Security guards can be important assets for any company or individual living in Toronto. However, security guard companies have limitations in carrying out their tasks effectively. If you are looking for answers on what security guards can and can’t do, this article is for you!
What Can Security Guards Do?
Check for Building Security
The most common security guard task is to ensure security for a building. They ensure that all the doors are locked and that no unauthorized persons enter or leave the building. Security guards do this to maintain safety and help preserve the company’s money and property. Additionally, they also watch employees while they leave the building to ensure that they have nothing with them that the company has not approved.
Protect Individual Property
There are many examples of individuals who have been robbed in the past by other people and companies. If a property is worth a lot, security guards are meant to keep it protected. They do this by having a security guard accompany you each time you leave a house, and they take care of your safety so that you do not get robbed or possibly killed.
Solve Petty Crimes
A security guard can solve minor crimes like theft, vandalism, or spitting on people or property. They mainly operate through preventative measures that can deter big crimes like murder and rape, which are not very common. In solving petty crimes, they help maintain order and safety for others.
Creating a Safe Environment
Security guards can keep public places, like malls, parks, and public transportation systems, safe from illegal drugs, weapons, and criminals. They can also protect the environment against pollution and open dumping. If they notice any person or company taking advantage of the environment, they will not hesitate to report them.
Contact with Customers
A security guard comes into contact with many people every day. It is a very good idea to make sure that they are in contact with customers to find out what the customers want and how they want to be treated. They can surprisingly help improve customer service, and it will also give the security personnel a chance to report any inappropriate behaviour that occurs.
Alert People of Emergencies
If there is a threat to public safety, the security guard must notify all people in the immediate area so that they can take action. For example, if a fire or an explosion happens, security guards will ensure that everyone is safe and out of the building as soon as possible.
What Can Security Guards NOT Do?
Enter Private Property
They are in a public place, so they cannot enter the private property of citizens unless the person who owns that property gives the guard permission to do so. Just because a security guard can protect property, it does not provide them with the right to intrude. It’s a security measure in place to keep security guards in check.
Undermine Authority
A security guard cannot interfere with someone in the act of putting something inside a bag or his pocket. Security guards can be susceptible to liability, the risk of it leading to a false accusation, resulting in the loss of a job and other legal consequences.
Prosecute People
The role of a security guard is to ensure that no crime or illegal activity takes place in a public place. They can only report crimes and illegal activities inside the building where they are assigned. However, security guard companies in Toronto cannot interfere with the criminal justice system because they do not have the authority to do so. Police officers are responsible for that, and they will arrest criminals while investigating the case and charge them accordingly.
Security guards carry many responsibilities on the job. Yet, like any job, they have their boundaries regarding what they can and cannot do. In being aware of what security guards can and cannot do, you can get a good read on the expected standards when employing a security guard company in Toronto.
