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| Murray Levine will receive the Colonel Edgar B. Watson Award at the 20th Annual Private Security Breakfast |
The award is bestowed on an individual who possesses strong leadership and a commitment to excellence in the industry. The honour will be presented at the National Association of Security Companies (NASCO) 20th Annual Private Security Breakfast at 7 a.m. on October 13 at the Hyatt Regency, Dallas, the same week as the ASIS International 56th Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Dallas.
According to the award nomination, Murray Levine is an industry pioneer who "thought outside the box long before the concept became a ... commonly used phrase." Levine's 51-year career has helped to raise the standards of excellence of the contract security industry, to increase levels of service and to facilitate expansion into new markets.
Mr. Levine's creation of the Custom Protection Officer® (CPO) programme - and its distinctive tan uniform with a purple pinstripe on the leg - raised the recruiting bar for security officers. Mr. Levine saw that the success of a security officer is built on background, training, pay levels and incentives. He also understood the importance of a vertical market strategy and targeted industries such as banking, transit, gated communities, nuclear and petrochemical, and local government as opportunities for high-quality security officers.
Mr. Levine's creation of the Custom Protection Officer® programme raised the recruiting bar for security officers |
"I am particularly proud of my father Murray Levine for his many years as a visionary and leader in our industry," said Drew Levine, President, G4S Secure Solutions. "He has been a tremendous positive influence and role model for me, as he has been for many here. His greatest rewards have always come from seeing how his ideas benefit the company and its employees. There is no one in the industry that deserves this honour more, and on behalf of everyone here at G4S, I offer our heartfelt congratulations."
The award is named for Colonel Edgar B. Watson, who served the private security community for 35 years at Security Forces, Inc Charlotte, North Carolina, and served with NASCO for 14 years, including his chairmanship in 1989-90. Established in 1994, the award is given in recognition of an individual's contributions to the private security industry as a whole including their superior leadership, commitment to higher standards, advocacy for increased positive awareness and valour in their duties as a security representative.
There are 11 past winners of the award, including George Wackenhut, who was Murray Levine's mentor. The National Association of Security Companies (NASCO) is the nation's largest contract security trade association, representing private security companies that employ more than 250,000 of the nation's most highly trained security officers servicing every business sector.
