Joseph A. Young & Associates: Communication + Experience = Security

Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Oct 01, 1998

Communication is 95 percent of security work, according to Mike Thompson, chief executive officer of Joseph A. Young & Associates, Inc. in Mason. Communication is what his firm stresses in all its work.

In 1991, after a long career in law enforcement, Thompson formed a partnership with the firm's founder, retired State Police detective Joseph Young. Today, the firm operates three main divisions--security services, investigations and drug and alcohol testing--and has 63 employees. Thompson stresses that communication is key in all their divisions. Every consultation starts with a security survey, which helps the client decide what level of security is needed. Thompson says the results of a security survey have, at times, convinced a client that extensive security measures are not needed. He says it's part of his firm's job to help a client determine what is really needed, rather than arranging for elaborate security measures when a simpler, less expensive solution is called for.

Security Services

This, the largest division of Young & Associates, is overseen by director of operations Peter Wiegman. The firm provides everything from uniformed security officers to the design and installation of electronic security systems. Young & Associates provides this kind of security for a variety of organizations, and has established a reputation for itself in school security. "Unfortunately," Thompson said, "there is a need out there in education for a wide range of [security services]; for example, background on new staff, security officers in the halls, emergency planning, systems design and review, training, and drug and alcohol testing for the bus drivers to meet federal mandates."

Thompson says that school security is the most challenging job for his security officers. "They've got to think on their feet and they've got to react appropriately," he said, "and it's not brute force; we want them to think and talk and communicate."

As the school year winds down, Young & Associates gear up to provide all security for Lansing Lugnuts home games. At the games, officers provide crowd control, check patrons' bags, help locate lost children, and do whatever else arises that doesn't require police intervention.

Another "summer job" for Young & Associates is providing security at the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department's two municipal pools.

On all security services jobs, Young & Associates personnel try to mesh with the existing team. In this way, Thompson says, both organizations can work together to provide a secure environment.

Investigations

One of the larger aspects of this division of Young & Associates, which is headed by retired Lansing detective Ron Clevenger, is pre-employment background checks. In an era when so many people change jobs often, Thompson says, thoroughly checking on a potential employee's background is often necessary before the offer of employment is made. Other corporate-oriented services of the division include investigating workplace theft, sexual harassment complaints, workers' compensation claims, and other "internal affairs." Thompson says that this division is also the firm's "missing persons bureau," helping family members find missing loved ones, and often helping locate witnesses for lawsuits.

Drug and Alcohol Testing

This division of Young and Associates, headed by Ingham County Sheriff Captain John Conaty, has grown significantly with recent federal mandates. "Anyone that is in a safety-sensitive position with a commercial driver's license is subject to the federal mandates for random drug and alcohol testing," Thompson said. In addition, many corporations are instituting random drug and alcohol testing to offset potential productivity and liability losses. Although other security firms administer drug and alcohol testing for clients, Young & Associates is unique in that they do it on site. This avoids the interruption of the work schedule which would occur if an employee had to go to a lab to be tested.

When asked what sets Young & Associates apart from other security firms in the area, Thompson points out his firm's high level of experience. All Young & Associates supervisors and investigators are retired police officers. Thompson and Wiegman are Certified Protection Professionals, a designation granted to only a select few in the security profession by the American Society for Industrial Security.

Thompson, an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, says his firm requires a commitment to education at every level: "We think our folks are probably the best in the area, because they have, as an average, a higher level of education. You have to have a minimum of an associate's degree [in criminal justice] to work here, which is not your typical security guard." Young & Associates' commitment to education has, at times, led to a temporary labor shortage. Thompson says that police and sheriff's departments across the country, as well as federal law enforcement divisions, have lured employees away from his firm. He says this is a problem he can live with. As long as he keeps losing employees this way, he knows he's doing something right.