Duties of a Security Guard

Security guards’ primary purpose is to prevent crime. In comparison to other law enforcers or police officers who respond and intervene with crime incidences, security guards are trained to do the preventive approach rather than be reactive in response to crime or other forms of lawless situations.

Security guards deter crime or any forms of threat in order to protect and prevent damage or losses to life, limb, and property. Their role is very specific to a particular person or company. Their chief security guard job description would involve crime deterrence, guard for any impending danger, and to report crimes.

Top Duties of a Security Guard

1. In order to prevent or thwart crime from happening, it pays to be highly visible especially in specific areas of concern. High visible can deter crime as it can be intimidating or difficult for criminals to act violently in the presence of a person in authority. You can foil theft or any crime by being visible in designated areas of duty in order to avoid potential threats like shoplifting, car theft, or burglary from taking place.
2. This is the primary role of a security guard – to deter or prevent crime before it actually happens.
3. Being on the preventive side, a security guard must be proactive or highly vigilant to act upon any strange occurrence that could pose a potential threat to life and property. A good security guard must have a sharp and keen sense of sight, sound, smell, feel, and taste in order to catch on clues and warning signs in the surroundings that can signal that something is out of place. He must be able to interpret such things and verify right away. Criminals often create diversions in order to distract a security guard from fulfilling his duty. It could be a trap to lure him out of his post so that the perpetrators could freely enter the area and do the deed. He must be able to sense any changes or be suspicious of anything that could pose danger to person and property.
4. Team Player. This role is only assumed by a security guard when additional or miscellaneous rules and regulations must be carried out as per instructions by immediate supervisor by a company or a private individual. Some of these miscellaneous policies would include inspecting lunch bags, checking IDs, or making sure that safety standards are met like fire safety or blocked exits; to name a few.
5. Get Help. Report crime as it happens or before it actually takes place. Get help from the nearest police station especially when faced with a dangerous situation that could pose danger to individuals like in an assault or hostage setting wherein the perpetrator could be carrying a deadly weapon like a gun or a knife. It is standard operating procedure to report and call on the police officers to apprehend or arrest the suspect.
6. A security guard when faced with imminent danger to himself and other people must act quickly and in order to downplay risks and control the situation. Responses to such dangerous scenarios vary depending on the situation.
7. Observe and Report. Security guard duties starts before, during, and after a crime has happened. During a crime, the security guard must observe and take note of what is happening and then report the incident right away to his immediate superior and the nearest police station. He should not just charge in but evaluate the gravity of the situation such as when there are deadly weapons like in a robbery assault, hostage situation; or similar crimes. These steps are taken in order to evaluate and modify security protocols to ensure peace and order and that to make sure that such occurrence would not happen again.
8. Maintains Order. Security guards are usually present in large gatherings such as conferences or parties to maintain peace and order and ensure that there would be no untoward incidents that can pose harm to person and property like law breakdown or stampedes.
9. Monitoring and Checking. The security guard is responsible for maintaining certain company policies depending on what is imposed by employer such as doing search in bags and checking for proper identification before people are allowed entry to the premises (especially guests) while those who have booked appointments are granted immediate entry. In the same way that employees should also present their company IDs before entering the office. Security officer duties also include the use of detection devices to screen people and belongings before allowing entry into the area and to prevent prohibited items to be brought into restricted areas.
10. Receiving Guests. If a security guard happens to be assigned at the main entrance or receiving area then he would most likely act as the receptionist as well. This add-on duty would require the security guard to be accommodating and friendly as he will receive and guide guests on the way in but must also be firm and alert to maintain peace and order in the guarded vicinity.
11. Inspection of Security Systems and Devices. If security equipment is installed in the area like CCTVs or other monitoring devices, then a security guard is responsible for maintaining, checking, and adjusting these machines to ensure that these are working properly, in mint condition, and is not tampered in any way.

There are also additional duties given to security guards depending on the needs and requirements of their employers whether they work part-time or full-time. The above security guard duties of our modern-day heroes prove that it’s not easy to take on the role because it takes education and formal training to be able to perform every duty and respond fast and adequately each time a need arises. It is also a job that entails risks because a security guard’s life is almost always in danger in occurrences of crime. There is no doubt indeed that the presence of security guards has a great impact on the safety and security of people’s lives.