Home Security Guards: Silver lining or overrated?
The most important function of a security guards is to serve as a deterrent. They provide a visible reason for any trespasser, burglar, or would-be vandal to stop, take a minute to reconsider, and maybe choose another target instead. While commercial security services obviously make sense for commercial establishments, their utility in a private domicile may not be immediately apparent. However, the benefits of a guarding service are numerous, and more than they appear at first glance.
The Advantages of Hiring Home Security Guards
Simply put, the biggest advantage home security guards bring is that they make robbing you difficult, as yet another thing that can complicate the task. Unlike most home security equipment, which is easy to circumvent by expert criminals, security guards are human. This means that they are unpredictable, with routes and timings that change every day, freedom of vision that transcends programming, and the ability to make judgment calls.
Intelligent guards can further leverage this ability with good training, which will enable them to recognize a potential security risk and take action to deal with it before it becomes a problem. Any Security company in Los Angeles worth their salt will be able to fix a lot of your basic security issues themselves, without you having to lift a finger.
While citizen’s arrests are not typically recommended, even by police officers, some Security Guards in Orange County can in fact make them, even though they then have to be transferred over to Law Enforcement for processing.
The final, and frequently most useful part of the job description for Security guard services is the maintenance of home security equipment. The modern smart home has many systems that require frequent services, such as cameras, motion detectors, heat sensors, or other electronic security items. These can be maintained as part of regular services, and further decrease the hassle associated with these items. Well worth the cost!
The disadvantages of Home Security Guards
Of course, one cannot have any services that don’t come with their drawbacks.
The first, and most common one, is cost. If you are hiring a human being to watch your property full time, you have to support their living. The costs can be slightly cheaper if you go to a commercial company, but good security definitely isn’t cheap.
The second issue is that you get what you pay for, and the human element is then your weakest link. Security companies service multiple clients at once, and have to deal with the labor problems that occur from being short-staffed as a result of layoffs, resignations, or even just plain sick days. This results in fairly high turnover, and a possible lack of well-trained guards. This isn’t alleviated if you hire a guard directly either, as then you are even worse off if they do not show up, since you have no one to hold accountable. Some states get around this by requiring certification for security guards, so check if yours does.
At the end of the day, security guards are simply a tool. How you use that tool for your own security is up to you, and the true utility will depend on your specific situation. While businesses benefit in more obvious ways, security guards on larger homes and apartment complexes have definitely proven to be more than a luxury, and more akin to a prudent, almost mandatory, conclusion.
