Ah, security guards. They watch the cameras. They patrol with flashlights. They’ve got the cars with the flashing amber lights. They do a lot more than sit in guardhouses and take naps.

Hiring security guards can be useful for many businesses. They’ve been used to dissuade thieves at jewelry stores and to man front desks at corporate facilities. They monitor cameras at security-conscious businesses and patrol mall parking lots to keep away the hoodlums. Which brings us to what guards can do for your business. It might be easier to list what they can’t do, since the guard often becomes a jack-of-all-trades. However, there are a few basic tasks that guards often perform:

1. Serve as visual deterrent to potential robbers. The sight of a guard, perhaps an off-duty police officer, means your business is aware of its risks and ready to respond.
2. Deal with trespassing and vandalism. Whether it’s handling the vagrant sleeping one off on private property or the local skateboard crew who’s decided your facility’s steps are a skate park, patrols by security officers enable protection across the facility.
3. Fulfill business-mandated security policies. Security officers often monitor surveillance cameras, as well as staff entrance gates and lobbies, and can check basic security issues like making sure all facility doors are locked after hours.
4. Perform customer service duties. Security guards see a lot of downtime, and many employers have been able to utilize the presence of officers as ambassadors to both their employees and customers. The guard can help direct the lost delivery driver, sign in visitors to corporate offices, and escort employees to their cars after dark. Some have been called upon to handle maintenance or janitorial duties when the appropriate staff member is unavailable. Many guards are also trained for health response essentials, such as CPR and the use of auto defibrillators.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• There is some debate over whether security officers should only have “observe and report” duties, or if they should be active participants in policy enforcement. For instance, upon confronting someone like a shoplifter, should the guard 1) simply take a description and call the police, and prepare their security report, or 2) detain the subject?
• The matter is sometimes just one of personal preference. Some stores will have their guards pursue thieves into parking lots, while others are required to let them go for safety’s sake. This also can be affected by state regulations (does your state give them arrest power?) and how you spell out the security guard’s duties. Clear this up with your guard or the company you contract with.
• Another debate is whether guards should be armed or unarmed. At locations with a high risk of armed robbery (i.e., a bank, jewelry store or high-cash-flow business), guards tend to be armed. However, that usually adds greater expense, and depending on the case, a business can be liable for how that gun was used in a security situation or other type of altercation. Consult a lawyer to be sure. Unless you absolutely need an armed response, your best course of action may be going “unarmed.”