Chapter 7 Security Theory Process, definitions, tools and techniques

Abstract

The widely respected Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes our basic requirement for safety and security as just above food, water, warmth, and rest. For the purposes of this chapter, safety is considered in the context of event security. In this context safety is an emotion that is affected by the trust a patron places on the signals, signs and feelings they detect when they review a place, an event, buy a ticket to an event, or attend an event. In essence, the relationship between a patron and a security provider is one of trust. Patrons attending events have an emotional investment in an event, based on both their expectation of the event itself and on their awareness of the risks of attending an event, formed via knowledge of security incidents at other venues around the world. The security profession, on the other hand, invests in the event process through planning, implementation, and application that needs to be robust and stable to fulfil patrons’ trust and maximise their return on investment, and to prevent failure or any other incident that may significantly damage the event. This chapter will explore what security does to make people feel safe and to prevent the loss of assets. It will use a systems theory approach to discuss the interrelation and interaction of the various dynamic aspects of the different parts of the security process.