If innovation is all about being in the right place at the right time, where is the right place and when is the right time to consider something different?
I’m going to argue that the time is now (overdue, in fact) and the place is your own back yard.
For years, the security industry has relied on the seemingly timeless tools of bare hands and firearms. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this idea, anyone who has worked in Law Enforcement or Corrections knows that bad guys adapt and learn over time. This necessitates innovation on the security front, which creates opportunity for security providers to tailor a solution for their clients. Unfortunately, the industry-at-large often misses this golden opportunity to innovate, enhance client relationships, generate additional revenue streams, and potentially reduce liability and mitigate risk.
The best security companies recognize and embrace the “shooting star” moment when they recognize an opportunity to fulfill a security contract with a new, alternative service offering that better protects the client and the security provider from liability. These companies don’t tow the line of dropping an ill-equipped officer in the middle of a crowded mall during the holiday shopping season just to save a few bucks. They recognize the higher threat potential, the general disregard for unarmed officers, and the inappropriate message that fully armed officers send to casual shoppers. Instead, these companies seek out higher-caliber, intermediate offerings such as stun devices or the emerging Enhanced Non-Lethal Guardian 8 Pro V2 device.
When these types of sophisticated devices are offered to clients with an appropriate explanation regarding how they can benefit them and potentially protect them from increased liability, innovative security providers gain an edge in a highly-competitive market. These are the companies that are creating a new culture in the security industry and raising the bar for the officers themselves as well as the profession.
Bare hands and brute force are becoming passé and carry a high degree of injury, risk, and liability. Firearms, while appropriate for certain settings, necessitate hefty insurance costs and are a substantial risk for security officers who don’t put in the time needed to become experts in their deployment and effective use. Intermediate tools are in. They represent a shooting star that’s passing over your head right now. You simply have to take your eyes off of “business as usual,” look up, and recognize that this moment is special.
Now is the right time to make a change. It’s the right time to innovate. It’s the right time to be part of upping the game in the security industry, and it starts with you.
Author Spotlight:
Gary H. Kuty, Vice President of Sales is a forty-year veteran of the law enforcement and private security profession. Gary is a graduate of Youngstown State University with a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Administration, and a minor in Marketing. Gary’s past is a well-balanced mix of public and private law enforcement and security. After his years in the contract security arena, it became abundantly clear that most security related agency work is an inadequate job as it relates to marketing and selling their services. This prompted Gary to form Kuty and Associates, LLC, a professional security marketing and sales consulting agency based in Dayton, Ohio along with a Western Regional office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gary operated his consulting agency from 2002 to 2014 when he accepted his current position at Guardian 8. Highly regarded by his industry peers on a national basis, he is Past President and Chairman of both the Ohio Association of Security and Investigation Services (OASIS) and the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS). Gary serves on the prestigious Security Services Council of ASIS International where he currently serves as Co-Vice Chair and Program Chair for the annual Security Force Management Workshop. Throughout his career, Gary has had numerous security and sales related articles published in several trade association journals and has lectured on a variety of topics to several professional security organizations. www.guardian8.com.
