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The CCTV control room manager profile

I have seen a wide range of CCTV and other control room operations in a range of different industries and it does not matter how sophisticated the technology, the size of the control room, or number of people, in every instance the critical element for successful performance is the control room manager or supervisor.

In the case of contractors, the control room manager can make or break a company’s reputation, and in other cases can build or destroy months or even years of creating safe and protected environments. The understanding by the control room manager of stakeholder needs or priorities, and the situational awareness that goes into an integrated solution, underlies every successful operation I have come across. Yet the selection of people for such positions is often a simple administrative appointment.

Service orientation is fundamental to success and delivery. Control rooms can sometimes take on a life of their own and the key purpose of the control room gets lost in the ongoing day-to-day dealings. In some cases, this puts the control room at odds with parties they should be serving, and the control room is seen to become an obstacle rather than a solution. In the case of contractors, this can be remedied by renewal of contracts when a critical level of dissatisfaction is reached, but we sometimes lose sight that control rooms exist to provide a service to stakeholders, whether this is the owner of a shopping centre, residents of an estate or town centre, guests at a casino, or those taking forms of transport or parking their vehicles.

There are many stakeholders who have a vested interest in how the control room operates and whether it is delivering the service and results expected. The more these results are defined and managed in terms of service expectations, the happier people will be. The service focus of a manager or supervisor of a control room will influence the range, promptness, effectiveness, and confidence in the operation, and will often have a direct impact on the private and public perception of the site and the value of the control room.

While there may be primary stakeholders, becoming too single minded in terms of focus may also cause harm – there are often a variety of stakeholders who need to be satisfied and balancing these demands will often occur within the control room environment.

Recognising value

A foundation in security provides control managers with some of the background expertise for managing the control room. However, more important is the ability to understand the dynamics of crime, and the role of the CCTV control room to address issues in an integrated way with other crime protection measures.

Good security people do not necessarily make good control managers. In fact, in some instances, I have seen committed and competent security personnel who have been put in charge of CCTV control rooms, and who have virtually no idea of how to realise the value of CCTV or how to use it in a strategic way. Ironically, the clients they are working for have a better insight into what they would like out of the control room.

It is essential for control room managers to be able to identify and recognise the behavioural indicators of crime – something which some people have from experience, but which is best gained by training in the area. I have multiple instances of operators doing a great job in picking things up and an uninformed supervisor or manager dismissing it because he or she can’t see the issues. Managers need to be able to develop a common framework of understanding and threat identification within the control room, and recognise performance in this respect if they are to get ongoing delivery from their operators.

Risk profiling, generating and using intelligence information, and targeting are all areas which lead to greater success. Knowledge of these areas can be gained through discussion, consulting, self study and training and don’t necessarily have to be something reflected in academic studies. Indeed, the practical application and learning of these is something that those who have studied will have to do anyway and is often learned in the job itself. Finally, the coordinated use of resources within the control room and outside, along with an integrated approach to this, is something managers need to be able to comprehend and act on.

Legal and personal skills

Control room managers do not have to be lawyers, but familiarity with the legal and ethical issues affecting the operational, site, and technical functions of the control room can assist their operation and keep them and their organisation out of trouble. This relates to issues about what can be done in the control room, PoPI and handling of information, the rights of staff and of people who are apprehended, labour related issues including shift work, and specific legislation that may apply to that particular site or industry that can impact on what is allowed and responsibilities.

Personality characteristics come with the person, and in any jobs there are a variety of personality factors and combinations of these that are likely to result in success. Criteria such as being calm and composed (particularly under pressure), patient, assertive without being aggressive, confident in dealings without being arrogant, accommodating change and being flexible, self-disciplined, objective, being able to look at the broader picture, and concern for people and outcomes are all desired traits. Being able to hold people to account and motivate them rather than a punitive approach also makes a big difference in ultimate performance.

Interpersonal skills are required in dealings with multiple stakeholders, employees, and suspects. Many of the stakeholders may have different perspectives, priorities, and needs which need to be reconciled. People will also come from a range of backgrounds and at times the control room may be mediating between parties and not just between the control room staff and affected personnel.

Environments such as estates and shopping centres are examples of these. A primary skill for me includes the ability to listen – this is a skill that carries through to many of the others discussed here, but it can play a major role in stopping issues before they begin, providing an understanding of the concerns raised, and instilling confidence.

Where control room managers are arrogant or assume they always know best, service orientation immediately suffers. I’ve met some control room managers and almost instantly known there are going to be problems – simply because they think they know everything and clearly don’t consider other people’s views as important. Other critical interpersonal skills desired include conflict resolution, relationship building, facilitation, team building, communication and patience.

Finding an ideal candidate for any position is difficult, if not impossible at times. However, control room managers are the key to unlocking the potential for CCTV to impact meaningfully on any site. If you have the right kind of person, not only does it deliver immediate results, but it underlies the success of an integrated strategy for protection of a site. Ultimately, it also plays a major role in how security and protection services are perceived and the image of the company or organisation itself to those who work there and the perception of the public. Giving some thought to the right person for your operation can make a major impact on the future success of your operation.

Dr Craig Donald is a human factors specialist in security and CCTV. He is a director of Leaderware which provides instruments for the selection of CCTV operators, X-ray screeners and other security personnel in major operations around the world. He also runs CCTV Surveillance Skills and Body Language, and Advanced Surveillance Body Language courses for CCTV operators, supervisors and managers internationally, and consults on CCTV management. He can be contacted on +27 (0)11 787 7811 or craig.donald@leaderware.com

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