In the 21st century, working in university security requires people who can think on the spot and act swiftly. But more than that, it is about adaptability, according to Oliver Curran, who has spent 27 years in the business.
“A good security officer is like a Swiss army knife. When they turn up at that unwanted situation, they’re able to deal with what’s in front of them,” he said.
Mr Curran, who for the past 15 years has been an in-house security manager in higher education and is currently at UCL, recently began his tenure as chair of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO), which represents 220 institutions globally, roughly half of them in the UK.
His job, like his organisation, sits between two industries that don’t usually brush shoulders: security and higher education. A big part of his role is explaining what he and his peers do to those from either group.
