Owning a business means you have to protect your property. Although the decision may seem straightforward, there may be some things you are not sure about. Like what type of security guard you need, it may be armed security guards or unarmed security guards. It all depends on the services that you are looking for them to fulfill as each person has different needs according to their business. But many business owners are not sure about this so we are here to help you in choosing between armed and unarmed guards.
Function
The first thing you need to know is both the armed and unarmed guards provide security for the main purpose of deterrence. This is so that no fights break out or no one trespasses onto the premises. However, if it is a business setting and you are looking for a guard that would provide customer service as well the better option would be to go for an unarmed guard. An armed guard is mainly necessary to protect your establishment from high threat levels. If you own a small business an unarmed guard should be sufficient.
Cost
Another factor that plays in when choosing which security guard to select is the cost. Armed guards are costlier to get because of the firearms and training that they go through. Since there is a risk of injury or death you will also need to pay liability insurance when hiring them. However, in the case of an unarmed security guard, they would cost less as they go through lesser training as well. In addition to being able to make arrests, they will also help the people with customer service and many other activities. If you have a small business hiring an unarmed guard is the more cost-effective solution.
Type of Setting
Another main choice when choosing between armed and unarmed guards is the type of setting they are going to serve in. Like if you are looking for a security guard to place in football games or some event an unarmed guard tends to be the better solution. Since the main purpose of unarmed guards is crowd control. This way they know how to handle people easier and can search for any suspicious items. However, if you are looking to protect places like banks or financial centers where large amounts of money or valuables are stored then the better option would be to hire an armed security guard.
Specific Duties
Both the armed and unarmed guards are each better suited for specific duties. So depending on what duties you need them to fill one of them might be the better choice for you. If you are looking to hire a security guard for the sole purpose of protection. Then an armed guard is probably the better option. If you are looking for a guard for establishments like schools, offices, or banks then armed security guards are the way to go. However, if you are looking to hire a security guard for protection as well as have them help. In places like customer service and provide a safe environment an unarmed guard would be better suited to this role.
VIP Protection
VIP protection is very important and while an unarmed guard can handle it most people tend to hire armed security guards. This is mainly because they take the priority of the VIP Client as their only priority. Even during events if you invite VIP guests it is better to have an armed security guard service. Even though an unarmed guard would be more visually appealing and keep you safe as well. A VIP guest would need to have better protection. In many cases, armed guards are hired to protect politicians, actors and other famous people. Armed guards can also be used to make sure that none of the fans get close to the actor. They go through rigorous training and make sure they are ready for anything that may occur.
Patrol Services
In cases of patrol services, you can hire either armed or unarmed services. Depending on the location you are present in you may need to get an armed security guard. If you are present in a high-risk area it is more likely that you could end up in a dangerous situation. This is why you would need to hire armed security guards in such cases. However, in areas with low risk where you do not need as much protection having an unarmed security guard would be the better option. So there is no problem in choosing between armed and unarmed guards in this case.
Main concerns
Whichever security guard you choose there will always be some concerns that you will have to think about. Let us talk about some main concerns in both cases. For armed security guards, the main concern is the firearms they carry. They have the authority to use deadly force if necessary.
If an accident occurs during work and someone gets injured you as the owner of the property could be held liable in such cases. However, they do provide the best security for any high-risk areas. The other option which you have is unarmed security, though they don’t have any firearms on them they can still be very helpful in making sure no one trespasses, vandalizes, or causes any problems in your establishment.
Unarmed guards are also less threatening which makes them better for areas like shopping malls. An unarmed guard poses the same level of deterrence towards anyone suspicious however they have a lesser intimidation level. Unarmed security guards would best be suited to low-risk areas.
