The Price of Staffing Guards 24/7

There’s no doubt that security guards can be extremely effective crime deterrents. 

But that deterrence effect comes with a staggering bill—often making it necessary to consider ways to fill crucial security gaps without breaking the bank.

The Cost of Employing Security Guards 24/7/365

The average rate for a security guard in the United States ranges from roughly $14/hour to $28/hour. 

Translate that into one guard for a typical 40-hour workweek and that range is $560 to $1,120 for one guard’s pay. Account for all 24 hours every day in the week and that’s $2,352 to $4,704 for a full week of guard protection. 

Account for all 8,760 hours in a year, and that’s $122,640 to $245,280 for a single guard on duty at a time.

But salaries are only part of the final bill. You also have to account for:

• Benefits, which cost an average of 30% of each guard’s salary on top of the salary itself
• Workers’ compensation and liability insurance, which are especially needed with higher risk jobs
• Uniforms and equipment for each guard, including replacements as things wear out
• Overtime expenses
• Coverage for absences
• Hiring and training costs, which get more expensive when you consider the notoriously high turnover rates in the security industry—sometimes ranging between 100% and 300%! 

All of this translates into one very expensive recurring bill. (The exact total, of course, is entirely situationally dependent.) That’s not even taking into account that larger properties would likely need more guards, multiplying the bill with every person added to the roster. 

Expensive, but Effective?

While they come with a high price tag, guards are proven to be an effective deterrent against security threats. One study, for example, shows a 16% reduction in crime following a 41% increase in foot patrol visits.

Beyond deterrence, security guards can also excel when it comes to:

• De-escalation
• Customer interaction
• Judgment calls
• Emergency response
• Handling unpredictable situations 

The ability of a visible guard to deter a would-be offender is clear, but many situations aren’t so cut and dried. It’s imperative to carefully weigh limitations and situational applicability when considering whether to look past the high price or to look elsewhere for security solutions. 

Guards might make all the difference in high-crime, high-risk environments—particularly those needing a rapid in-person response—but have little impact for low-risk businesses with minimal foot traffic.

It’s also important to consider a guard’s natural limitations and how those would affect a specific business or location. 

For example, if would-be criminals don’t see the guard (either because of distance or too many people in the way), the deterrence effect security guards offer isn’t there. In order for deterrence to take place, potential offenders have to see the security solution, get that it’s there to stop or catch them, and fear the consequences of being caught. 

→ Learn more about the See-Get-Fear method.

Other limiting factors to consider include:

• Limited attention span: People can only focus for so long (not to mention the natural tendency to get distracted), and they cannot watch every area at once.
• Limited field of vision: Even with perfect eyesight, the average person is only able to see details within 20 or 30 feet.
• Human performance variability: All people experience off days—whether they’re tired, upset, or just feel like the world is working against them—but your guard’s bad days directly impact your security effectiveness.
• Limited ability to provide evidence: Guards have to directly witness an event to act as an eyewitness, and even then, human memory can be easily fallible. 

Bridging the Gap with Intelligent Site Security 

No two businesses have exactly the same needs or budget, but the basic goal in business security remains the same: create the most efficient, effective system possible while staying within the resources available.

Guards offer several distinct advantages, including the ability to immediately respond in person and their deterrence rates, but their high costs, combined with other limitations, keep them from being a viable option for many businesses.

With or without guards, however, security still needs to be the best it can be, which is where technology comes into play. The current technological boom, fueled by AI, has given us tools to fill gaps in security like never before, paving the way for intelligence-led security to take the lead.

An intelligent site security system doesn’t just consist of one component—it’s multiple components and layers working together to ensure security on all fronts. These components are united by an intelligent site management (ISM) hub that turns all of those individual pieces into a coordinated system.

Creating an intelligence-led security program doesn’t necessarily mean forgoing security guards. Guards can be an effective part of any security ecosystem, even without 24/7 deployment. Instead, businesses should thoroughly and honestly assess which components (including guards) make the most sense through a comprehensive risk analysis that should help to determine where guards might make sense and where tech can take the lead. 

Effective security isn’t about deploying the most manpower possible. It’s about building the smartest, most efficient system for the risks at hand. 

For organizations looking to reduce blind spots and improve response without simply adding headcount, solutions like ISM platforms and mobile security units can help bridge the gap between traditional guarding and modern, technology-led security. 

To learn more about ISM or schedule a mobile security unit demonstration, contact LVT today.