Should You Have Security Guard Service or Swissguard’s Guarding Solution?

There is some data from police presence to suggest that this can help. However, these businesses ultimately rely on human judgments and human errors to handle their security, and the cost of a part-time police officer can be very very expensive. Below, we will illustrate the drawbacks of using a traditional guard service and how our solution helps mitigate them.

Who’s Watching the Cameras?

Let’s say that your company has a constant stream of CCTVs on-site. You already have security staff on your payroll to watch the cameras, so there’s no need to worry about hiring an external service, right?

Wrong. Security guards slacking off in the camera room, eating chips, and playing phone games isn’t just a trope made up for drama on television and film. Even though such actions will surely get them fired, many paid security guards still do it.

Why? In part, this is due to the long hours a traditional guard must work. It is difficult for even the most disciplined of people to keep their eyes trained on cameras for 8 to 12 hours when there’s nothing of interest.

That’s why we swap out the guards watching the cameras on your property every 45 minutes. This ensures that it’s always a fresh set of eyes that watches the footage.

Traditional Security Guard Service Is Reactive, Not Proactive

Another major drawback of a traditional security guard service is its tendency towards reactivity. These guards cannot be proactive. They must wait until an alarm gets tripped or someone outright commits a crime before they can move in on the perpetrator.

There are several reasons why security guards can get hamstrung into reactivity. Two of which, we’ll discuss in greater detail later. However, the reason matters little if your security team can’t stop the perpetrator from getting away due to their slow reaction time.

Potential for Profiling

When you rely on humans to guard your establishment, you rely on human prejudices to determine who’s suspicious and who isn’t. This leads to an astounding amount of racial profiling incidents. Indeed, over 90% of black Americans state that they’ve been followed, watched, or otherwise profiled while out shopping.

Now, imagine that a white shoplifter that doesn’t rouse your security guard’s suspicion walks away with armfuls of expensive products. All the while, they were busy tailing a “suspicious” non-white customer. That’s not only a massive amount of lost revenue for you but also a potentially lost customer.

Our off-site guarding solution via watching the cameras’ live feeds real-time can substantially reduce the number of false alarms and profiling incidents to a minimum. Our team is put through regular training in the signs of suspicious behavior. We can look for those warning signs, rather than judging based on the color of a patron’s skin.

Sounding the Alarm May Take Too Long

With most security systems, the police don’t come to the scene until and unless someone sounds the alarm. However, in case of an emergency, reaching the alarm may take too long to do any good. Or, in worst-case scenarios, the alarm system can’t be reached.

In most warehouses or distribution centers, employees are forbidden from having their cellphones on their person. Imagine that an active shooter situation emerges, and access to the security room or the alarms gets cut off. How, then, are those in the building supposed to contact the police for help?

The simple answer is: They can’t. We can. Our high-quality security team can contact the police as we see an event occurring, even when people on-site can’t reach the outside world.

Criminal Collaboration

No one wants to think ill of their employees. However, in warehouses alone, a solid 60% or more of on-site thefts occur with the help of the guards. This “help” can take a multitude of forms, including:

• Taking bribes from the criminals
• Conveniently looking the other way or deleting footage
• Advising would-be thieves of camera locations and other security measures
• Giving up security passcodes or access by falling for social engineering tactics

Our guards cannot be bought, nor made to give up information to fraudsters or criminals. We may even spot acts of criminal collaboration in your existing guard staff if you try to keep both types of security present.

What Can a Guard Do Without Getting Sued?

This is America, the world’s most litigious country. So, of course, we can’t discuss security staff without discussing lawsuits and liability.

Earlier, we mentioned that live security guards get hamstrung into reactivity. Imagine, if you will, that a guard for your business finds a suspicious person and gets into a physical confrontation with them. Now imagine that person turns out to be innocent and files a suit against your business.

It is out of a desire to avoid lawsuits that many businesses these days tell their staff to allow thieves or intruders they spot to walk in and out freely.

Real-Time Video Monitoring Is Cheaper

One last factor we’ve yet to mention in this comparison is price. It should go without saying that an on-site security guard service requires significantly more out-of-pocket costs than a remote service. After all, with a live security guard service, you must account for the wages of the guards, as well as potential insurance expenses.

Our real-time video monitoring solutions can save you money, whether you need to secure a large business or an expensive residence.

Swissguard USA’s Guarding Solution Is the Best for Your Needs

A traditional security guard service relies on fallible people. Swissguard USA’s guarding solution mans the cameras with well-trained, experienced employees. We can spot incidents as, or even before they happen so the police can arrive on the scene faster. This means fewer losses for you and greater peace of mind.

If you’d like to learn more about what our services can offer you, don’t hesitate to contact our trusted network. We are ready and awaiting your call.