What do butlers and security agents have in common? It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but for G4S Security, which sent its Belgian security agents to butler school, recognising the similarities between the two roles is simply good business sense.
“We saw there was a large demand for hospitality and we have a lot of clients requesting this kind of service,” G4S Luxembourg CEO Christian Pierar told Delano. The ability to greet people cordially and efficiently and carry out a range of tasks is today highly sought after for agents working in shopping centres, at reception desks or in large companies. “Because every time a customer of our customer comes into contact with an agent, he becomes an ambassador, not just for G4S, but for our customer.”
Chart: Maison Moderne
How did we get here?
The role of security agents has come a long way since the 1990s. Luxembourg, with its banks and EU institutions, for years had a disproportionately high number of security personnel to population. In 1996, when there were 800 security agents, it had the third highest proportion of private security personnel per 100,000inhabitants in the EU at 201[1]. Across the EU, the total number of active agents doubled from 1999 to 2004-2005. By then, in Luxembourg they had exceeded police, with a ratio of 1.4 agents to every officer[2].
Academics suggest that an increased security presence is the fall-out of a globalised world, creating new uncertainties in which fear of crime flourishes. “The vitality of modern life goes hand in hand with an obsessive desire for protection. This paradoxical situation creates an optimal circumstance within which security industries will proliferate,” Ronald van Steden and Rick Sarre wrote in a 2010 academic article[2]. These fears were “further inflamed” by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, van Steden and Sarre write.
But it hasn’t all been scaremongering. The nature of activities of employers like the Court of Justice of the European Union, predisposed them to a greater need for security, to protect judges and the process of law.
And crime too has risen, although not on a scale one might imagine. In 2005, there were 17,247 property offences compared with 22,915 in 2018 (see box on page 37). Offences against people saw the strongest increase, more than doubling from 3,572 to 7,216, driven largely by a doubling of assaults and threats against people (1,766 to 3,494, and 641 to 1,342 respectively[3]).
Security agents from G4S patrol the Schueberfouer, Luxembourg's annual summer funfair. Photo: Nader Ghavami
Managing people
And then there is Luxembourg’s population explosion. Resident numbers increased by over 174,000 from 2001 to 2019, while cross-border worker numbers rose from 121,046 at the end of 2005 to 202,261 in August 2019. A larger population requires more homes and offices, leading to greater construction and, subsequently, more building sites to monitor.
Alongside this evolution, the role of B2B security agents has undergone a massive redefinition, expanding beyond the role of deterrent to an outside threat, to handling all the needs that come with managing people inside buildings.
“We began preaching the profession in 2010,” Jean-Claude Bostelle, trainer for Safety Serv, explains. In a nod to the evolution of the role, the Frenchman no longer uses the moniker “security guard”, preferring “agent” to describe the kind of multifaceted role required of them today. “For example, in a supermarket, you have to know how to help a person,” he says, explaining first aid knowledge is critical, as is knowing conflict management. Firearms use is not taught in entry stage training. “In other parts of training, we teach them good reflexes, like how to use fire extinguishers and evacuate buildings.”
The profession is better established in France than in Luxembourg, largely thanks to formalised training, he says. “For example, there’s an exam with a panel of judges. And you are obliged to have a professional card. That doesn’t exist in Luxembourg.”
Chart: Maison Moderne
Luxembourg’s private security legislation is encapsulated in two regulations dating back to 2002 and 2003. To start operating private security and surveillance activities, firms need government accreditation, which must be renewed every five years. The law states as the minimum requirement that agents be aged over 18 and have a clean criminal record. While other criteria apply for specialist agents and those carrying firearms.
Strong demand
According to Bostelle, Luxembourg saw a spike in demand for agents around 2012 to 2013. Since then, growth has been moderate, with between 150 and 200 new private security agent posts advertised per year at job centre Adem. Today there are around 4,000 active agents in Luxembourg, according to trade union LCGB. But, like many sectors, the industry struggles to find enough candidates to meet demand.
“Here it’s difficult because employers often ask for security agents with experience,” Bostelle says. In addition, they need soft skills, often a driving licence, languages and a willingness to work anti-social hours. Women agents are especially in high demand, as are those with specific skill sets like dog handling. Anecdotally, a large number of agents are recruited from the border regions of France and Belgium (French being the main language of the sector). Some employers, like G4S, recruit agents with a military or police background. But, as demand grows in neighbouring countries, there is only a finite supply of these profiles.
CFL outsources its security requirements to Dussmann, whose agents work 3,000 shifts per year for the rail operator. Photo: Frédéric Antzorn
Education and career
Attention therefore is paid to developing a stream of younger candidates. One trainer-employer in Luxembourg has gone as far as teaching a security agent stream at a high school in Belgium. But not all young candidates drawn to private security will stick it out.
Bostelle explains: “We get people who are 18, candidates who don’t want to finish school, who come and see if security could work for them. When we explain, sometimes they’re disappointed because we tell the truth. It’s not like in the film ‘The Bodyguard’.”
Offering minimum wage and limited career prospects, a shake-up of the industry to make it more attractive is well overdue. There are hopes that a raft of new measures contained in a new collective labour agreement signed in August 2019 will help. It comprises a combination of job-related bonuses, an incremental payrise and the obligation for employers to invest the equivalent of 1% of their salaries budget in training. Pierar, who has already revamped his firm’s training to focus on creating agent career trajectories, welcomes the measures.
“If I can create a roadmap for staff internally, I won’t have to look for people constantly,” he says. G4S is already invested in upskilling agents to meet the ever-changing demands placed on them, in areas like using mobile phone-scrambling devices and even drone technology, an expertise which can be shared with other players starting in 2020, when G4S Luxembourg opens its education centre to outside parties.
Where do they work?
If the Hollywood image of the modern security agent is far from the reality, some would argue the role is getting more interesting. In addition to the agents watching shop customers, checking bags and monitoring screens in control centres, we now have agent-receptionists in offices. Some, like those required by rail operator CFL, are exposed to the elements and potential altercations. CFL outsources its security requirements to Dussmann, whose agents work 3,000 shifts per year.
They have two agents on a tenth of trains and patrols in selected stations. According to CFL’s Sandy Nonnweiler, the central station has a minimum of three agents working 24/7. This physical presence, coupled with 424 surveillance cameras in stations and 1,240 cameras on trains, sets CFL back €3m annually--an investment it considers essential for protecting the growing number of passengers and deterring would-be criminals. “We had a 70% increase in the number of passengers over 15 years,” she says. “Because of this, and to give the feeling of security and safety, we added these kinds of solutions.”
Lux-Airport employs 200 full-time security agents, a number it supplements with temporary staff during peak seasons. Photo: Anthony Dehez
Airport security
One of the biggest employers of security agents is Lux-Airport, whose 200 full-time agents make up two-thirds of its total workforce. It supplements this pool during peak times with temporary agency staff. “It [security] belongs to aviation, if you want to travel, you want to fly safely,” Lux-Airport CEO René Steinhaus says. Few bat an eyelid at encountering security in an airport. But what has changed is the expectation on agents. “For us, it’s also kind of the business card of the airport,” Steinhaus says.
Recruiting the kind of staff who can diffuse passenger stress and speak four or more languages is not easy and much of the time they recruit permanent staff from the experienced pool of agents at companies like G4S.
The airport is among the exceptions when it comes to having in-house agents. Most firms requiring 24/7 security coverage today outsource the activity, along with other facility needs like cleaning and catering. “There are fewer and fewer companies organising their own security activities,” says Alain Borguet, who runs facility management confederation Facility Luxembourg. “You have to be sure that the activity is covered. If you organise it yourself, you’ve a human risk: people might not be there for a lot of reasons.”
New players
Demand for outsourced services has resulted in the rise of facility multifunctioning services firms like Dussmann, a quarter of whose 3,380-strong workforce is active in security. G4S, which employs 950 agents in Luxembourg, is already working in partnership with facility managers Apleona for its security contracts. And hygiene specialists Onet announced on 11 November it would launch a security department.
“As long as there are companies still coming in, it means there’s still a market,” says Pierar.
But it is getting tougher. Luxembourg’s competitive market has kept security costs low until now. Yet, as employers are obliged to invest more in training and salaries, margins are shrinking. Pierar is confident, however, that the customers will accept paying more to ensure a high-quality service. “We’re anticipating that there will be some kind of resistance [with clients], but there will be a breakthrough.”
Head of Facility Luxembourg Alain Borguet, pictured, says there are fewer and fewer companies organising their own security activities. Photo: Patricia Pitsch/Maison Moderne
Security systems
Where there is physical security, there are security systems such as surveillance cameras and alarms. While these have long been a feature of commercial buildings, in Luxembourg there has been a growth in B2C security systems in recent years, largely thanks to new innovation. B2C made up a large proportion of the early customer base of Securitec when it was founded in 2010.
“With fast wireless internet and smart devices, security has made a huge step forward and it’s a lot more accessible for most of our customers,” Securitec director Gilbert Reyland says. “Wireless has become a lot more effective and so it’s now possible to install systems in a matter of hours.”
The revolution has not always driven down prices--Reyland explains power hungry devices like cameras need to be connected to the mains supply, as opposed to being battery-powered. Wifi may also not be effective in larger buildings. In some instances, installations require cabling, which can add thousands onto the bill.
Security growth has helped Securitec expand its team to 30. It installs some 500 systems per year, but Reyland suggests the sector is plateauing. “What works in our favour is there are always more residents, who build and need security,” he says. “But, it’s not enormous growth. In general, we’ve 12,000 more residents per year. It is a lot for a small country, but it’s divided up among installers.”
Securitec's Gilbert Reyland, pictured, says the sector is plateauing. Photo: Patricia Pitsch/Maison Moderne
Greater means
If demand for security systems in private homes is slowing in Luxembourg, it still remains stronger than in Germany, suggests chief commissioner for national crime prevention Marc Ragnacci. “I think we have the means to install security systems in Luxembourg that often people in France, Belgium and Germany don’t have,” the commissioner says. Luxembourg has the highest minimum wage in Europe. According to Ragnacci, a home alarm system can cost from €2,500 to €5,000. “I spoke to an installer in Germany who said the alarms there were more expensive than here. Here, anyone can install an alarm.”
And it’s not just because they can that people do install security systems in the home--devices became more popular as awareness of risk grew, the commissioner explained. “People are focusing more on prevention because it’s talked about more over social media.” What is more, in his view, security systems are an effective deterrent--the commissioner credits the stabilising of burglary numbers and the increase in aborted break-in attempts to greater vigilance and take-up of home security systems.
Incentives
If the cost of installing a home security system is comparable to that of a holiday for some, it remains a luxury for low-income households. And there are few incentives to change that. In some countries, insurance firms offer discounts on home insurance if policy holders install private security systems. This is not the case for Baloise and Foyer, the two Luxembourg insurers Delano contacted. State subsidies for home security systems, similar to those currently offered for energy saving measures, could offer a possible incentive. This is something that Ragnacci and other industry players are pushing for. It could also help encourage the adoption of a national industry certification requirement for systems, as is the case in France, Germany and Belgium. Currently, Luxembourg relies on European norms which, according to Reyland, are vague.
Subsidies could also make installation of security measures a standard for housing under construction, a consideration which is often overlooked, Ragnacci laments.
The evolution of smart technology enables home-owners to monitor home cameras via their mobile phones. Photo: Patricia Pitsch/Maison Moderne
And the future?
If the private security sector has experienced a major technological revolution, Reyland suggests in future we will see an evolution of existing technology, for instance by integrating security systems into smart homes.
It seems unlikely that technology will fully replace the human factor in security any time soon. Even state-of-the-art AI surveillance system Deep Sentinel, which claims to detect potential threats caught on camera, still requires human assessment of findings.
“If you look in commercial settings like malls, or the airport, people still need human help to tell them to raise your right arm,” Pierar says. “They [security systems and agents] have to go hand in hand.” But for agents to remain a part of the sector, the profession needs to evolve. Pierar says one important factor that could help would be to ensure future training qualifications are pegged to the European Qualification Framework.
Marc Kieffer of the industry confederation Fedil adds that further improvements should also be made for the conditions of agents not covered in the collective labour agreement, such as those working at one-off events.