Do I need a security guard?

Do I need a security guard?

Imagine you are a carpenter in a workshop hammering away at nails with your hammer. Suddenly you smash your thumb! WHAM! Oh wow, we know how much that hurts don’t we? All you can think of when this happens is my thumb hurts and I need the pain to stop. This is often the case when it comes to needing security services. Something has happened at your construction site, commercial facility, or residential community. When crime happens on your property, and you are responsible for security, the pain is real and you want it to stop. It is time to hire a physical security guard.

But I have security cameras on site?

Security cameras are great tools for on-site security. Technology has even progressed so far as to now we can receive high-definition images of what is happening while our business is closed, or people aren’t around regularly. Cameras can’t be everywhere and always see everywhere unfortunately. Even when they do spot criminal or suspicious activity, all a camera does is watch – it can’t act. How long is it going to take for the Fire Department to arrive? How long will it take Police to respond (if they even respond at all)? How much of your property are you willing to risk in that time?

But I have vehicle patrol service, I am covered right?

Vehicle patrol services are a great way to begin the process of securing your property. A driver will show up in a marked vehicle. This driver will stay at your property for anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on the complexity of the patrol stop. If you want to sound savvy in the security world, we call patrol vehicle stop “Hits” or a “Hit”. The terminology comes from slang for stopping at a property, “I’m going to hit that property first, then hit the next one on my list of addresses for the night.” So, we call patrol driver stops “hits” or a patrol “hit”.

When an officer stops at a patrol hit, they have a very finite amount of time to spend on site. A patrol driver can only realistically complete 3 or 4 simple tasks at a property depending on the size of the property and the complexity of the task required. What do we mean by that? A vehicle patrol driver can check 4 points of interest in 20 – 30 minutes if they are simple. The more complex, the more time they take. Make sure you are very clear with your security provider on what needs to be accomplished by a patrol driver as they have very very limited time and attention at your property. They need to be ready to move to the next location on their schedule.

If the patrol driver is not at your property in between stops you are vulnerable to risk.

Conclusion

If you have cameras, hire a security guard to be able to respond to incidents spotted on the cameras. Have the monitoring service call your guard to tell them about what they are seeing when they see it. If you do not have a monitoring service, the physical guard becomes your eyes on the ground to supplement your cameras to act when an incident is happening. If you have a vehicle patrol service and are still having incidents occur on your property, it is time to hire a physical guard to take over the task of being always on the property. Sentry security can help you and your team manage this complicated process of having cameras, vehicle patrol, and security guards on site. No matter what kind of property, no matter where the location in California. Sentry Security Services is here to help you find the best solution for your property. Contact our sales team today to find out more.