Hotel security : an analysis of luxurious hotels located in St. Julian's

Abstract

This dissertation intends to provide insight on private security in Malta, specifically of luxurious or five-star hotels. Worldwide we hear a lot about security and the fight against terrorism, but in Malta we seldom refer to such issues. Whether or not Malta is one of the safest countries in the world, this research helps in analysing private security. Private security is a vast and undefined subject and only few academic researches exist about this field in Malta. Considering that Malta's major income is from tourism, one assumes that companies such as those in the hospitality industry invest quite copiously in security to protect this multimillion business. This analysis of luxurious hotels is aimed at finding the role of security in hotels and identifies how private security companies operate. A purposive sample of security managers of six different hotels in St. Julian's were interviewed on crime in hotels, their relationship with other staff members and public authorities, and crime prevention. Their perspectives were then analysed and compared to the literature review, and the outcomes presented as findings. Complementing this first hand information, a number of police statistics on reported crime in the same region were collected and analysed. Ultimately the outcome of this research provided new knowledge in security studies focusing specifically on the management of hotel security and private security personnel. This knowledge could be of guidance to improve the relationship between public law enforcers and private security personnel in the fight against crime and mutually benefit studies in the field of security management.