Types of security guards: How to choose the right one

The security guard profession includes various types of security officers, and each has different duties and purposes. When choosing the right kind of security guard that suits your specific needs, first, you must be aware of your options and what to look for when hiring a security company. To help you determine the kind of security you need, our security guard patrol agency has made a comprehensive guide about the main types of security guards and the kinds of services they provide.

11 types of security guards (and what they do)

1. Residental Security Guards

This type of guard has the job of protecting private residences and larger residential communities such as university campuses, complexes, apartments, or entire neighborhoods. Residential security guards are in charge of guarding the gates, patrolling properties and access, performing night watch programs, surveilling for suspicious activities, and responding to residential home issues and neighborhood security incidents. Depending on client needs, these security guard officers can be armed or unarmed.

2. Business guards

Business guards are the security officers who protect business properties such as warehouses, bars, retail stores, and others. Establishment guards have different liabilities depending on the kind of business. The job concerns in shops, bars, restaurants et cetera., will differ and be challenging in different ways.

Retail guards have to prevent goods theft in retail shops and localities. These security officers patrol shops for suspicious activities, have surveillance cameras, respond to alarms, ensure that employees and customers are not damaging the products, and react to theft. Although retail guards are usually unarmed, they are authorized to detain thieves or violators until law enforcement arrives.

One type of business guard is a corporate guard; they secure business headquarters or high-level executives who reside in the building. They control facility access, ensure the best security practices, manage security surveillance systems and alarms, and work as a connection to the emergency services. Corporative guards can often become personal security guards for top-level company executives.

Another type of business guard is the in-house security guard, also called proprietary security, and is hired by companies as internal security recruitment. Banks, hospitals, medical centers, museums, hotels and resorts, cruise ships, and others usually hire this type of security guard.

3. Contract security guards

This is the most common kind of security guard. Private security agencies hire contract security officers to provide the best security service that fits clients’ demands. One of the most popular contract security guards is private security. These types of security guards perform personal bodyguard services, and they are usually called bodyguards or personal guards. They ensure clients’ safety and security the entire time. This individual approach requires officers to be trained and prepared to provide clients protection in various situations and scenarios, which makes their job challenging and unpredictable. The specificity of this type of security requires officers the additional training besides the standard security guard training. Bodyguards often work in teams and are usually armed due to their duty to protect high-risk personas, celebrities, high-profile and VIP personas, or politicians.

4. Armed security

Armed security guards are officers trained and licensed to carry firearms. The conditions for carrying weapons depend on various factors, such as the level of security they provide and the risk they have at work regarding clients, themselves, and others. Therefore, the training they undergo for being armed security officers is much more demanding than regular security guard training. Hiring armed security guards are more expensive than unarmed security. However, if you or your business falls under the high-risk category, the expenses of armed guards will justify the investment. Armed patrol is a particularly convenient type of security for high-violence areas that requires serious safety measures.

5. Unarmed guards

People usually believe that unarmed security officers are left to face the challenges with bare hands and their strength. However, that is not entirely true. Although these security officers are not equipped with firearms, they are allowed to carry batons and pepper spray, which is adequate for the nature of their work and low-risk environment. Unarmed security officers are also capable of detaining offenders until police arrive. Unarmed security is less expensive than armed guards because they don’t require weapon handling training.

6. Event Security Guards

Event security guards are required for events and other gatherings that consider attending a large number of people. These events usually require a lot of security officers in one place. This type of security service has the duty to keep an eye on the crowd preventing any incidents. Besides private events, event security guards secure public safety during concerts, fairs, sports events, and other manifestations.

7. Plainclothes guards

Plainclothes guards, are the type of security guards that can have many advantages over clearly visible officers. For instance, on some occasions, such as weddings or other special events, the presence of uniformed security can make people uncomfortable. People tend to behave more naturally in the absence of uniformed security officers. Other clients require ununiformed officers because they don’t want outsiders to be aware that they are monitored. As the presents of uniformed officers by itself affects by discouraging potential offenders without uniformed guards in sight, people are more likely to steal, damage, or violate.

8. Uniformed Guards

Having uniformed officers is sometimes enough to ensure public safety. The uniform guard’s presence is often sufficient to deter an individual from performing any illegal acts. That also applies when you clearly highlight the presence of security cameras. Uniformed officers can be armed or unarmed, depending on the client’s needs and the type of security guard training officers undergo.

9. Patrol Guards

Patrol guards move around the area during the shift and stay constantly alert. Patrol guards are usually equipped with radios and vehicles as the area is usually large where they’ll be working. Therefore, patrol guard security officers are an adequate solution for large businesses and private local businesses, especially those that require night surveillance. Patrol guards can regularly patrol the whole area, irregularly chack-in on high-risk spots, providing night patrolling security checklists and reports.

10. Government security guard

Government guards are in charge of securing government buildings federal, state, or local. Securing facilities such as courthouses, postal services, military premisses, and others considers maintaining order and protecting and defending government property and personnel. These security officers are usually government employees themselves, highly trained and armed.

11. Stationary guards

A stationary guard’s main job is to stay at the entrance, exits, barriers, or other spots around the building all their working shift. Guards are usually strategically positioned at points where they can see one another in the different parts of a building, having a clear view and ensuring that all areas are covered. Another sort of stationary guard includes the officers that survey security cameras in control rooms and gatekeepers.

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a security service and you are still not sure which one of the mentioned types of security guards will best suit your needs, feel free to contact us and make an appointment with our experienced agents, who will evaluate the level and the set of security that suits your needs and budget. Our security agency offers various security options and personalized alternatives optimized for your specific needs.