In today’s economy, businesses simply can’t afford the risk of theft of their products, equipment, or other assets. Increasingly, that means businesses are hiring people who can provide constant watch over their facilities, both during regular business hours and long after the company’s regular staff members have left the premises for the evening. That’s where the plant protection officer comes in. With a strong background in security and monitoring, this individual is absolutely key to providing security, preventing loss, and maintaining a strong balance sheet for their employer.
A Watchful Eye: Plant Protection Officers Keep Customers or Workers in Check
One of the most important jobs of a plant protection officer is to essentially be the eyes and ears of a business when safeguarding it against theft, damage, and loss. For this reason, they’ll typically mingle among employees throughout the day and keep an eye on regular business activities to make sure that they’re going according to plan and that no employees are engaging in fraudulent, dangerous, or other malicious behavior.
In retail settings, they’ll perform this same service while watching over customers who enter and leave the store throughout the day. They’ll typically watch the entrance or even stand nearby, making sure that no stolen merchandise is allowed to leave the premises during their shift. They’ll likely keep an eye on areas where the company’s stock rooms or fitting rooms can be accessed as well, since these are two major areas of loss for most businesses.
Interaction with Law Enforcement in Emergency Situations
Though the plant protection officer is generally not a police officer or a member of a law enforcement agency, their job does come with the responsibility of intervening to prevent loss or damage to the company’s merchandise and equipment. To that end, they’ll often directly intervene to prevent minor crimes, like stealing, and they’ll be responsible for contacting the authorities to prevent larger potential crimes. This might include notifying the authorities of fraudulent activity, employee theft, or major attempted crimes by shoppers.
Typically, company guidelines will set a very specific list of responsibilities and incidents that the plant protection officer can handle. Anything that goes above and beyond that list will be handled by outside authorities, though the officer may be called as a witness in order to provide testimony against those accused of serious offenses.
Documentation of Procedures and Losses
If an incident arises that requires the plant protection officer to spring into action and control a situation that may lead to company losses, they’ll be responsible for completing all documentation regarding that incident. In many cases, this will be limited to proprietary company forms that are designed mostly to release the company from liability for any actions taken to prevent theft. In some cases, documentation may also include paperwork for local police agencies that intervened in a more serious situation.
Documentation will be submitted on a timely basis, and the plant protection officer will be responsible for supporting that documentation if their judgment or actions are called into question by the company, law enforcement authorities, or even other employees or customers.
The Plant Protection Officer is Central to Security and Profit
With the task of protecting company products and offering security to company employees, the plant protection officer is easily one of the most visible and vital individuals within a given company’s workspace. The position is absolutely essential and, in an economy where loss is often too much to bear, it’s a position that is actually growing year-over-year.