Equipment

Security officers will also have to review security equipment upon arrival at work. Most of the checks and inspections that are required are routine. However, it is important for each officer to conduct his/her own inspection of the equipment entrusted to them for their shift. Eventually,

a problem will occur with equipment, and if security officers are not consistent in the documentation of these inspections, it will be difficult to determine the person who was on-duty

when the equipment malfunctioned if and when an issue arises.

We live in a world in which gadgets are an increasing part of our life. We all like to play with the latest equipment. This may be fun at home, but at work, an officer should NEVER “play” with equipment.

 

CCTV EQUIPMENT

While not every security post utilizes CCTV (Closed- Circuit Television) equipment, most sites will have some sort of camera system. The older, more traditional CCTV equipment consists of a group of cameras, which allows for several camera monitors to be viewed simultaneously.

These systems will often use a videocassette recorder, often a time-lapse VCR. While a time-lapse VCR looks very much like the video recorders found in most homes, the time-lapse capability allows for as much 168 hours of video to be stored on one video cassette. Often, the security officer reporting on duty may be required to rewind a tape, change a tape or simply ensure the recorder is properly operating.

Review the responsibilities for the care and changing of video cassettes with your immediate supervisor.

Over the past several years, video cassette recorders have been replaced by digital recorders. Digital recorders resemble a desktop computer in appearance and utilize a

disk storage device, to digitally record video. Most of the time these systems will require little attention from a security\officer.

Digital recorders, depending on their size store up to several weeks of recordings before the recorder begins to reuse or “tape-over” existing video.

Some CCTV equipment, such as cameras, can be moved or adjusted by security officers.