Loitering can be an issue for any type of business, and it's wise to use security officers to keep such incidents to a minimum. The presence of security guards can compel those who are loitering with dubious intentions to move along, thus creating a safer and more welcoming environment for those who wish to use the space for legitimate reasons. In a hospital environment, loitering can be an issue — both inside of the hospital and outside of it. A large contingent of security officers stationed and patrolling around the hospital can discourage acts of loitering. Here are some reasons that loitering can be an issue in this environment.

Theft Of Narcotics

Hospitals carry an extensive array of narcotics and other drugs, and users and dealers alike may seek to obtain these drugs by stealing them. Drug theft is a rising concern at many health institutes. The plan to steal drugs will often begin by loitering. For example, someone may stand in the hallway of a unit under the guise of looking like a visiting family member, but they're actually watching for a nurse to leave some drugs unattended. In such an instance, the culprit can grab the drugs and flee. Security officers patrolling the units and watching via surveillance camera can quickly deal with such loiterers.

Retribution Attacks

A seemingly innocent loiterer at the hospital may also be looking for a patient he or she plans to attack as retribution for an earlier incident. For example, if someone were to murder someone else but be wounded in the exchange and taken to the hospital, the friends or family of the victim may be so overwhelmed with grief that they think about taking matters into their own hands. Some people may visit the hospital, appear to loiter as they look for the wounded patient, and then attempt to attack him or her. By having security guards quickly move loitering individuals along, the risk of such an escalating event will go down.

Sexual Assaults

Sexual assaults at hospitals frequently make headlines. Someone with ill intentions may seek to assault a patient who cannot fend for himself or herself, and this act may begin by loitering in the hospital until a vulnerable patient is alone. This despicable crime is something that no hospital staff member or administrator wants in his or her place of work, and ample security personnel can keep it from happening by questioning anyone who is loitering or acting suspiciously.

For more information, contact a company like Protection Plus.

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