A Security Guard is someone who patrols and inspects property against fire, theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity. They monitor people and buildings in an effort to prevent crime.

Security Guard Duties

A security guard’s duties can range from simply being present to reacting to robberies and assaults and maintaining law and order. Knowing all the responsibilities of a security guard goes a long way in ensuring that your property is secure.

The following are some of the key security guard duties:-

Observe and Report

These are the two most crucial responsibilities a security guard has. A security guard has to patrol areas and perform security checks, keeping their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

Should a crime or emergency occur, having a clear recollection of preceding events will allow the responders to handle the situation better?

Be Visible

The presence of a security guard can prevent someone from attempting something illegal or acting up. That’s why being visible is an essential part of a security guard’s duty.

They must position themselves in public, high-traffic areas to create a feeling of safety.

Maintain Order

Security guards are required to maintain law and order within the property. Maintaining order could involve:

• Enforcing company policies, rules, and laws
• Controlling access to the building
• Monitoring surveillance systems and alarms

Should emergencies occur, the guard should manage the situation, maintaining order as best as they can. They should also have good communication and decisive leadership qualities while awaiting responders to arrive on the scene.

Help Guests

A security guard could be stationed at the entrance of a building. In such a case, one of the guard’s duties will be to assist guests. This responsibility will involve providing them with different information and directing guests to where they need to be.

This is usually common in:

• Offices/Corporate security
• Residential security
• Hotel security

This duty is often a balancing act—while the guard is helping guests, they must also be mindful of their other responsibilities, such as detecting potential threats and denying access to potentially dangerous people.

Protect the Property

A security guard must always be mindful of their surroundings to protect the property. This duty could involve patting down people who are entering the building. The guard must stay vigilant, utilizing their keen sense of sight, hearing, and smell.

These senses will help them detect any potential risks. They could smell a chemical leak, hear something strange, or see something out of the ordinary. The guard should then determine the severity of the emergency and how to respond to it.

Enforce Safety Precautions

In an emergency, the security guard is responsible for enforcing safety precautions in line with company policy. These precautions will help protect employees, guests, and the public from danger and will enable the guards to direct them away from harm.

Additional Security Guard Responsibilities

Besides the duties we have mentioned above, there are certain situations that security guards can also lend their expertise and experience.

Administrative Support

Security guards can offer the following to reduce the administrative burden your staff might be under:

• Liaison Services: They can act as the liaison between public safety officials and your management team.
• Telephone Assistance: They can also answer phones, screen, and direct calls, and take messages when necessary.

• You can view a security guard as the face of a building’s security operation. They are the person you will often see performing day-to-day security duties.
• A security guard is posted at different checkpoints like gates, doors, or other areas that are considered to be vulnerable. They work under a security officer and will often stay at the location they have been assigned. Sometimes, however, the guard might patrol a specific area.
• The guard follows a security management plan’s details and won’t be expected to exercise any independent judgment. Their responsibility is limited.
• The hope is that a security guard’s presence will be more than enough to deter unwanted or criminal activity. If this fails, however, the guard is expected to report any suspicious activity they detect.
• Due to the limited nature of the role, a security guard’s requirements are less stringent than those of a security officer. Though it helps, guards are not required to have high experience levels.
• Instead, simple IQ tests or fitness requirements might be the only criteria some companies consider when hiring a security guard.

Security guards typically do the following:

• Protect and enforce laws on an employer’s property
• Monitor alarms and closed-circuit TV cameras
• Control access for employees, visitors, and outside contractors
• Conduct security checks over a specified area
• Write comprehensive reports outlining what they observed while on patrol
• Interview witnesses for later court testimony
• Detain criminal violators

“Guards must remain alert, looking for anything out of the ordinary throughout their shift. In an emergency, guards may call for assistance from police, fire, or ambulance services. Some security guards may be armed”

• In retail stores, guards protect people, records, merchandise, money, and equipment. They may work with undercover store detectives to prevent theft by customers or employees, detain shoplifting suspects until the police arrive, or patrol parking lots.

• In office buildings, banks, hotels, and hospitals, guards maintain order and protect the organization’s customers, staff, and property.

• In museums or art galleries, guards protect paintings and exhibits by watching people and inspecting packages entering and leaving the building.

• In factories, government buildings, and military bases, security guards protect information and products and check the credentials of people and vehicles entering and leaving the premises.

• At universities, in parks, and at sports stadiums, guards do crowd control, supervise parking and seating, and direct traffic.

• At bars and nightclubs, guards (or bouncers) keep under-age people from entering, collect cover charges at the door, and maintain order among customers.

• Guards who work as transportation security screeners protect people, transportation equipment, and freight at airports, train stations, and other transportation facilities.

* Honesty & Trustworthiness : Employers need to trust security guards to make the right decisions to protect their business and the general public. Creating and maintaining an honest and trusting relationship is key.

* Quick Reflexes : Valued security guards are alert at all times. They are able to assess and analyze what is going on around them and quickly react and respond to potentially dangerous situations.

* Rationality : A large part of the security guard’s job entails making wise judgement calls about whether something is a legitimate threat, and if it is a threat, how big it is. Rationality relies on making sense of each aspect of the situation and being able to predict how it will play out.

* Leadership and Team Player Perspective : While security guards often work alone, it is not uncommon for them to work in teams to secure the perimeter of a business. In these circumstances, it is especially important to know when to assert one’s self and when to follow the lead or orders of someone else.

* Communication Skills : Security guards are required to communicate with their employer, their teammates, and the public. Knowing which information to communicate to whom is fundamental to maintaining safety and security.

* Physical Fitness and Strength : Security guards must be prepared for the possibility of physical confrontation. Whether this takes the form of chasing a thief or breaking up a fight, guards need to maintain reasonable fitness and strength to keep up with potential offenders.

* Respect for Life : When involved in physical confrontation, security guards face the issue of how much force to exert. The challenge is to strike a balance between enough force to subdue an offender without causing injury to either the offender or any onlookers.