Answer:
Begin your new security department by having the Director attend a few security schools like the “Bankers Hotline Security Officers Workshop,” advertised here each fall or America’s Community Bankers “Operations, Technology and Security Conference,” that I operate every spring. Many state and national associations will conduct training sessions during the year and these provide great networking opportunities for your director. In addition be sure that someone is connected with your local security group and that your security director is known by law enforcement in your community.
If your organization has never had a Risk Assessment performed this would be an excellent time to do so. Such a review would assess physical security, educational needs of your new director and an analysis of your present and proposed security program.
Education of your own organization should be a major function for the new director. One area of education often overlooked is what types of problems should be directed to the security department. If this isn’t defined early people will try to drop sticky operational items in the lap of the security director. The director of a new security department should be reporting directly to the board educating them about the functions of the department. All too often senior management thinks of security as only cops and robbers if they do your department will not become a modern unit.
First published on BankersOnline.com 2/16/04
print
share