Security in the hospitality industry

Niblo, Diane Mead (1995) Security in the hospitality industry. PhD thesis, Department of Criminology, University of Melbourne.

Abstract

Problems and perceptions of crime and security have grown dramatically in recent decades. Organisations feel the need to protect their investment, their employees and the general public from crime. There are not sufficient public police to provide adequate response and protection to businesses; therefore, private security agents have grown in number as a response to this perceived need. This thesis examines private security and surveillance in the hotel industry. There is a general introduction to contemporary security issues in society. The specific nature of these problems is examined within the context of the hotel industry. These issues are analysed in relationship to recent scholarly literature. Since so little has been written about problems of security in the hotel industry, it was decided to conduct in-depth interviews, using multiple case studies and field observations. The thesis examines issues of security in seven major hotels in Australia. Although there are many alternative ways that security can be organised, this thesis examines the application of a differentiated model of security as contrasted to an imbedded model in which all employees are involved with security procedures. The appropriateness of proactive versus reactive strategies is explored as hotels attempt to prevent crime and react to problems of security as they occur. Hotels, like other private businesses, are primarily concerned with the prevention of loss through crime. However, they must also be aware of legal risks. Although hotels are privately owned, they are public places in which individuals are invited to patronise and consume services. These concerns make the application of preventative and reactive strategies more complex. The powers of private security personnel are examined in terms of their basis in law and their daily implementation. Broader issues of the relationship between private security employees and the public police are also analysed. Finally, the experience of this industry is related back to key issues in the literature dealing with crime and private security.