Security Guard Companies in Chicago: Are They the Right Choice?
Use The Best Security Guard Companies in Chicago?
Onsite security guards are a typical choice for protection at many businesses. In most cases, guards are stationed at gates or other entry points. Some properties may also have guards who walk throughout the property looking for suspicious situations.
However, should you hire the security guard companies in Chicago or is there a better option? To answer this question, it’s a good idea to look at the different security solutions available and compare them to guards. It can also be very useful to consider the pros and cons of using physical guards at your property. This can help you determine which option is right for you.
Potential Benefits of Security Guards
One potential benefit to onsite security guards is that they are an active solution. This means they can spot suspicious situations before they develop into serious crimes and take steps to prevent crimes from happening. For instance, if a guard sees someone suspicious hanging around your gates, they can go investigate the situation and potentially stop a criminal before they can strike.
However, it’s important to note that many security guard services in Chicago are quite costly, especially if you have a large property with many entrances. In this type of site, you’ll have to have several guards working at once, 24/7. That can get expensive.
Possible Downsides to Security Guard Services
As mentioned, to have significant protection in a large property, many guards are needed. This quickly becomes financially significant. This point is further accentuated by the fact that, even with a large number of guards, it usually isn’t logistically possible to have guards watching every inch of a property at once.
That means, despite being a very costly option, security guards cannot provide the type of comprehensive security that many businesses need.
In addition, it can be difficult for guards to see at night and in other low-light conditions. This gives criminals a chance to hide or sneak around without being spotted.
There is also the possibility that guards could be distracted, overwhelmed, or even intimidated by criminals. This is especially likely if the criminals are armed. If an armed criminal is confronted by a security guard, the criminal could threaten violence against them – or worse.
Alternatives to Security Guard Companies in Chicago
When considering alternatives to security guard in Chicago, know that these options typically break down into two groups: Passive security and active security.
Live remote video monitoring is a powerful and cost-effective alternative to security guards.
Passive security tools are ones that cannot intervene into a situation to stop it from escalating. An alarm system is a type of passive security. It serves to tell people that a crime has happened, but this is only helpful after the fact. Alarm systems aren’t able to take any action to stop criminals, and this includes systems that are monitored by a central station. They can only respond to trouble conditions once they have already occurred.
This can be an issue as criminals can cause serious damage and steal significant valuables very quickly and the alarm may not respond until it’s too late.
The security guard companies are examples of an active security solution. They can respond to situations and influence them before they develop. Another option is live video monitoring. Cameras, speakers, and sensors are installed around a property so that security agents can watch what’s happening 24/7.
If they notice any suspicious activity, they can use the speaker system to communicate with the site directly. Agents can also contact the police directly and inform them that a crime is in progress. This process enables police to arrive on the scene while criminals are still there. Police are likely to give such calls a higher priority since an active crime is in progress.
The initial communication from the agents to the site typically intimidates criminals and causes them to leave the scene, since they know they’re being watched and that police could arrive at any minute.
For more information on alternatives to security guard companies in Chicago and area with details on how remote video monitoring can protect your property, please contact Birdseye Security Solutions today.
Our team works with business in and around the Chicago area and across North America to provide safety, security, and facility supervision services.