevance of situational crime prevention against current security needs in the hospital as well as its contribution in reducing overall crime rate in the community. Finally, the recommend action plan in the following section is the result of case analysis and literature review combined. It is focus on the power of motivation and encouragement in resolving the impact of drastic organisational change and the ability of security professionals to adapt in circumstances requiring their cooperation and professionalism. 7. Recommended Action Plan The most suitable security management policy was already introduced and partly implemented. The only problem however is the full acceptance of several security personnel of the benefit of such policy in terms of professionalism, security measures, and overall protection of the facility. The reluctance may be viewed as temporary as change in an organisation can have a major negative impact on managers sense of loyalty, morale, motivation, and perception of power (Greenberg, 2003, :66). The recommended action plan therefore take into account the possibility of motivating those who “temporarily” opposed the new security policy through education and awareness. These include encouraging the implementing government institution to provide an orientation seminar during the early stages of implementation. Encourage security manager and other staff to visit other facilities implementing similar policy but with willing and cooperative security personnel. Clarify the role of security management in the overall community crime prevention strategy through police-led seminars and re-orient security personnel about their legal obligations and duties in coordination with relevant legal entities. The implementation of these motivating measures will not yield immediate result but it can in the soonest possible time change the perception of security personnel positively towards compliance and continuous improvement in security management. 8. References Arrington R, (2006), Crime Prevention: The Law Enforcement Officer’s Guide, London: Jones & Bartlett Button M, (2007), Security Officers and Policing: Powers, Culture, and Control in the Governance of Private Space, London: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Fay J, (2007), Encyclopaedia of Security Management, London: Butterworth-Heinemann Feins J, Esptein J, & Widom R, (1997), Solving Crime Problems in Residential Neighbourhoods: Comprehensive Changes in Design, Management , and Use, US: DIANNE Publishing Fennelly L, (2012), Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention, UK: Elsevier Gilling D, (1997), Crime Prevention: Theory, Policy, and Politics, UK: Routledge Greenberg J, (2003), Organizational Behaviour: The State of the Science, New York: Routledge Hess K, (2007), Introduction to Private Security, US: Cengage Learning IFPO, (2007), Security Supervision and Management: The Theory and Practice of Asset Protection, London: Butterworth-Heinemann Levinson D, (2002), Encyclopaedia of Crime and Punishment, Vol. 1, UK: SAGE Robinson R, (1999), Issues in Security Management: Thinking Critically About Security, London: Butterworth-Heinemann UN, (2010), Handbook on the Crime Prevention Guidelines: Making Them Work, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, New York: United Nations Publications Vellani K, (2006), Strategic Security Management: A Risk Assessment Guide for Decision Makers, London: Butterworth-Heinemann Vito G. & Maahs J, (2011), Criminology: Theory, Research, and Policy, UK: Jones & Bartlett Publishers Von Hirsch A, Garland D, & Wakefield A, (2000), Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention, Oxford :Hart Publishing Welsh B. & Farrington D, (2009), Making Public Places Safer: Surveillance and Crime Prevention, UK: Oxford University Press Welsh B. & Farrington D, (2012), The Oxford Handbook of Crime Prevention, UK: Oxford University Press Read More