Fill the GAP!

Retail experts always advise that good customer service is also good security. As a professional safety creator at a building frequented by many, greeting them is part and parcel of the safety creation process. It's also the "G" in G.A.P., which stands for, Greeting-Assessing-Patrolling, which describes how I create safety in the building I secure and at events I work elsewhere.

A salutation makes someone feel welcome. It also gives him a point of contact for questions- a valuable service for newcomers and seasoned stakeholders seeking answers. 

If this someone has bad intentions, it also lets him know he's been noticed. Knowing this can help deter unwanted behavior. It also helps identify individuals worthy of extra scrutiny if their response is hostile or startled in a suspicious manner.

Assessing occurs continually while I'm working. It goes hand in hand with patrolling, which is the last part of the G.A.P. acronym.

Assessing and patrolling allows me to rate potential problems in my building before they happen or at least stop things from getting worse if I arrive in the wake of an incident.

Filling the G.A.P. with presence displaces negative energy anxious to occupy any void leaving people and property more vulnerable.

Fill the G.A.P., safety creators!

#CapBlackUrbanSafetyist