The Five Most Common Misconceptions About a Security Guard

The Five Most Common Misconceptions About a Security Guard

In today's world, the human mind works on one philosophy of perceiving an image according to what perception is being made into their mind from around the society, their cultural environment and all these are observed from what people are performing around them in terms of security terms for any kind of assets in the world. Some of the misconceptions about guards who are hired by security companies.

  • Security guards are very expensive to hire

This misconception arises due to the idea that people have, that only wealthy people with jewelry and mink coats or big organizations with valuables to protect hire security guards from security companies. The misconception has been promoted even more by the movies showing wealthy industrialists or people walking around with two big guys behind them. But the truth is these watchmen aren’t that expensive to hire and quite affordable once you understand the benefits of having one around. The really costly thing will be break-ins, shoplifting, employee theft or vandalism, disturbance at the workspace. Small businesses too can easily hire a security guard at a reasonable price and besides having a break-in will be more expensive anyway… compared to that we would suggest that you rather have a reliable Guard. The security services provided by the guards who are hired by security companies are worth the money we are giving to them.

  • Security Guards are only useful for addressing crimes and are useless at places with low-risk of crimes

The reality is that security guards do a lot of other services except deterring crimes and giving security services. It depends on the place they are working at. For example at a hospital, security guards will be found helping patients and elderlies in various tasks, at hotels they can be found helping customers with their room numbers and luggage too sometimes, they will relieve the receptionist at night.

In cases of emergencies, you will find them giving first aid to needy. Yes, these wonderful watchmen are trained by security companies for providing first aid too. No matter what, they are always there to help people around them.

  • Security guards need to be built like bodybuilders

This ridiculous misconception is also a manifestation of movies where sometimes big hulking guys are shown as bodyguards. But the truth is security guards are valued for their observation skills, more than their physique. All the time you do not need to be big to provide security services. These watchmen have to be attentive and detect anything out of place or abnormal. Security Guards have to keep sure that everything is in place and nothing is out of order. All the security companies provide training to their security officers to build these skills.
Yes, a big muscular security guard will be instrumental in keeping the troublemakers in check, but a security guard who can de-escalate the situation and can keep it under control is always more preferred by the security companies. The big guys are a good choice for pubs and bars, but in corporate environments, they might not be the best choice, as they will stand out and will disturb the working environment.
Besides security guards working in areas where security services are controlled like security room monitoring and armed guards don’t need to be big. There is no need for that. Security room monitoring is usually done off-site and guards with guns and the experience to use them don’t need to be big obviously, they are already scary.

  • Security guards don't have formal training. That's why they are security guards and not the police.

We don’t know what is the root of this insulting misconception and rumor is, but it is far from the truth. Private security guards have to go through rigorous training and achieve a certificate and license to be able to work as private security guards for security companies. Security guards have to undergo training on how to control certain situations, how to react in situations, how to handle firearms in case of armed guards, how to administer first aid and how to communicate in case of emergency and so forth. Then they have to give an exam to pass the test and achieve a certificate. Further physical tests are done including a drug test. And the criminal record is checked.

Only then a license is issued which enables a person to work as a private security guard for security services to provide security companies. The choice of one person to become a Private security guard instead of joining any kind of government force is personal. There might be several reasons for it like inconvenient job timings or doing the security guard job as part-time etcetera. After getting the complete and proper training, then after security officers send to give security services by their security companies.

  • Security Guards are lazy and just for formality at some places which don't seem to be such high-risk places.

This misconception has come into play due to the poor security services provided by the private security companies in our nation. We always come across a guard who is potbellied, sitting outside an ATM or at the entrance of a hospital. That watchman might have been once in prime shape and top-grade personnel but after getting assigned to a security services provider agency and passing the fitness test and everything, he hasn't been working hard, sitting all day in lumber outside of ATM. This part of negligence and not keeping their personnel fit is done by agencies all over the nation. We at Security Troops keep our personnel in check, and we see if they are attentive on the job and fit for it.

And about these watchmen being a formality at some places, the job looks like that, we know. Crimes don’t happen every day at the same place and they happen even less frequently at places where watchmen are present. But it is all about patience in these jobs. Security guards have to be alert all the time and looking out for something unusual. And if you are not getting action and something exciting is not happening, you should pray to God that it stays this way.