Armed Guards vs. Unarmed Guards – Which Is Right for You?

So, you’ve made the choice to hire extra security for your building or business.  That’s an excellent idea and one which can save you a lot of hardship in the years to come.  However, there’s a key decision that still needs to be made: armed guards or unarmed guards?

This will have a significant impact on the costs of your security, the type of protection they can provide, and what sort of message they’ll send to visitors.  This is a critical choice, so let’s look at the options.

Unarmed Guards vs Armed Guards

First, just to be clear, unarmed guards are not helpless.  The key difference is that armed guards are licensed to carry lethal weaponry, like actual handguns, while “unarmed” guards are still able to handle nonlethal implements such as pepper spray or stun guns.

Unarmed guards should probably be considered the default option unless you have a specific reason to hire armed guards instead.  Some of those reasons might include:

• If your business is in a neighborhood with a high crime rate
• If you store a lot of high-value property on-site, particularly property which could be easily stolen such as jewelry
• If you keep a large amount of cash on-site
• If your business sees visits from VIPs who might be targeted
• If you host events that could be contentious or attract protestors

In these cases, having armed guards on-site would make more sense.

A few other things to consider:

Armed guards are more expensive.

Armed security requires considerably more training, licensing, and insurance.  They will always be more expensive to employ, compared to unarmed guards, so you’ll want to balance costs vs potential losses.

Armed guards are a more effective deterrent.

In many cases, the most important function of security guards is to act as a deterrent against crime or other misbehavior.  Because they carry lethal weaponry, an armed guard will tend to be a better deterrent.

People react differently to armed guards.

Some people are going to be comforted by the presence of armed guards, while others may become nervous seeing open-carry guns around.  What type of people are you likely to host at your business?  Consider the psychological impact on visitors, as well as your staff.

Understand Your Threat Level

Some properties, businesses, and organizations are going to naturally attract more criminal attention than others. This should be one of the big deciding factors in whether to use armed or unarmed security guards.

Deterrence vs Observation

Another major difference is the role the security guard plays. Armed guards are an active deterrent, showing their weapons openly and making it clear that criminals will have a very bad day if they start any trouble. However, this does risk making a business feel “militarized.” Consider the impact it will have on your visitors and customers.

Unarmed security guards focus on reporting and observing. They can step in for situations where weapons aren’t involved, but if there is significant danger, their role will be providing accurate information for law enforcement to get involved.

Get Houston Security Services & Armed Guards Today

Whether you want armed or unarmed security in Houston, PGP Security has highly trained impeccably professional experts who will protect your people and your property.  Please contact us to discuss your security situation.