Page 35 - AUCSO Newsletter - Winter 2023

Recruiting and

Retaining Campus

Security Officers During

the ‘Great Resignation’

Appropriate wages and training are just some of the ways hospitals, schools, and universities can
attract and keep security officers.

The “Great Resignation,” an economic trend that began in early 2021 in the wake of the pandemic,
has seen a record number of U.S. workers
voluntarily resign from their jobs, even as a
global recession potentially looms. About 3.7
million workers voluntarily left their
employment in October 2022, according to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s U.S. Job
Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

Despite the economic challenges of a potential recession, the demand for highly trained security
personnel is unwavering and is notably urgent across the K-12, higher education, and healthcare
sectors in the United States. Adverse events surrounding gun violence and other security concerns
drive the need for attracting and hiring high quality security professionals.

K-12 Campuses: Security Officers Protect and Nurture Students, Visitors, Staff

Consider how safety concerns are cited as a driver for teachers leaving schools in droves. Preventing
Workplace Violence: Early Identification and Intervention Go a Long Way.

At least 300,000 public school teachers and other staff left the K-12 industry between February 2022
and May 2022 reports The Wall Street Journal with safety cited as a predominant concern. In 2021,
there were 249 shootings at schools, compared with 17 in 1981, according to a database at the Naval
Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. These numbers include mass
shootings as well as other shooting incidents.

When contracting security officers to serve as K-12 campus security or resource officers, it is
important that fundamentals combined with customized and district-wide school security solutions
are designed to be student-centric while remaining sensitive to the school environment.

Security must stay up-to-date with rules, regulations, and federal laws such as Title IX and FERPA.
Security officers who serve schools should have specialized skills, and extra care is needed to ensure
that the unique needs of the campus are met. There is “no one-size-fits-all” in K-12 security officer
hiring. A mature professional who understands or can be trained on how to work with and influence
children while gaining their respect, is a coveted hire.

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