If you think security guards reduce liability you may need to think again. Here are some recent news stories to serve as examples. KING 5 Seatle reports that a deputy in Seattle received a sentence after stealing things while on duty as a security guard at Home Depot. In Atlanta, FOX 5 news talks about a security guard who was caught using a customer’s credit card. The customer was near the security guard when they committed the crime. Talk about a brazen move!
According to News Channel 8 in Pinellas Park, Florida, police arrested a hospital security guard for fraud. The security guard took money and a debit card from a patient’s wallet. The security guard used the card at several Walmart locations.
Based on these stories and many others, Kent Perkins, a private investigator, asks a good question in the title of the article “Who’s watching the security guards?” The article shares stories of planting undercover investigators pretending to be security guards. It turns out many criminals approached these plants to ask for help in committing crimes.
First, they test the security guards with a task involving illegal drugs. When the security guard successfully follows directions, then they trap the security guard in their criminal enterprise.
The article also references a company that struggled to figure out how big pallets disappeared from their inventory. The video cameras showed all the inventory being loaded on the company trucks with a security guard watching and signing off on the shipment. Long story short, the criminals approached the security guard about making extra cash with a drug deal.
After completing that, the crooks would offer the security guard good money to sign off on pallets of products that get stolen. The investigators followed the trucks. One of the destinations only received half of the pallets while an unauthorized destination received the other half.
Security guards are human. Check out these video clips of security guards. One sleeps on the job and the other plays around in a golf cart. If that doesn’t make you question the use of security guards, maybe their inadequate training will.
The Lack of Security Guard Standards and Training
Companies could be putting their businesses at risk when they hire security guards. They can’t be sure the security guards respond appropriately in a dangerous situation. In this video, a security guard left his post when individuals caused damage to an office building.
Security guards are not equivalent to police officers. Security guard training, if they receive any, does not always prepare them for dangerous situations and how to overcome their human urge to flee the scene instead of fighting.
While some security guards are off-duty police officers, they’re not likely to do their jobs as well as police if they’re working two jobs. A previously mentioned story tells how a deputy committed a crime while working as a security guard.
The security guard industry does not have a universal set of training practices. Every state in the U.S. has its own requirements for security guard licensing. These standards are not always enough to prepare guards for protecting a business.
In some states, security guards receive about eight hours of pre-assignment training, eight hours of yearly training, and eight to sixteen hours of on-the-job training. It’s possible for a security guard to get their license in just two weeks. Do you want to trust someone to watch over a property with only two weeks of security guard training?
Additionally, a study has shown that some security guards have a criminal past according to CNN and the Center for Investigative Reporting. The story also mentions the security guard industry has such a high turnover because of low pay and dangerous working conditions. The story points out that 31 states do not require background checks.
The security guard training problem isn’t limited to the U.S. Canada faces the same problems. The head of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association Michael Bryant says that the training and regulations have failed to keep up with the industry’s growth.
How Remote Video Surveillance Help Overcome Security Guard Limits
At first glance, it makes sense to have a security guard on-site to investigate suspicious activities and events in real-time. However, they are limited in what they can do. For one, a single person can’t be everywhere on the property. They can only monitor what’s in front of them. Video surveillance with remote monitoring can observe the entire property all at once.
Secondly, security guards are humans. As previously mentioned, they do not get the in-depth training that police officers do. They may not even get training at all. This can turn security guards into a liability risk as they can make the wrong decisions on the spur of the moment or create a bigger problem in their poor handling of the situation.
Finally, the cost of security guards multiplies with every guard added to the budget. If a business can afford to place a security guard on every corner and have eyes on the entire property, it does not guarantee they’ll respond appropriately in any given scenario.
Video surveillance with remote monitoring can overcome the disadvantages associated with security guards. It combines the human element with technology. A property can still have human eyes on it with the added benefit of tech monitoring.
Artificial intelligence and humans monitor all the video cameras. AI can constantly and instantly scan all the cameras looking for potential problems. When it detects something suspicious, it notifies the human monitoring operator who can investigate and respond as needed for the situation.
The human operator is not located on the property. Their fight-or-flight response is never an issue. They can follow suspects using all the cameras and alert them over remote speakers. If the intruders don’t hear or ignore the audible warning, then the operator can contact local authorities to get police to the property.
The police are more likely to respond faster when they know the call comes from Stealth Monitoring. The company has partnerships with law enforcement across North America. The police know Stealth Monitoring has video verification that there is a crime or emergency in progress.
The monitoring operators undergo training. This helps ensure they follow protocols and processes for any given situation. The training allows them to spot prospective crimes before anything happens as they work in conjunction with technology. Most traditional security systems don’t have this capability.
Companies working with Stealth Monitoring’s video surveillance and remote monitoring services typically pay far less for the technology and service than for a security guard. Some do retain a security guard on the property who works in conjunction with remote video surveillance. Security cameras also have the advantage of being able to provide full coverage including unsafe areas where security guards shouldn’t venture.
The Advantage of Video Surveillance with Remote Monitoring
Many security solutions tend to be reactive. This means they don’t respond to suspicious activity until long after the crime and damage occurs. Video cameras with remote monitoring take a proactive approach to security.
Here are some of the advantages of video surveillance with remote monitoring:
- Faster response times: Companies like Stealth Monitoring have partnerships with local law enforcement across North America. When they get a call from Stealth, they tend to make the calls a high priority thanks to video verification.
- Liability protection: Video recordings come in handy as evidence for insurance claims, liability lawsuits, and police investigations.
- Complete site coverage: Security cameras with human monitoring and artificial intelligence can watch over the entire property simultaneously including areas where security guards can’t venture safely.
- Provides savings: Companies using remote video surveillance can lower their risk, save on insurance premiums, and avoid the costs associated with crime and its side effects. Video surveillance with human monitoring costs up to 60% less than security guard services.
It’s important for property owners and operators to do their research to find the right video monitoring solutions vendor to help protect their business. Some security vendors try to drive up the cost by installing more cameras and technology than needed. The key is to find security companies with experience in your company’s industry. They know how to design a right-sized solution for maximum coverage.
Another thing to consider is the quality of the video. Not all companies use high-resolution video cameras. You may need cameras that can read license plates and other identifying information. Companies like Stealth Monitoring use high-resolution cameras that can record and save license plates, even when the vehicle is moving.
In interviewing security monitoring companies, ask about daytime and nighttime monitoring. Can their cameras see well no matter the conditions whether it’s light, dark, or stormy? North America is dealing with extreme natural disasters. Ensure the video surveillance company has a plan in place to keep the cameras going during the worst weather conditions and a backup plan for if something goes wrong.
Any company promising their technology never breaks isn’t being truthful. Technology breaks. The way some companies address this is by conducting system health checks. They run regular health checks to verify the system is working or to fix them as soon as possible. You don’t want the cameras to be out of order when a crime happens.
In interviewing security monitoring vendors, use this list of questions. To learn more, browse this website. For more information about video surveillance with remote monitoring and business-grade security solutions, please contact us.
Texas Private Security License Number: B14187
California Alarm Operator License Number: ACO7876
Florida Alarm System Contractor I License Number: EF20001598
Tennessee Alarm Contracting Company License Number: 2294
Virginia Private Security Services Business License Number: 11-19499
Alabama Electronic Security License # 002116
Canada TSBC License: LEL0200704
