U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

May the Force Be With You

NCJ Number
173032
Journal
Security Management Volume: 41 Issue: 11 Dated: November 1997 Pages: 52-57
Author(s)
C Morris
Date Published
1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
MicroAge, Inc., describes how and why it switched to a proprietary security force.
Abstract
After a 1994 security survey disclosed a number of shortcomings, including several deficiencies in the contract guard service's training of officers, MicroAge, Inc., decided to consolidate security operations in-house. Their security department now consists of a director, manager, administration officer and 27 full-time proprietary uniformed officers. The department still relies on various vendors to maintain surveillance systems, alarms, locks, gates, and fences, and to conduct polygraph interviews and electronic sweeping of sensitive areas. A salary increase for proprietary officers keeps them competitive in the labor market. The latest survey shows that the security department is viewed favorably by MicroAge employees, each quarter of the company has shown a significant reduction in losses, and the security department has been recognized by the firm's chief financial officer for its contribution to the bottom line.