Outgrowing Security – Do the risks ever go away?

As we’ve learned over time, security is something that is relied on by many and for countless different reasons.

We rely on security for our personal property, for valuable items, and for ourselves.

We rely on security for events, public spaces, concerts, health care, banks, high end merchants, and many more.

Security comes in all shapes and sizes and is used the world over.

However does there ever come a time when we decide that security is no longer necessary?

For a time, in some places, once you became a political figure at higher levels – you would have security for the rest of your life. Even if you changed careers and were no longer active in politics.

For celebrities and musicians, they may start to eventually fade out of the spotlight and find that having that constant set of extra eyes is overkill.

Even for venues – restaurants, bars, hotels, event spaces – they may find that over time, the risks have dwindled and perhaps some nights or occasions, or maybe even full time – security is an extra expense that is no longer necessary to incur.

With technology always growing and evolving, security systems and cameras are becoming better than ever, and proving to be a cost effective solution on some levels when it comes to acting as an additional security measure.

Why have a security guard on each floor of a building if you could have a camera in their place and one guard watching all floors at the same time?

At the same time, when it comes to people – at times we may get that false sense of security just by merely growing up and thinking that in our age and current presence on the world stage (or lack there of), security risks are minimal and money that can be better spent on something else.

Its like insurance. In a lot of cases, we pay for insurance more so as a legal requirement.

We’re paying for a service we ideally never have to use or actually deal with.

Yet we pay – because in a lot of areas, especially when it comes to things like cars and vehicles, it is a legal requirement to have them on the road.

Would we rather take that money and go on vacation or buy ourselves something nice?

Almost definitely.

But – the amount we could potentially save ourselves should something happen is definitely something that would pay off.

The same with security.

When it comes to security – generally a risk assessment is done to conclude what type of security is needed, how much, and when.

The goal is to pay for a service that we never have to utilize, but should something happen – breath a huge sigh of relief that our money was well spent.

Hind sight is 20/20

Recently Salmon Rushdie took to the stage for an interview.

This is an individual with a past that has had him once in hiding for 9 years.

Based on his books and what he has written, essentially this man has lived with a bounty on his head since 1989.

While free speech and supporting different thoughts and beliefs has definitely gained momentum in recent years – this doesn’t mean that everyone is always going to like what you have to say – or are they going to act in a civil manor should they come to a disagreement.

There is also the matter of holding grudges or potentially acting on the rewards of outdated bounties.

While the answers may not be certain now, I’m sure there is a lot of speculation on the reasoning behind the recent attack of Sir Rushdie.

As he took to the stage where there was minimal to no security present – everything this man has feared for the past 30 years came to fruition when one man managed to swiftly brutally attack him in what seems to have been a bid to take his life.

Fortunately for Sir Rushdie and the world, while in critical condition, he is moving in the right direction on the road to recovery.

What have we learned from this however, is that despite this 75 year old author with a past rooted in controversy being somewhat past everything that had him running and hiding for years. There is – and always will be – a risk when it comes to him stepping out in public.

There are good people in this world – more good than bad.

And while for years the vast majority of people that have had the chance to be in his presence have had nothing but good intentions or no intentions at all – there is still the risk of one slipping through the cracks.

Or in the case of this past weekend, merely buying a ticket to a conference and acting swiftly to get on stage with a knife.

And while there is and always seemingly will be this risk – the need for security should always also exist.

By no means is security a fail proof measure either – but in some cases, it could be life, or death.

In regards to this weekends events, even security measures such as bag checks or metal detectors would have seemingly gone a long way in preventing anyone from coming in with a weapon.

What should have been a routine interview could have come and gone like all the ones that have come before – which is for the most part, understated and a blip if it even made it in the news.

Most people would never have even know where he was and when, or even about this interview at all.

But because of lack of security, ongoing risks, and a lax approach to a public gathering – this will most likely go down as Sir Salman Rushdie’s most famous interview yet.

So while we may think that there are times we have outgrown security – we still need to balance risks and take into account the likelihood and probability of whether or not something might happen.

Security is just insurance after all. And at the end of the day – paying for something you hope you don’t need, but ‘might’ – is a chance you might just want to take after all.

 

 

Guest Blogger Rayna Davies

Rayna is the Office Manager at Sentinel Security, as well as the main blog contributor.

With foundations firmly routed in Business administration, Customer Service, and Management, she brings years of experience to her roles both within the Sentinel office, and the blog.

Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details.  These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities.

Her passions include spending time with her husband and two young children, world travel, reading, writing, and pushing herself to always look for the silver lining.