I'm all for a 'cold' code red, like a yellow or somesuch, something where security can basically say; "We have a confirmed threat, it's not doing much and we're trying to contain/track it down. Please remain calm and cooperate with your friendly security officer.". As of right now, not many officers utilize the red alert protocols to their advantage, either herding the tide into the bar, rifling through their pockets if they're acting shady, throwing the goddamn assistants out of maintenance, either in favor of just filling the offending crew member with lead or tasing and brigging without so much as a "Hello." Honestly, I think separating the investigative powers of red alert from the "Crush, Kill, Destroy" mentality of red alert could do us some good in the long run because @ZN23X has some excellent points. The random search is security's most powerful weapon, and I encourage and utilize it myself. If someone has nothing to hide, assumedly they would cooperate with the search and it would take one-two minutes tops, then it's a pat on the back and a "Have a nice day citizen". If they resist, tase, cuff, drag to processing (or out to the hall if it's a bit of a walk) and search. Simple, clean, elegant.
Herding people into their departments/bar is a useful tool, but honestly I would keep that to Red Alert and not our proposed 'Yellow Alert'. Sure if the law-abiding citizens are all huddled away, then in theory only the criminal scum would be in the halls, but that doesn't work. If we can get 'Yellow' to mean "We're actively searching for a confirmed threat" and Red to mean "We are in an combat situation.", then that would give civilians more reason to clear the halls, and security more reason to shove their asses into the bar on Red Alert, you're simply keeping them safe from friendly fire. The only exception I would make is for maintenance explorers. If we're on Yellow alert, that means we're investigating any shady characters, if you're not Engineering/Janitorial/The Paramedic and you're in maintenance? You're shady. Get out.
What some fresh security members fail to get (and what I failed to get the first time around) is that cuffing, processing, and brigging prisoners requires at least some level of social tact. If you're Judge Dredd for every crime between Vandalism or Murder, you're not going to make friends, you're going to get shitcurity yelled in your ear, and the clown is going to slip your ass. If someone's not a confirmed threat, and they're just causing a ruckus, pause a moment. Question them in the hall, ask what's going on, are they being antagonistic or are they getting back at someone who wronged them? Give the station a reason to cooperate with you, I cannot stress this enough as HoS or Warden to fucking smile for once. Any of the usual suspects will know, Tony will sit down on scene and get their testimony if nothing seems off, if it's just some rowdy boys being rowdy.