By Dawn Paul
Who are the first defenders and responders when it comes to crime prevention and crisis/ incident management? By already being on site, your security officers are your first true defenders and responders assisting police, fire and emergency medical technicians as they arrive on site. 
Security officers are highly regarded on local, state, and national levels. Optimum Security Professionals (OSP) is changing the community’s perception of security companies by using the highest level of training, security practices, technology, and going above and beyond qualifications required by the state. Marshall Isom serves as president, and under his leadership, OSP is an established and reputable manned security company with impressive growth and expansion outside of Houston, serving other major cities in the State of Texas.
Last year Houston experienced Hurricane Harvey, and though media stories gave credit to Police Officers for helping to secure our city, no credit was given to the private security companies that were on site in neighborhoods and at businesses preventing robberies, looting and property damage. “The Private Security industry deserves some credit,” says Isom. He continues, “There wasn’t a lot of looting, and other incidents because security officers were on duty. We were there to ensure that the client’s property wasn’t trespassed on, or vandalized. Our Promise Keepers℠ (which Isom calls their Security Officers) were on site at different locations throughout Greater Houston with no incidents.” With some of the OSP “Promise Keepers℠” taking hours to get to a site, they still worked 12-16 hour shifts without any incidents. This was all done for the client and for the love of the city. Isom recalls the officers adopting the Houston Strong chant and taking their duties and responsibilities extra serious after the storm subsided and the waters receded. “There should be some type of acknowledgment for the stellar work private security performed when it came to the prevention of crime while serving Houstonians and the surrounding areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” Isom adds.
Isom is hopeful that OSP will continue to contribute to raising awareness on the importance of professional security officers through offering Active Shooter Scenario and self-defense training, as they are valuable assets in crime prevention, safety and crisis management. Being a huge proponent for the professional security field, Isom believes incidents such as mass shootings can be prevented altogether in many cases or stopped more quickly with the presence of well-paid and highly trained private security officers. Inspired by OSP’s vision of “a thriving, safer and more secure workplace, community and government”, Isom also believes it is the responsibility of patrons, residents, students and employees to push for businesses, schools, places of worship, HOAs and employers to contract private security firms.
Isom’s mantra when it comes to OSP echoes the Richard Branson business philosophy of first meeting the needs of the employee, so they can then serve the client successfully. Seeing the pay being unequal to the work required of professional security officers, Isom was committed to building a company where security professionals receive pay equal to the value they bring to the duties and position. OSP is an officer-centered enterprise. Where most companies would be focused on dividends and stakeholders, Isom built this business with a focus on its Promise Keepers℠. “OSP pays higher wages than the average security company. That was important to me in the beginning. I knew that in order for OSP to have a firm foundation, our Promise Keeper℠ would need to make a fair wage for them to do a great job. We pride ourselves on paying those responsible for the protecting life and property more. We understand that though this takes away from profit margins, this practice serves our clients very well. It is worth it, and the company is better for it,” says Isom.
When it comes to challenges faced among private security companies, Isom says client budget would be at the top of the list. Budget concerns are one of the biggest hindrances that can prevent a client from receiving quality security services. Isom expresses, “There are times a potential client may only want to pay for 2 security officers, but they need 4-5 officers due to the size of their facility, number of daily visitors or varying activities. When we meet with potential clients, we explain the services we provide, and the budget required to serve them successfully. Many times, we have been able to work within a client’s current security budget. But, there are those times when we just cannot take a client on if we see it will be an overwhelming situation for our Promise Keepers℠. Again, we are a company where our officers are priority.”
The governing bureau for the security industry in the state is the Texas Private Security Bureau, an arm under the Department of Public Safety. OSP’s recruiting process is held to the highest standards in line with this bureau. Their professional security officers have been screened by a FBI background check. Also, some of their officers must go through a detailed psychological analysis before taking on certain clients.
Isom says, “Private security professionals deserve the utmost respect, because his is not a job that anyone can qualify for. Our background checks and other necessary extensive reviews are done on an annual basis. Our standards are high, this helps to ensure that our Promise Keepers℠ are confident in their abilities before we place them with a client and allow them to continue with a client. OSP has Off-duty Police Officers, Retired/ Reserve Police Officers, EMTs, Reserve/ Retired Military Vets, and Volunteer Fire Fighters on our security team. This is an added bonus allowing our company to provide clients with that increased level of experience and training that they deserve.”
As a Certified Personal Protection Service, OSP has been recognized for its impressive growth and outstanding services in the security industry. OSP was a Finalist for the 2017 Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award. The company is also a recipient of the 2018 D-MARS.com Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs Award, an award event honoring the top minority professionals in Texas. OSP holds HUB, MBE, DBE and SBE certifications with the State of Texas, City of Houston and METRO.
OSP was built to service the entire State of Texas, and they are on a great path in reaching that goal. “In addition to serving clients in Southeast Texas, OSP started operations in Dallas this year. We are pleased that in the coming months we will be servicing San Antonio. As a Certified Private Investigation Firm, the company has plans to expand in that area as well. We look forward to continued growth,” Isom says. For more information on Optimum Security Professionals and to contract them as your professional security operator, please visit www.optimumsecuritypros.com or call 1-800-950-7859.
