When your business, people, or merchandise needs safeguarding, security officers are the go-to people. These individuals offer extra security and assurance to your merchandise and workers on your property, making them a force to reckon.

When you consider hiring a security service, it might seem like armed guards offer more quality services than unarmed ones. Both services provide safety and protection when needed, although many security companies recommend armed over unarmed guns. However, why should your business require the services of unarmed guards? This blog highlights what is involved in employing unarmed guards and the benefits of the services to your business.

Distinction Between Armed and Unarmed Guards

Armed security personnel is a person trained in carrying and using a firearm. These professionals are hired to keep your business safe from hostiles, threats, or criminal activities and can handle lethal force when necessary. And because of their massive responsibility, these individuals undergo massive training to prepare them for the position.

Armed guards usually work for high-risk businesses like banks, jewelry stores, courthouses, hospitals, and other businesses that are highly exposed to crime due to the valuable services or products they provide. So, the presence of lethal weapons by these officers is enough to deter criminals.

Unfortunately, not everyone is comfortable with the thought of having guards armed with lethal weapons around their business establishment, mainly if you handle walk-in customers. The lethal weapons might make these customers and some employees feel unsafe or uneasy. Still, hiring armed guards safeguards your property from crime and enables you to focus on the core objective of the business instead of self-defense techniques.

Most armed security guards are off-duty or retired police officers and military personnel with proper training and experience handling lethal weapons. When a criminal finds heavily armed guards in your premises, this might persuade them to drop their plans considering the risk of sustaining injuries or death is high.

On the other hand, unarmed guards are security personnel who carry non-lethal weapons when monitoring and protecting your business establishment and employees from harm or criminal activity. The non-lethal weapons these individuals carry for protection include:

  • Pepper spray.
  • Baton.
  • Taser.
  • Handcuffs.
  • A tactical flashlight.
  • Heavy-duty cleaning gloves.

These professionals are hired when the threat to your business is relatively low, and their role mainly involves video surveillance, patrolling, and watching security monitors. If your business has outsourced its security guards, hiring unarmed guards is your last defense line to prevent a threat or crime from escalating and the need to contact law enforcement.

It’s a common misconception among business owners that armed guards are more effective than unarmed ones. However, the truth is unarmed guards are similarly effective and can safeguard your business to your expectations.

Individuals Who Need Unarmed Guard Services

Are you divided between choosing unarmed or armed guards? It is a big decision for your business, considering you must consider your budget. The best way to make the decision is to contact a security firm for advice. When answering this question of the category of security guards you are searching for, you must ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does your business site contain massive amounts of treasured merchandise like cash or equipment?
  • Is the location of the business exposed to a high risk of violent crimes?
  • Does your business deal with highly sensitive or top-secret information or data?
  • Is there a need for the use of deadly force?
  • Are there chances of arresting dangerous and armed Californians?

If your answer to the above questions is a no, your business should consider unarmed guard services. The reason being they provide your commercial premises with an effective, hands-on, and budget-friendly alternative to armed guards. These individuals can be posted in the following positions in your business to provide protection:

  • Warehouses.
  • Gatehouses.
  • Convenience outlets.
  • Loading docks.
  • Hotels.
  • University and college buildings.
  • Commercial office buildings.
  • Construction sites.
  • Nursing homes.
  • Medical facilities.
  • Pharmacies.
  • Retail stores.
  • Reception desks.

The Role of Unarmed Guards for your Business

The primary role of unarmed guards is to monitor and safeguard your business premises from criminal activity or damage. These individuals receive training on law enforcement, public relations, personal security basics, and appropriate response to a crisis. Due to the training, you can be sure they will stay alert, patrol the premises, and respond to emergencies appropriately.

Also, these guards can monitor your video surveillance alarm systems and cameras and call law enforcement in the event of a security breach. The main duties they perform are:

  • Offer security clearance for public events.
  • Take notes and report unusual activities like emergencies, property damage, losses, and breach of procedures or policies.
  • Enable thoroughgoing communication with customers and provide the necessary information.
  • Control traffic at the business’s parking booth, patrol all parking lots and monitor CCTV footage.
  • Direct the entry and exit of visitors in your business premises.
  • Check visitor identification.
  • Carry out the security firm and customer rules.
  • Replenish ATMs, eliminate cash jams and ensure these machines are operable.
  • Send another guard to alarms or persons in the wrong places without security clearance.

Benefits of unarmed Guard Services to Your Business

Chances are, you are wondering why your business needs unarmed guards when an armed guard seems more effective to safeguard your investment. Whereas armed guards are ideal for some situations, when it comes to your first line of defense against unwanted trespassers, angry customers, or citizens with criminal intent, unarmed guards are ideal for your business needs.

Their presence on the premises deters criminals and vandals from damaging your property or merchandise. If an irregular occurrence happens, these individuals are the first to respond, and they rely on their intensive training to offer the help needed without using a lethal weapon. The benefits of working with unarmed guard services are:

  1. They are Budget-Friendly

If you are operating the business on a tight budget, hiring unarmed guards provides equal safeguarding of the premises, employees, equipment, and merchandise at a pocket-friendly rate. Security is crucial for your business, but armed guards can be challenging to acquire, mainly if the decision affects the business’s bottom line.

Security firms charge hefty fees for armed guards because these professionals require additional training, equipment or tools, insurance, and certification. In addition, the risk involved in these jobs is high, thus the need for better compensation. With the cost associated with this category of guards, you should explore the alternative if you are working on a tight budget, and hiring armed guards would strain the budget further.

For a small business struggling to raise capital and make profits or one that operates in a low-risk environment, unarmed guards are a more pocket-friendly solution to your security needs. These individuals are highly trained and experienced for the task, but their rates are relatively low compared to armed guards. Many security firms will charge rates ranging from $60 to $100 per hour for armed guards and at least $15 for unarmed guards. For a business whose objective is to cut on expenses without compromising its safety and protection, hiring unarmed guards is the way to go unless you need armed guards due to the high-risk environment of your business. 

You don’t need to worry that unarmed guards will underperform compared to the armed ones. These professionals undergo rigorous training on handling unusual situations at work and receive certification from the relevant state agency, indicating that they meet the industry’s standards. Therefore, these guards can help you achieve your business’s security needs in low-risk settings and prevent the additional costs of hiring armed guards. They cut on business costs which allows you to save or expand the business.

  1. Provides Peace of Mind 

The picture of heavily armed guards in your business establishment might make walk-in customers and staff uncomfortable. The situation is understandable in a bank environment because of the high risk of criminal activity and valuable merchants. However, it will be a different scenario if you place armed guards in a rental apartment. It will alarm civilians, and employees may become uneasy wondering if they are in a dangerous situation.

Therefore, unarmed guards are the best if you are hiring guards for a business that isn’t a bank. They provide customers, employees, and other individuals on the premises a sense of security and that you care about their safety.

Additionally, they contribute to a sense of serenity and security, making employees and customers more comfortable. That way, your workers can focus on their core objectives while clients can stay longer on the premises because they are more relaxed.

  1. They Deter Theft

If you manage a construction site, you already know that the people likely to cause disruptions are unarmed. Therefore, having unarmed guards around the site is a sufficient deterrent from any criminal activity or damage. With an efficient patrol management system, the guards deployed in your premises will have sufficient knowledge and training to tackle any bizarre incident that occurs. Even if the situation intensifies, the unarmed guards can rely on the patrol management system to call for reinforcement from local law enforcement in real-time.

  1. They are Suitable for Low-Security Threats

The security needs of your business depend on the property in question. If you aren’t in a high-risk environment with no risk of violent crimes or armed robbery, armed security guards are unnecessary. Retaining unarmed guards and an effective patrol management system are enough to ensure that its property and employees are guarded. The low-security threat levels referred here include traffic control, retail loss prevention, entry access, and general surveillance. You don’t need armed security for these areas because unarmed guards can easily satisfy them.

  1. Protects You From Liability Consequences

If an armed guard shoots someone in your business premises, you will be liable for their actions. Furthermore, armed citizens intending to damage or steal your property may capture and injure or kill the security guards in an attempt to disarm the armed security guards. Even in these cases, you will be responsible for their harm or death, just like their employer. However, if you choose unarmed guards, you will have few or no shooting incidents, which will protect the business from unwanted lawsuits.

The Bottom Line

On the issue of preventing crime and enhancing safety, unarmed guards are equally effective as armed guards. For instance, suppose a person planned to commit burglary in your business premises, and they see a guard. In that case, they don’t know whether the individual is armed or not, and this will act as a visible deterrent. The main aim of the burglars is not to be seen or apprehended, and they won’t attempt that whether the guard has a lethal weapon or not.

If you operate a high-risk business, you will need armed guards. However, if the threat of criminal activity on your business is relatively low or searching for crime prevention, unarmed guards are the right choice.

Factors to Consider When Hiring Unarmed Guard Services

As the decision-maker for your business, you must understand that hiring unarmed security is not a simple decision. There are several factors you must consider to hire professional and reliable security services. These are:

A Formal Proposal

Before you look for a security firm, you must assess your business needs and come up with expectations. To ensure the unarmed guard service you hire has what it takes to meet your expectations, you must request formal proposals from the interested candidates. These proposals contain the details of the security services provided by the firm and their cost.

You should go through this proposal thoroughly and ensure it will meet the security needs of your entity. If some of the details in the proposal are unclear, you can arrange a meeting with the company representative for clarification.

Bespoke Services

Many security firms in Los Angeles offer bespoke services depending on your business needs. Various commercial establishments have unique features based on their industry. Also, crime levels differ from one location to another, with some areas deemed high-risk and others low-risk. So, you may need unarmed guards that operate around the clock while another needs these security services only at night. For example, if you operate a parking lot, you are likely to require security services after hours when there is a high risk of criminal activity.

Sufficient Training

As indicated earlier, security professionals must enroll and complete a training program to become unarmed guards. The training mainly involves learning how to apprehend a civilian who risks themselves or other people in the business premises and safely restraining or detaining them awaiting law enforcement officers.

Additionally, these individuals are trained to be your eyes and ears as the manager of the building. They receive instructions on how to handle various scenarios without breaching business policies or protocols. The extra training focuses on handling emergencies, fires, floods, crime, or other unusual activities.

Moreover, these guards are taught to be familiar and personable to clients and employees to make everyone feel secure and comfortable when entering or exiting the premises. The uniforms they put on while on duty help deter crime, although they don’t perform some of the responsibilities performed by armed guards.

Therefore, before enlisting a security firm for the job, you must check if they have the proper training necessary to meet your business goals. Without adequate training, unarmed guards could conduct themselves unprofessionally, which could harm your business and expose it to lawsuits and a dented reputation.

Valid Licenses

Once security professionals have completed their training, they must obtain completion certificates that meet the state government’s conditions for an unarmed guard license to be issued. Issuance of a license demonstrates that the security guards have proper training and insurance. Licensed guards will handle any security issue that might arise in the business premises without attracting lawsuits.

When it comes to licensure, request license copies from the company you are considering. Besides, the security company itself must provide copies of operating licenses to ensure you are working with professionals who meet state and local government requirements.

Liability insurance

Before retaining the services of a security company, ensure that they have a liability insurance policy. You cannot afford to be too careful when managing the security of all individuals entering and leaving your business. Even if the company provides you with a copy of valid liability insurance, you must double-check to ensure your commercial premise is listed on their insurance binder. In case of a lawsuit, the insurance policy will provide a safety net.

Formal Uniforms

A first impression is good for every business. So, you want to work with unarmed guard service with a strict policy on formal uniforms. Further, if you are using a patrol management system, you want to know the types of vehicles used for patrols.

If you consider these and other factors when hiring, you will find unarmed guard services that will help you realize all the benefits you intended for your business in the first place.

Find Unarmed Guard Services Near Me

Green Knight Security is the leader in private unarmed guard services. Our team comprises highly trained professionals with non-lethal weapons like batons, pepper spray, and tasers capable of securing your property, visitors, equipment, merchandise, and employees. If you want to hire unarmed security for your Los Angeles, CA business, don’t hesitate to call us today at 844-457-8326 for a zero-obligation consultation.