Mistakes should be part of the security training process, not a detriment to it. The SDR® training model includes frequently challenging personnel with on-the-job training exercises, including Red Team exercises, so that identifying problems early-on and applying solutions is a continual part of the process. Testing, and therefore consistent improvement, is part of both the SDR training process and operational activities. When testing is too intermittent, organizations run the risk of identifying problems too late when they may already be too deep-rooted, or the mistakes may already be too systematic. Recent revelations regarding security screening processes at airports highlight the need for stronger training protocols and more effective methods of keeping security personnel aware throughout the entirety of their shifts. This includes having Red Team exercises and other kinds of testing embedded as part of the security procedures and protocols, rather than only occurring periodically. The issue facing current security screeners in airports is not that the existing mechanisms are entirely faulty, but rather that the nuances of the training need to be reexamined and strengthened.
SDR® can improve the state of the art as it presents a whole new outlook, both in security methods and philosophy, offering more than a checklist of signs for security officers to memorize. The importance of proper and thorough training is essential for successful security programs. Not only must security officers be trained to have heightened awareness, but they also need a better understanding of situational factors, which could alter the manner in which they process what they see. Behavioral approaches to security are effective, it is important however, that the execution of these processes are bolstered by proper training and more nuanced protocols.
SDR offers unique operational tools and techniques that allow officers to see the bigger picture in their environments. It allows trainees a wider scope of vision, broadening the picture they see and negating the tunnel vision that may otherwise occur when looking for specific characteristics on a checklist. SDR gives security officers the tools they need to better understand and process their security protocols. SDR additionally, inherently expedites airport procedures, by negating ethnic profiling, which can otherwise slow down the process of filtering through travelers as they enter airport security. SDR training allows officers to focus on the behaviors which stand out from the normal for the given environment, rather than overwhelming officers through scanning the crowd for particular characteristics.
SDR has trained security professionals in many locations and many countries, with great success and the push towards concerted efforts in behavioral techniques continues to grow. Furthermore, SDR awareness training for public order officers not only teaches trainees the tools and methodology of SDR, but they will experience first hand, the cohesion the training breeds between police officers and the local population, as well as the camaraderie it builds among local security teams.
RAN COHEN 
