Advantages of Security Guards for Your Business

Unfortunately, all business owners must prepare for various potential criminal activities and threats to their livelihood on a daily basis. This fact holds for all business owners, regardless of whether they have a small or large business, work in a low or high-risk area, or sell affordable or expensive items. But how do you prepare yourself for something that can be so unpredictable?

Hiring security guards is one option for business owners looking to protect their business better. A trained professional whose primary purpose is to identify suspicious activity and prevent crime can take an incredible amount of burden off of you so that you can worry about what’s most important, which is keeping your business running smoothly and successfully.

If you’re a business owner looking to protect your livelihood, read on to learn all of the advantages that hiring security guards can offer you.

Crime Prevention

Perhaps the primary reason why you might want to hire security for your business is to prevent any criminal activity from occurring on the premises.

Security guards can not only identify suspicious activity to stop a crime before it happens, but they also act as a visual deterrent to anyone who may be considering committing any sort of crime. The mere knowledge of a trained professional security presence may be all a criminal needs to know that your business is no place for illegal activity.

Handle Dangerous Situations

If a crime does occur, your security guard is highly trained to handle the incident properly. Whether they need to de-escalate a potentially violent situation, collect evidence, or communicate with the proper authorities, you can rest assured that they will be an invaluable means of protecting your assets, and more importantly, the safety of all those involved.

This applies to any dangerous situation, not just instances of criminal activity. Whether there’s an altercation, a fire, a blackout, or any other sort of emergency, a professional security guard has the training to handle the situation with poise.

Give You and Your Customers a Sense of Ease

Assuming you’re not looking to commit any crimes, a security presence should offer a sense of safety to anyone in your business. The knowledge that someone is there to monitor activity and react in an emergency can make the customer experience a far more relaxed one. It also shows your guests that you are a competent and prepared business owner who’s concerned about the well-being of their patrons.

Provide Added Customer Service

Unless it’s your personal preference, your security guards don’t need to be stoic and severe all the time. You can direct them to be warm and welcoming to your guests, too. On top of their security duties, they can serve as greeters, offer directions, answer questions, and provide overall friendly interactions that will bolster your business’s good name.

Armed or Unarmed Guards: How to Choose

There are many ways to protect property and prevent break-ins, vandalism, theft, or other damages. Homeowners, communities, businesses, and schools may turn to deterrents like heavy-duty locks or observational systems like security cameras, but these measures can only do so much. The next step is to enlist the aid of security professionals to patrol and safeguard the site. 

This form of deterrent is incredibly effective because an on-site security presence means almost immediate intervention in the event of an attack on the property. Oftentimes, security can even prevent intrusion or damage before it occurs. Thieves and vandals will think twice before crossing paths with trained security forces. 

The question, of course, is whether it’s better to hire unarmed or armed guards to secure your property. There are several factors to consider. Here are a few things to think about when you want to make the best decision for your residential, commercial, or public security

The Difference Between Unarmed and Armed Guards

Arms refer to any method of offense or defense, although we tend to think of being armed as carrying a firearm. It is the common understanding of the term that differentiates unarmed vs. armed guards. 

In fact, unarmed guards do carry non-lethal weapons for deterrence and self-defense, including items like a nightstick, pepper spray, or a taser, for example. Armed guards, by contrast, are trained to carry firearms, or lethal weapons. They are equipped with registered firearms to use if required in the course of protecting your property. 

Your Level of Risk

Before you decide whether unarmed or armed guards are right for your property, it’s important to assess the level of risk that you may face for intrusion or attack. For example, a business like a bank or jewelry store that houses incredibly valuable items is generally considered to be at higher risk for break-in and burglary than, say, a restaurant. A business that deals with valuable data may also face high risk. 

Homes in a gated community might be at less risk than a community full of million-dollar homes that is not gated. You also have to consider crime rates in your area. If they’re unusually high, even properties that might not normally have high risk factors could be targeted. 

For low-risk settings and scenarios, unarmed guards are generally considered to be an adequate deterrent to criminal activities like theft or vandalism. Higher risk properties might prefer armed guards to act as an elevated deterrent to crime. 

Managing Perceptions

There’s a fine line between creating the impression of a safe environment and making people wonder whether they should worry about an imminent threat. The average person might not think twice about seeing an armed guard in a busy bank, where the threat of robbery is high. 

However, seeing armed guards in a clothing boutique might raise eyebrows and cause shoppers to question whether they want to visit a store with such heightened security. 

Liability Concerns

You may notice that the cost of an armed security force is higher than the cost to use unarmed guards. There are two reasons for this. First, armed guards require more training. Secondly, there is a heightened level of liability when security professionals carry deadly weapons. 

Your budget may play a role in the type of security presence you choose, but this should only be taken into consideration after determining the level of security that best meets your needs. The professionals at Sentinel are always happy to offer suggestions based on our expertise, helping you to choose appropriate security options for the needs of your residential, commercial, or public property.

If you need security solutions Contact Us here!

Nicer Weather Means More Outdoor Events

Do you own an outdoor venue? Well, if so you should know that as the temperature rises, more people are going to flock to outdoor festivals, concerts, and other events that take place in outdoor venues just like yours! One of your top priorities is the safety of your attendees – and that just so happens to be a specialty for us.

Our armed guards are perfect for protecting your customers during any spring social event that takes place outside! That’s because they’re well trained in…

  • Crowd control
  • Threat assessment
  • Discretion
  • Crisis intervention
  • And more!

Rest assured that when you hire Sentinel’s armed guards, you’re getting professional and experienced agents that will stop at nothing to protect your valuable assets. Getting ready for the outdoor festival season? Contact us online today to find out how we can help.

What Sentinel’s Armed Guards Look for When Securing Your Home or Business

The first step to maximum security is the survey of your home or business that’s performed by Sentinel’s armed security guards upon assignment. The first step of our surveying process begins with a boundary check, where our agents walk the area and check for weak areas.

While performing this initial check, Sentinel’s armed guards will take on the mindset of a criminal to determine opportunities they might take advantage of to threaten your home or business’s security. These opportunities include:

  • Objects that allow criminals to scale walls or fences
  • Combustible material, or other targets of arson
  • Tools or materials that are accessible and can be used to help break in
  • Hiding places, such as tall grass and bushes
  • Areas of poor lighting and visibility from outside

Above is just a sample of the expertise that our company and our highly trained arm guards bring to address all of your home or business security needs. The sooner you take advantage of our armed guard services, the sooner you can rest easy knowing that your valuables are secure! Give us a call or contact us online today to learn more.

 

Hire Sentinel’s Armed Guards for Your VIP & Executive Protection Needs

Sentinel Management Group’s armed guards are ideal for protecting corporate offices, brick and mortar retail stores and other business locations throughout New York, but our trained professionals can be used in more personal applications as well. VIP and executive protection can also be provided by our armed security officers in order to protect…

  • Industry leaders
  • Corporate executives
  • Entertainment celebrities
  • Prominent political leaders
  • Attorneys
  • Witnesses in court cases and their immediate families

If you’re in need of VIP protection from our armed guards, we’ll develop a security and safety plan for any organization or individual to mitigate any threats to their safety, including kidnapping; assault; intimidation; stalking; harassment and more, through the use of secure air and ground transportation; advanced security measures; counter-surveillance measures; and medical assistance.

Take advantage of our worldwide contacts and resources. Call or contact Sentinel Management Group online today to hire our well-trained armed security guards to protect your VIPs and executives.

Holiday Season With Sentinel’s Armed Guards

With the holidays upon us, there’s no doubt that you’ll see an increase in foot traffic at your business. No matter what valuables you sell, store, clean, or buy in your business, now is a critical time to properly protect yourself from theft.

Sentinel’s Armed Guards can help keep your inventory safe and secure:

  • Comprehensive training undergone by all of our armed guards
  • Most armed guards employed by Sentinel have experience in NY law enforcement
  • We conduct thorough surveys of the area, organization, or individual being guarded
  • Armed guards are available for VIP protection, secure ground transport, special event security, crowd control, and much more

Whether you’re worried about spotting potential threats, or just keeping your retail space safe, hiring Sentinel’s Armed Guards is the best choice you can make! Contact us today to learn more about how Sentinel can make your holidays even safer.

 

Boosting Security for the Holidays

Improving the security at your retail store is always an important step to protecting your assets and valuables, but it’s especially important during the holiday season. With the increase in foot traffic, monetary transactions and returns, there’s also the potential for an increase in theft.

There are many steps you can take to increase the security in your store during the holidays, including:

  • Installing Surveillance Cameras
  • Utilizing Video Monitoring
  • Restricting Product Access
  • Scheduling More Employees
  • Reorganizing the Store’s Layout

In addition to these security improvements, the most helpful of them all is utilizing the Armed Guard services from Sentinel Security. Whether out of sight, or watching all entrances and exits, our professionally trained armed guards will keep your store and your customers safe from any potential threat. Start preparing your store for the holiday season. Call Sentinel Security today, or contact us online to learn more.

Armed Security at Your Next Catering Hall Event

If you’re thinking of booking a catering hall for your next big event, don’t forget about security! It’s especially important in these situations to have Sentinel’s highly trained armed security guards on hand to help your event run smoothly. Here are a few reasons to consider security at your catering hall event:

Multiple Entrances

Unguarded entrances can allow uninvited guests to sneak themselves inside. Hiring security to cover extra doors ensure that all points of entry are monitored throughout the duration of the event.

The Guest List

Investing in hosting an event can be costly, the last thing you want is for people who aren’t on your guest list coming in and eating the food. Hiring security is one way to ensure that your event is free of any party crashers.

You Guests’ Finest

Big events often prompt attendees to wear their finest clothing and jewelry. This can open them up to potential theft throughout the catering hall. With a diligent team of armed security guards, would-be thieves are deterred from making any attempts to lift someone’s valuables.

Alcohol Induced Behavior

When guests have been drinking, they’re more likely to damage property or get into altercations with one another. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to have armed security on hand if your event involves alcohol – even if the catering hall doesn’t require it.

Call Sentinel Security!

You don’t have to look any further than Sentinel Security for your armed security needs. Whether you’re looking to keep a wedding reception, awards banquet or any other big party safe from theft or threats of violence, our highly skilled armed security guards can ensure a flawless event. Contact us today to learn more.

Shoplifting Prevention with Sentinel’s Armed Guards

Running a business takes a lot of awareness – but you can’t be everywhere at once, and that’s when shoplifters strike. Take security into your own hands and protect your profits and reputation by calling on Sentinel’s armed guards to do what they do best!

  • Watch the sales floor: With armed guards on the sales floor, shoplifters won’t feel comfortable enough to strike.
  • Watch your staff: It’s an unfortunate truth, but internal theft is just as likely to happen as shoplifting. Hopefully you’re hiring employees you can trust, but armed guards can help you decrease the chances of internal theft.
  • Watch your doors: Entrances and exits are typically the focus of would-be thieves – because that’s their way out. With an armed guard stationed at every door, shoplifters will think twice.
  • Watch everything!: Our armed guards are trained to notice things that typical employees won’t. With guards patrolling, stationed in highly visible (and not-as-visible) locations, and at a central security post with cameras, you’ll have well-trained eyes working for you.

As an experienced security firm, we offer our clients top-notch guards and other personnel to help protect their business and their profits. Contact Sentinel today to learn more about our many services.

Do You Need Help With Your Commercial Property Security?

New York business owners and property managers all know that security in commercial settings comes with its fair share of complex, varied and difficult challenges. With many variables to consider, and a multitude of threats to assess, how do you know if you’re doing it right? One way to assess your current security program is to take a step back and look at the big picture. If you notice these signs, it might be time to contact the New York City security professionals at Sentinel to help out.

You notice an increase in security issues                               

Keep a constant eye on security problems as they occur, and carefully track which issues may be increasing at a given time. These may be long-term trends or seasonal spikes. If you’re seeing an increase in crime at your business, give Sentinel a call!

You notice an increase in crime

Your business’s geographic location may have been ideal initially, but if there’s a sudden increase in crime in your area, your security may not be up to the task like it was years ago. Remember, as crime trends change, your security will have to adapt to those changes!

You notice the elements of your security program aren’t cohesively working together

Your security operation needs to be running smoothly to be most effective. If the parts of your security program are struggling to work together (personnel, access control, emergency planning teams, etc.) then the integrity of your security may be compromised.

You notice other businesses aren’t experiencing the same issues

Take a look at your neighboring businesses. Whether they’re similar to your business or different, consider the efficiency of their security programs and the problems they may be facing. Talk to other business owners to get an idea of how successful their security programs are.

Even if you’re just not satisfied with your current security program, Sentinel can help. We’re a professional security company with highly skilled and trained armed guards that can secure any commercial property, from warehouses to high-end stores and more. Contact us today so that we can help you improve your