Security Officers in our region have a fascinating job that is as meaningful and rewarding as it is stressful and hazardous. At Western Canada Security, we go the distance to support them in their difficult duties. They are employed by us. But they work on behalf of the entire community, which puts them right on the front lines of a coast-to-coast-coast crisis in Canada.
Back in our September 2024 blog, we gave thanks for the diligence, vigilance, and courage of Security Officers everywhere. The United States has celebrated Security Officer Appreciation Week for a decade now. If Canada would “nationalize” its respect for the role as well, we believe that could make a positive difference to mental-health struggles in our country. And not just for people in our industry.
Standing Guard in the Hot Seat
We know that the mental toughness of our guards and patrollers will be tested on the job, even though the majority of shifts pass by without any severe incidents reported. We could classify the major job stressors as either acute or relatively low-pressure. Acute examples include witnessing traumatic events and attempting to de-escalate violent situations. The other kind of pressure comes from the strain of constantly scanning for hazards as well as receiving hostility directed at the uniform itself. The person wearing it suffers collateral damage that can build up over time.
Any Security Officer with years of service under their belt will have direct exposure to all of these negative factors. That is why we invest so heavily in minimizing risks to our team’s mental health.
Benefits Not Enough
Through our generous group benefits plan, specialized counselling services are readily available, fully covered, and heavily promoted. Our Officers are encouraged to take advantage of professional support to help ease personal and worklife challenges. Not everyone wants to discuss issues with a stranger, however, so we offer self-guided resources for prevention and healing.
The Victoria Chamber’s umbrella health-insurance plan provides a Mental Fitness program that addresses mindset as a team issue, not only an individual concern. Engagement with that program is a key part of how we build and maintain strong staff morale.
For some industries those measures, taken together, would fall somewhere between excellent and adequate. But for our employees, mere benefits are not enough. Protecting their mental health is a daily part of operations. Everyone in a leadership position has responsibility for creating a positive corporate culture and safe work environment. Field co-ordinators and supervisors invite open conversations. And they must show concern for our team members as people, above and beyond their daily job performance.
Our training and policies emphasize self-protective de-escalation. Reportable incidents will always be with us, sadly. But tactical, calm decision making and firm but respectful dealings with escalated people can limit risks by an impressive margin.
Mental-health is also an administrative matter, when it comes to scheduling. After a major incident occurs, we grant extra recovery time or assign alternate duties, depending on the severity or (all the more importantly) the Officer’s reaction to it. Sending someone right back into the field, especially on identical or high-risk postings, could be a career ending mistake.
Secure, Healthy, Strong
It is no great secret that public disorder has increased proportionally with a decline in mental health. In Victoria, fewer shoppers choose the downtown core and some businesses have moved to other municipalities. The ongoing situation means that our Officers spend even more time downtown, where they work diligently to reduce the public impact of littering and vandalism; loitering and health hazards; as well as minor crime of all types. When their work succeeds, it benefits our customers and everyone who moves about the streets of our city.
Thanks to their personal character, preparedness, and chain of support, our team can deal effectively with escalated people by using kindness and stating clear expectations. The fact that they are uniformed but unarmed puts them in a strategic position between ordinary citizens and law enforcement. Security professionals are well-positioned to resolve non-critical incidents that relate to mental-health struggles. The stronger their public support becomes, the better our people can do their job, and then the more deep and lasting their impact will be.
So, the next time you see one of our guards standing watch or patrolling the perimeter, please share an appreciative wave. Wish them a safe and happy shift. These moments can really add up, just like negative pressures of the job.
If you can make one of our guard’s days a little better, they can pay it forward, and there’s no telling how far those ripples will extend. Vancouver Island community champions at the Pepler Group have called Canada’s mental-health challenges “a national security crisis.” We agree. And that means every small action of prevention or healing benefits our entire country.