The IAPSC Board of Directors recently approved the formation of an Evidence-Based Security Practices Committee (EBSP).
The Goal of the EBSP is to develop summaries of existing research on specific topics of interest to IAPSC members and other security professionals. The long-term goals of the EBSP Committee are to:
- Help IAPSC Members differentiate themselves from other consultants who do support their recommendations with evidence-based security research
- To influence the security industry to utilize a research-based approach to protecting assets
- To influence other associations and regulatory organizations to rely on IAPSC EBSP products.
Currently, the security industry is driven primarily by anecdotal data and consensus-based standards and guidelines:
A paradigm shift is needed to better protect assets and optimize security programs.
Evidence-based security practices are those based on research evidence on what works, what doesn't, and, and what's promising (https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/171676.pdf). Research evidence should be used to better inform security decisions, deploy evidence-based security practices and measures, and evaluate the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts.
There are two issues that need to be addressed. First, there is a dearth of security-related research. For example, there are a few studies that evaluate the effectiveness of Security Officers in preventing crime. There needs to be a significant increase in research relating to the effectiveness of specific security measures. This is not an issue that IAPSC can remedy directly in the short term due to financial constraints; however, the IAPSC can influence other security organizations and universities that offer masters and doctoral programs in security studies. In the long-term, through grants and other funding sources, it is possible for the IAPSC to directly engage in primary research development.
Second, despite the scarcity, research does exist on the efficacy of some security measures. For example, there are numerous studies regarding the effectiveness of lighting and video surveillance in preventing disorder, property, and violent crimes. These two topics, in particular, have been summarized and published by the Department of Justice (https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/). Other research regarding specific security measures and practices exists, but has not been summarized and made accessible and easy-to-digest by security professionals. In other words, some research exists, but the findings of such research findings have not been translated into actionable information. Developing such actionable summaries is consistent with the goal of the IAPSC EBSP Committee and can be accomplished by the IAPSC despite limited resources.
Some of the topics the EBSP Committee will look at initially include:
- Communicating Risk to Offenders
- Risky Behaviors
- Situational Crime Prevention
- Patrol Audit Systems (Guard Tour)
- Gunshot detection devices
- Body Worn Camera
- Security Officer Physical Fitness Standards
- Live monitored video surveillance
- Wireless duress alarms
- WiFi-based infant abduction prevention systems
- Security Robots
The EBSP Committee has experience in research methods, conducting research, and/or writing. In addition, the Research Committee will be advised by experienced researchers, including:
- John Eck https://researchdirectory.uc.edu/p/eckj
- Robert Emery https://cls.ucla.edu/people/robert-emery
The EBSP Committee will deliver five to six research summaries over the course of three years and will be published via Open Access channels. Providing IAPSC-branded deliverables via Open Access channels is necessary to gain widespread accessibility and potential adoption by other associations, regulatory bodies, and accreditation organizations. As such, the research summaries will be published on:
- An Open Access (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access) portal on the IAPSC website (e.g. Research/Publications page)
- A preprint server (SecRxiv.org)
- Peer-reviewed academic journals that are open access or have an open access option
- If budget allows, we will also communicate our research findings in a manner similar to: https://vimeo.com/533455273
We need your financial help to make this happen. This research will greatly benefit practicing security consultants as well as the security profession as a whole.
The IAPSC is seeking $15,000 over three years to fund the EBSP Committee efforts. We may need additional funds to pay for marketing efforts to promote the IAPSC Research webpage. Thus far, some individual IAPSC members have already expressed an interest in donating up to $1,000 each for this effort.
We need your help to reach our financial goal. Please consider donating to this project using the PayPal link below.
Respectfully submitted,
Karim Vellani, CPP, CSC
Chair, IAPSC Evidence-Based Security Practices Committee