Police officers are those who are responsible for intervening when a crime has been committed, rarely will these responsibilities be taken on by security guards in Oahu. One of the responsibilities of a security guard is observation, he sees things that are illegal and he or she then reports the observation to officers of the law as quickly as they can. One of the core responsibilities of a security officer is to look after the wellbeing of people and property. They are very much a part of crime prevention as just their presence is often enough to deter a criminal who may have intentions of committing a crime on the premises.
Rarely do security guards in Oahu wear a weapon; intervention is not a core responsibility for the guard so carrying a firearm is not part of the mandate. Although the security guard may not carry a lethal weapon, he most certainly will carry some deterrent such as pepper spray or a baton. These are not used in an aggressive manner; they are normally a defensive prop that the security guard can fall back on if he is threatened with violence. As well as these defensive items, he will normally carry handcuffs but regardless of what he carries, he or she will most certainly be in uniform with a badge clearly defining his position.
In the event a crime does occur in the area of his responsibility, the security guard will observe the incident and immediately contact the police officers as quickly as possible. In many cases the guard will use his radio to report a crime in progress, the call to the police will be made from a remote position. The primary job of the guard is to observe, take note and contact the appropriate authorities. Once the guard has followed through with his responsibilities and the authorities have taken over, the guard is expected to prepare a detailed report of the incident, he is also expected to give full co-operation to the authorities as a witness.
There are instances in which the security guard is stationed at the entry to a building; the responsibility is to make sure that everyone coming into the building is doing so for a valid reason. Those who work in the building are given clearance as they wear ID badges; visitors are asked to state their details and then given temporary access.
