Dance club security expert witness Bill Nesbitt is a Board Certified Protection Professional. On his website he answers the question:
Everyone claims to be a Security Consultant, especially since 9/11. How can I tell a fake from the real thing?
First look for a Security Consultant that is credentialed. The widest accepted credential is the “CPP” (Board Certified Protection Professional) designation which appears after the consultant’s name. Second, the years of experience are also important criteria. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. The kind and nature of experience are also important considerations. For example, Healthcare Security requires intimate knowledge of that environment as well as the myriad of regulatory agencies that impinge on that industry.