It’s a tough question because security comes with power and there have been far too many cases where an abuse of power has been witnessed on the national stage. People are starting to question whether positions like security officers are necessary today.

Here are the typical pros and cons thought of when security guards are brought up.

 

Pro:

  • They prevent theft, property damage, breaking and entering
  • Immediate criminal deterrent with no prolonged response time
  • They can make customers feel safe
  • Give peace of mind
  • Help lower insurance and inventory loss costs

 

Con:

  • The cost
  • There probably isn’t any crime to deal with
  • Not as powerful as police
  • The cost of theft is low
  • They are incompetent or badly trained

 

The question is whether the pros outweigh the costs and it really depends on individual clients and the industry itself especially for small businesses that don’t have the financial freedom to waste money.

Investing in security has to have a tangible ROI. Unfortunately, like insurance costs, you won’t be able to measure the opportunity cost of a good security force.

If they do well and you see a reduction of theft, break-ins, and other petty crimes you could think there was never a need for security in the first place.

 

Risky Business

But there are some industries that are more prone to a crime that is best deterred by security because they have one or more of these risk factors:

  1. Large Facilities to Protect
  2. More expensive products/equipment on the facility
  3. Location (dark, minimal traffic at night, industrial areas)
  4. Easily concealable products
  5. No security systems known
  6. Few Staff Employed

It’s why small businesses are often the target of minor thefts that largely go unrecovered and eat at profit margins.

 

Retail Stores

Retail is one of the largest victim industries of theft if there are no security deterrents.

However, if they offer lower value merchandise some shrink can be accommodated and the store can remain afloat.

It’s important to know the cost of theft though so we recommend an accurate inventory and monthly shrinkage audit be taken to see if security is needed.

You might some surprising stats to help you orient your security program where you only need part-time help on weekends or special holiday seasons.

Construction Sites

There are between 300 million to 1 billion dollars of construction equipment stolen every year.

Construction sites are an irresistible spot for B&Es, costly material thefts, and property damage.

Lots are often left abandoned all night, with expensive materials and equipment unlocked, and in industrial areas with low lighting and few pedestrians.

Often the security measures of a construction site are a fence and a few cameras. But wearing a hood or mask has been proven an easy workaround and trespassers tend to have at least 5-10 minutes depending on the location of the nearest police response.

Read more: Smarter Criminals means Smarter Security is Needed

Materials are lost and if enough is taken can derail the scheduled build for the next day costing thousand times the real theft of materials.

Construction companies that are known for projects that run overschedule are given a black mark by the community and government for new projects.

A security guard provides the prevention needed to chase off any trespassers even brave enough to approach with a guard nearby. The majority of the potential crime is stopped before it happens saving construction companies thousands in delays and materials.

Cons:

  • ROI is hard to measure when you don’t know if you would normally be a target for theft or other crimes

Pros:

  • Construction sites are highly risky to theft and trespassing which makes it more likely security will be needed, guards are an affordable solution

It’s why construction sites are one of the key physical security investors.

Related: Security for Construction Sites During the Construction 2.0 Era: What you Need to Know

Homeowner Associations (HOA)

The majority of burglaries happen in residential areas. In the US there is a home burglary every 13 seconds.

It’s no wonder when our lives are now public domain and finding a time when nobody is home is broadcast.

It’s a wake-up call but posting about your date night and family vacations can be easily used against you. Just think about how easy it is to find out personal information you never would have thought about getting out before.

Now a simple selfie can be accidentally showing exactly where you live, the layout of your house, and the potential items that can be stolen and where they are stored.

Cons:

Most homeowners cannot dedicate enough money to full-time private security.

Pros:

HOA’s are the resident’s way of protecting their property and families through collective cost-sharing. So private security becomes something everyone can enjoy.

Parking Garages

A car is one of the largest investments you’ll ever make but relatively easy to steal and California has the highest motor vehicle theft rate in the US.

There is an average of 209 car thefts daily because keys were left in the car.

Parking garages are dark with a lot of levels and without a guard the security footage if there is any is often grainy and non-identifying.

Security, wherever there is little visibility in parking garages, should be a priority. If you do choose to use cameras make sure the lighting is fair enough, especially at night, that you can make out enough detail for police reports of the stolen vehicle and suspect.

Cameras should also be tested daily for general use and blind spots.

Read more: Why Security Cameras Aren’t Enough

Cons:

  • Profit margins in parking lots are generally low

Pros:

  • Having security is important for the safety of customers
  • It also can attract new customers compared to other services

Takeaways:

You’ve probably thought it could never happen to you. You might hear about the risks that a store halfway across the state got robbed in yesterday’s paper but it feels too remote to worry about.

But security isn’t something you’ll ever be glad to have at the moment. It’s only after something happened and you didn’t have security that you regret the choice to risk it.

Then if you have good security you wonder why because nothing ever happens.

That may be true or it could be because of the deterrent. It makes calculating the ROI of getting security difficult.

But some of the best ways to know whether you need security is based on your individual risk level and industry.

We don’t want to turn anyone looking for safety away so if it’s just a matter of pricing, get in touch today and we’ll do our best to figure something out. Because everyone deserves to feel safe.