There are more security guards in Canada than police officers. Police services provide protection for everyone free of charge. However, if someone wants extra protection for themselves, their property, or important information, they can hire a security guard. The following resource explains the difference between a policeman and a security guard

Security Guard Responsibilities

Security guards are hired by businesses and individuals to provide specific security-related services. This could be a wide variety of things, like on-site guards, routine vehicle patrols of a business through the night, escorting people or valuables, house inspections while on vacation, or responding to alarms. Whatever it is, those duties are carried out based on confidential written contracts between the security company and the client.

Police Responsabilities

Policemen are responsible to the entire population of the jurisdiction they serve. This means they must respond to any and all security and safety situations as they arise. This can include traffic accidents, fights, drug dealers, graffiti, broken windows, noise complaints, reports of weapons, prostitution, domestic abuse, stolen vehicles, and anything else you could imagine.

Advantages to becoming a security guard

There are many advantages to becoming a security guard compared to relying only on police. Police deal with a large number of issues and will only be able to respond to a residential or business alarm once higher priorities are resolved and a unit becomes available. In contrast, alarm dispatches are typically the highest possible priority for security officers. This means response times can be profoundly faster, which is critical for a business. Security guards don’t need to worry about all the things that regular police have to deal with. This means that they can focus on performing specific types of security services very well. Having specific clients means that security guards often hold keys and have alarm codes for their clients’ property, which is crucial when investigating an alarm or performing a patrol. Police are unable to do interior patrols for alarm calls unless they find an unsecure door or window to enter through. Even then, they can’t reset the alarm panel.

How security guards help the Police

Thanks to security guards, the police don’t have to waste their time with minor routine security services when they’ve got more important things to deal with. Security Guards serve as a second set of eyes and ears for the police, spread throughout the community. That extra security presence helps reduce crime, but the police are still necessary when crimes do occur. So police and security guards work together to accomodate the various security needs of businesses and citizens in a community.