Questions to Ask Before Hiring A Security Guard

Does business need a security guard? If you run your business out of a building or if you are an owner of an establishment that is used by others for their professional purposes, you may have already thought about getting your building some security services. As far as safety and security are concerned, it is of utmost importance that you get cover your bases. It is quite common for petty thieves to break into a company’s safe room in an attempt to steal some cash.

It is also common for armed robbers to walk into a store and demand that the store clerk hand over money in the cash register. What both of these scenarios usually have in common is the striking lack of any sort of security guard. It does not matter if you own a multinational with more than the money that needs to be protected or if you operate a deli on the street – having your security in place will never be a bad idea.

The mere sight of a security guard can discourage wrongdoers – this is why Vancouver security guards are abundant at public events. So, security guards are obviously anyone’s go-to detail for security services. But, this doesn’t mean that that’s enough – security guards are just one part of the overall information. Before hiring a security guard or security service, there are a few things you need to consider and a few questions you need to ask yourself about your specific needs and associated challenges.

As the initial step, you can hire a security company Vancouver to conduct a threat and risk assessment on your entire business – premises, proceedings, the works. The firm will prepare a report with applicable standards and the industry’s best practices and give you a wide or narrow assessment in terms of security.

If your building has a parking lot featured, you will have to consider many things. On the top of this list is your employees’ safety – or in other contexts, your tenants’ safety – as well as the threat of damage to your property (vehicles, walls, elevators etc.). Parking lots attract much criminal activity, especially if they are poorly lit. You could have theft, muggings, vandalism, fights, drug use and other illegal activities.

Having a security guard patrolling your parking lot at all times of the day, perhaps two of them on a shift basis would be an excellent way to discourage such activities. On top of that, it makes the inhabitants of the building feel secure. Additionally, you can improve your lighting, set up cameras and two-way intercoms and place them strategically throughout the parking lot to heighten the sense of security and cut response time down in case an incident takes place.

Your business may be segregated into parts – some of these parts may be shielded from prying eyes at the office or just for convenience purposes – and more often than not, you may neglect those places in terms of security. If you have a warehouse at the back of the building or a few blocks away from your main office, chances are you don’t have your eye on the premises all the time. This would make it vulnerable to robberies, break-ins and vandalism. In this case, you will definitely be better off with a patrolling officer or setting up an entire patrolling security guard service.

Irrespective of whether you live in a high or low crime area, the fact of the matter is that most Canadian retailers lost over three billion dollars each year because of crime. Canada’s retail loss has 32% claim due to theft and 35% due to employee theft. If you have a physically intimidating, well trained and licenced security guard or two around the premises, you have a better chance of bringing down these numbers to a possible minimum.

The psychological deterrent, as well as the actual physical advantage of having a capable guard keeping watch over your store or business place, will prove to be an advantage in the long run.

If your store sells alcohol as part of its business, you must have security services, with guards highly trained in conflict resolution in a small scale and also to spot problems before they see themselves to fruition. Especially at an alcohol store, fights can break out, and this poses a threat to other humans as well as the fragile goods that are stocked around the store.

One fight’s escalation could result in thousands of dollars of property loss and damage. A security guard can potentially create an atmosphere of stability and calm can de-escalate situations that may turn ugly.

If your business premises has many people entering and exiting at any given time, it gives off a good impression when they see a uniformed, professional security guard at the doorway or gateway. The security guard can be tasked with looking out for those who frequent the building, who visits often, who rarely visits and completely new faces.

This would come in handy when trying to identify imposters or troublemakers trying to make a break into your building. Security guards could also be tasked with checking people in and out, giving them visitor tags in exchange for their IDs etc. You must look into the systems you have in place for things like this – record-keeping, control systems, procedures of response towards trespassers etc.

If your business does not have an appointed safety officer, you may want to appoint one. This person could sit in on meetings, pitch in where his expertise is needed in terms of security planning etc. You can ask a security guard to do this as well, outside of their normal duties.

Your business is important, and having someone or a few someones there to protect it will definitely be an investment that you can make, after carefully considering everything mentioned above.