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Hierarchies are found in all organizations within all business sectors. They consist of your supervisor and direct reports. A well-defined hierarchy is better for morale, the creation of company culture, efficiency and productivity. Within a standard hierarchy, orders come from the top down when correctly routed.

Within the surveillance room at a casino, hierarchies are extremely important. One common example of a chain of command in a casino is:

1)      Surveillance Investigator reports to:

2)      Surveillance Supervisor who reports to:

3)      Surveillance Director who reports to:

4)      General Manager

Also reporting into the General Manager is:

1)      Casino Manager

2)      Slots Director

3)      Security Director

Reporting into the previous three are:

1)      Casino Shift Manager

2)      Slots Shift Manager

3)      Table Games Manager

Within the surveillance room there are two primary types of hierarchies:

• Those within the surveillance room
• All other departments

There is one simple rule within the surveillance room: no one outside of the surveillance department hierarchy demands orders to the surveillance room staff. Instead, the requests must pass through the proper chain of command. There are certain actions that must be approved by the Surveillance Director. This includes the release of original recordings, composite recordings, special observations and information.

Internal matters relating to personnel issues must also be distributed through the surveillance hierarchy starting with the Director. These instances include ideas, complaints, suggestions and personnel change. For example, the ideal process for an investigator to give an idea to the Director is for them to write it down, give it to the Supervisor who will then give it to the Director. Verbal suggestions are not the route to take as they often are forgotten or overlooked.

Unfortunately, within this type of hierarchy, the Supervisor can easily present the suggestion as his own. Although unfair and deceitful, this type of behavior does occur and when discovered by others, greatly diminishes the Supervisor’s credibility and respect.

It is always important to know the chain of command within other departments. This will help you be more productive, get the answers needed in a reasonable amount of time and generate favors.

Like any type of business, it is important to follow the chains of command within the surveillance room. Those that cannot conform do not last long in their role. A clearly defined hierarchy improves communication, efficiency, productivity and builds excellent report among many different departments.

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On any given day in the surveillance room, Pit Supervisors and other officials will request operators to give special attention to a specific guest, area or activity. The Surveillance Supervisor or Director will make the decision as to the best method of handling the request. These requests occur often; sometimes they are false observations and others are a crime in progress.

Observing for Suspicious Activity

Observing a specific player or dealer for suspicious activity is a common request. Every request needs to be taken seriously and should be followed if it doesn’t interfere with higher priority activities like a crime in progress. One consideration to remember is that it could be a team or group operation. Therefore, all surveillance operators shouldn’t focus on the same person. The whole casino needs to continue to be observed.

If any criminal activity occurs, try to capture it from as many cameras and viewpoints as possible. These recordings may play the role as vital evidence at a later date. The Director of Surveillance must be notified of the incident immediately.

Utilizing Proper Etiquette

Remember, when calling management personnel or other departments use the proper tone, language and utmost professionalism when discussing the issue. The same is consistent with other departments when talking to surveillance. If any discourtesy does occur, report it to your supervisor.

Proper Protocol

Also keep in mind that no floor person should be calling surveillance personnel even if they witness crimes or cheating. The proper protocol is for them to report the activity to their Pit Manager or above. Regardless of the results, once the evaluation has concluded, report them to the Pit Manager. Sometimes even the Pit Managers forget that floor supervisors need to report all activity to them. Politely remind them of the proper chain of command.

On the other hand, floormen are required to call surveillance when they witness a dealer error that has occurred. According to their procedures, floormen must also report the incident to their supervisor. This is to confirm correct reporting to higher-level personnel and ensure another witness has been informed.

There are many different casino specific procedures and protocols to follow. The most important points are to be courteous, respectful to other departments and your co-workers, be diligent with your actions and have a good attention-to-detail. This combination will allow you to be successful and efficient within your job.

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Although there are numerous cameras on casino properties that monitor everywhere monetary transactions are being conducted, ground security is also important. They must work in conjunction with the surveillance operators to ensure no criminal acts are being committed. Such acts include:

• Stealing
• Collusion
• Cheating
• Harassment

Each of these acts occurs on a daily basis at any given casino. Fortunately, surveillance operators follow a strict checklist prior to the start of their shift within the surveillance room to ensure all guidelines are met and procedures are followed. The most important checks include:

• Review the daily shift report
• Shift briefing
• Check all cameras
• Ensure cameras are recording
• Check for news alerts

The daily shift report is a report generated by surveillance operators outlining what exactly occurred on the casino floor during the previous shift. This tells the operators if they need to focus on a specific individual, group or area of the room. Reviewing the daily shift report is also helpful to ensure it’s up-to-date. Reports that are a day or two old rarely assist operators a few days later.

Checking the shift briefing log, allows the replacement operators to ascertain any new information or orders so they are prepared for the upcoming shift. Examining all cameras is a vital aspect of their pre-shift checklist. This ensures that all cameras are on, working, focused correctly, positioned in the correct area of the casino and there are no obstructions. This allows them to have a full view of the floor and can instantly focus on a specific location if needed.

Also, it’s important for surveillance operators to ensure all cameras are recording in case of a crime. The cameras provide valuable evidence against a criminal. Finally, surveillance operators always check for news alerts. These are usually provided by local law enforcement officials or other casinos. New alerts help protect casino patrons from dangerous criminals that may enter the casino property. They help the casinos identify any cheats or thieves that may be out to rob the establishment.

Casino surveillance is one of the most important departments to the business. They provide safety and security to the patrons, protect the casino against thieves and cheaters and make the casino an enjoyable hassle free experience. Technology has also greatly assisted casino surveillance and security by offering around the clock monitoring. This in conjunction with a watchful eye keeps casino properties safe and tourist-friendly.

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