Campus security director searches, RFP processes, and contract renewals all come down to the same fundamental question: how do you know if a security company is truly qualified to protect a college or university environment?

The answer isn’t found on a vendor’s website — it’s found by asking the right questions, checking the right credentials, and understanding what “qualified” actually means in a higher education context. Here’s the framework we use, and that we recommend every campus administrator use when evaluating security partners.

Step 1: Start with Licensing and Insurance

1 Before evaluating anything else, confirm that a vendor is legally authorized to provide security services in your state. Security guard licensing is regulated at the state level, and requirements vary significantly.

Ask for the company’s license number and look it up independently. A reputable firm will provide this without hesitation. Also request certificates of insurance for general liability (minimum $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate is standard for higher education contracts) and workers’ compensation.

Step 2: Evaluate Higher Education Experience Specifically

2 General security experience is not the same as campus security experience. A firm that primarily serves retail stores or construction sites has not necessarily prepared its personnel for the specific dynamics of a college or university environment.

Ask directly:

• How many college or university clients do you currently serve?
• Can you provide references from administrators at those institutions?
• Are your guards trained on Clery Act reporting obligations?
• Do you have protocols for mental health crisis response on campus?
• Have your personnel completed active threat response training specific to open-access environments?

Request references and actually call them. Ask those administrators specifically: “How did the guards handle a difficult situation?” and “Would you rehire this company?” The answers to those questions tell you far more than any sales pitch.

Step 3: Assess Training Standards

3 The quality of a security company is ultimately determined by the quality of the people it deploys — and the people it deploys are a direct product of their training. Ask for a detailed breakdown of the training curriculum for guards assigned to your campus.

Minimum training standards for campus security guards should include:

• State-required pre-assignment and annual recertification training
• Active threat response (ALERRT, CRASE, or equivalent)
• De-escalation and conflict resolution
• Trauma-informed communication (essential for interactions with students in distress)
• Emergency response procedures (fire, medical, lockdown)
• Clery Act awareness and CSA reporting obligations
• Cultural competency and bias awareness
• First aid and AED certification

A security company that cannot demonstrate a formal training curriculum with these elements is not equipped for a higher education environment.

Step 4: Understand Their Technology Capabilities

4 Modern campus security requires more than boots on the ground. Ask each vendor how their services integrate with — or include — technology solutions.

A vendor that relies solely on manual patrol logs and paper-based reporting is operating a decade behind the standard. Your institution’s liability exposure is directly connected to how well incidents are documented and how quickly information flows during an emergency.

Step 5: Test Their Communication and Responsiveness

5 How a security company communicates with you during the sales process is a preview of how they’ll communicate during an actual incident. Ask these questions:

• Who is my dedicated point of contact after contract signing?
• How will I be notified of a significant incident on campus — and within what time frame?
• What is your supervisor response time to a guard emergency?
• How do you handle scheduling gaps? Do you guarantee coverage?
• How are client concerns escalated if on-site supervision doesn’t resolve them?

Slow response times, vague answers, and promises of “we’ll figure it out as we go” are warning signs that your campus won’t receive the attention it requires.

Step 6: Evaluate Clery Act Alignment

6 The Clery Act imposes specific obligations on institutions — and by extension, on any third-party security personnel who may qualify as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs). Before signing a contract, confirm that:

• The vendor understands which of their personnel will be classified as CSAs at your institution
• CSA-designated guards are trained on their mandatory reporting obligations
• The vendor’s incident documentation system supports your ASR filing requirements
• The contract specifies how incident reports will be shared with campus administration

A vendor who is unfamiliar with the Clery Act, or who dismisses its requirements as “the institution’s problem,” represents a significant compliance liability.

Step 7: Scrutinize the Contract

7 Security service contracts vary widely in what they guarantee. Before signing, confirm:

• Guard-to-supervisor ratios — Know how many guards one supervisor oversees and how quickly a supervisor can respond in person to your campus
• Minimum qualifications — Ensure the contract specifies that all assigned guards meet the training standards you require, not just state minimums
• Substitution procedures — Understand how the company fills scheduling gaps and whether substitutes must meet the same qualification standards
• Insurance certificates — Require the institution to be named as an additional insured on the vendor’s liability policy
• Reporting timelines — Specify when and how you’ll receive incident reports
• Termination clauses — Understand your options if performance is unsatisfactory

Red Flags: When to Walk Away

• Cannot produce a current state security license
• Refuses to provide client references
• Cannot describe a specific training curriculum beyond “state-required training”
• Unfamiliar with the Clery Act
• Offers a single fixed package rather than a customized assessment
• Cannot answer questions about insurance coverage
• Proposes to start immediately without conducting a site assessment
• Is evasive about supervisor-to-guard ratios or staffing backup procedures

Why JC Protection LLC Passes Every Test

JC Protection LLC is licensed in New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, and Arizona. We hold active general liability insurance with $2M aggregate coverage and carry workers’ compensation on all personnel. Our founder, Clifford Strong, is a retired NYPD Lieutenant with 20 years of law enforcement experience and served on Mayor Bloomberg’s Executive Protection team.

Our campus security teams are trained on active threat response, de-escalation, trauma-informed communication, Clery Act obligations, and emergency response procedures. We provide clients with real-time incident reporting, dedicated account management, and a free initial campus security assessment — with no obligation to contract.

We have served educational institutions across our five-state service area and can provide references upon request.