Case Study:
The city of Centervale has submitted a proposal to the state to host the next political convention for a major political party. The site for this convention will be the Centervale Convention Center. Until now, the facility has been used for trade shows and local concerts.
The facility is a large circular building with a domelike roof. The fire code for the building is slated at 900 people. Visitors enter the center through nine sets of double doors made of glass that are situated at the front of the building. Behind the center is a loading dock with a set of double doors and parking for two large trucks. One can access the stage through the loading dock without being seen by visitors. The center is multileveled, with seats that extend upward.
From the main entrance, people can access their seats through two sets of staircases or one bank of elevators. The center has a closed circuit television (CCTV) that was installed in 1993 and an alarm system was added in 1998. Both the CCTV and alarms are focused on the doors of the center. The center has a team of security for hire during events—they have received no training beyond basic crowd management.
For each event, visitors can purchase tickets from the center's ticket booth. The booth is enclosed in glass and is located at the front of the building, centered between the sets of entrance doors. Workers in the ticket booth enter with a key or by knocking until other workers open the door. The workers' door into the ticket booth is off the main concourse of the visitors' entrance to the center. The center manager's office has a door with cipher lock and passcoded cash safe. The passcode to both locks is given to the head of security for each event. An armored vehicle from a secure money transport company comes two hours before an event and three hours after an event to empty the contents of the safe.
- Conduct a security risk assessment of the Convention Center as a private security agent. Assess the protection of assets at this location, potential threats, or vulnerabilities. Would your assessment be only for the Convention Center, or should it encompass other sites that could impact the center's needs?
- Create a plan of recommendations for improving the property in terms of safety, financial protection, and overall security. What benefits do you think would result from your proposed changes?
- Explore some of the current issues facing the private security and investigation industry. What impact do these issues have on investigation practices?
- Analyze why it is important to conduct legal and ethical private investigation and security practices. What consequences may occur if illegal or unethical practices are followed?