How a Security Presence Can Help Your Store’s Loss Prevention Efforts

Posted September 26, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Security Guards, Security Services.

Have you ever been at a place like Wal-Mart where someone stands at the door and checks people’s receipts as they leave? Usually they look the receipt up and down and then look in bags or in the cart to verify that everything is accounted for– and if something isn’t, they can take action… This is important because a retail store deals with all sorts of people all day long, and who knows whether or not everyone entering and exiting the doors is an honest person. Stealing happens, and businesses and customers alike lose out because of it.

Security Guards and Loss Prevention

It’s a good idea to hire a security guard to help with loss prevention. These can be plain clothes guards or uniformed ones– either way, it’s someone who is an extra set of eyes and ears, looking out for your business, whether it’s retail, manufacturing, transportation, or whatever. Cutting out illegal/criminal activity helps keep people and property safe, affecting the bottom line and the welfare of the business in a positive way.

There are both external and internal threats regarding businesses today. For instance, external threats can involve people from outside a company/business who come into a place and shoplift. Maybe they’re a petty thief or maybe they’re an experienced shoplifter– either way, they intend to steal, and that needs to be stopped by someone who’s watching the door– someone like a security guard. Meanwhile, internal threats come from within– this is when an employee steals from their workplace. Imagine that you’ve got a cashier who is hiding a couple bucks for themselves every shift or lining their pockets with items they stole from work. Over time, the monetary value of things they stole could really add up. Security guards are trained to look for suspicious activities. They can monitor employee behavior.

Improve Your Bottom Line With Security Guards

Loss prevention allows a company/business to see a report showing how much money was saved thanks to thefts that were thwarted and/or stolen items recovered before they left the property. Therefore, it’s measurable, and, ultimately, cost-effective to have a loss prevention program in place.

Whether they’re guarding stores, warehouses, or office buildings, security guards can truly help with loss prevention. In the Rochester, New York, area, call C.O.P. Security at 585-750-5608 for more information about hiring security guards for loss prevention purposes at your company or business in Western New York.

Here’s How Smart Security Guards Prepare for Overnight Shifts

Posted August 22, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Miscellaneous, Security Guards.

While most of the world is sleeping at night, some security guards are wide awake, protecting people and property “in the middle of the night.” Often called the “graveyard shift,” overnights can be a bit tough on anybody since bodies tend to want to fall asleep when it’s dark outside. That said, how can security guards prepare for overnight shifts?

Nutrition and Exercise

First, it’s a good idea to care about your body and mind such that you’re “eating right” and exercising on a regular basis. Since your body might not want to stay up all night, it’s best to not stress it out by being out of shape and filled with nothing but sugar and caffeine. While things like “Red Bull” might give you a temporary energy boost, there’s an inevitable crash after the energy effect wears off. So, it’s best to eat healthy– fruits, veggies, protein, plenty of water– and to exercise a couple times a week so your blood flows better. By eating properly and being in shape, a body can handle less hours of sleep.

Proper Routine

Next, if you know you’re going to be doing an overnighter, don’t just let that shift be the first time you’re staying up late. Instead, stay up late a couple nights before and sleep through the day in order to get your body used to the new schedule.

Pace Yourself

Once you’re up in the wee small hours of the morning, drink plenty of water and eat small, healthy snacks every couple hours to keep you going… and while you’re probably tempted to fuel up with some sort of caffeinated drink, avoid it toward the end of your shift or else you’ll have a hard time going to sleep when you get home.

After a night shift you will probably be tired. Therefore, on your way home from work you might need to pull over somewhere safe and go for a quick walk to re-energize yourself for the ride home.

Comfortable Sleep Environment

Once you’re back at home, and daylight fills the room, it might be hard to fall asleep. So, it’s a good idea to use blackout shades to make your bedroom dark.

Networking

Finally, for security guards who handle overnight shifts, it helps to build relationships with others who are awake at the same time– people to communicate with during late hours. Stay active and have a little fun to break the monotony. Guards with assigned tasks during overnight shifts stay awake more than ones who are just asked to sit and watch areas.

If you need reliable security guards in the Rochester, NY area, contact C.O.P. Security today.

Why Security Guards Are Needed

Posted August 7, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Security Guards.

In the news recently you’ve heard/seen reports of mass shootings. They can happen anywhere these days, from a garlic festival in California to a Wal-Mart in Texas. It seems like the USA has way too many of these shootings, and we do– as of August 5th, there have been 255 mass shootings in the U.S., according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. A mass shooting is defined as any incident in which at least four people were shot, excluding the shooter.

People are “on edge” these days. They often wonder, in the back of their mind, “Could it happen here, where I am?” And, sadly, it could– mass shootings are everywhere. Could a mass shooting happen near you? Yes.

Why are security guards needed? They’re needed to protect people and property from all sorts of awful things and bad people. If and when a person looking to do harm storms into a school, shopping center or even a church, the security guard(s) on duty are the people’s first line of defense. You’re likely going to see more and more security guards on duty as people fear for their lives and well-being these days.

Guards do their best to prevent crimes. When they’re walking around a place, with their eyes on all the people there, they’re serving as a deterrent to potential lawbreakers. After all, “bad guys” don’t want to get caught. Guards monitor and patrol both the interior and exterior of the premises where they work. They check the windows, doors and gates. They take phone calls, give directions, keep written logs of activities, notice anything “wrong” or “out of place,” and if there’s a problem, they’re the ones to call police, fire or ambulance services.

Basically, in an increasingly violent and scary world, security guards are there to provide a safe and professional work/event environment. They act quickly if there are any incidents. They deter criminals and protect assets.

If you’re thinking of hiring security guards in the Rochester, NY, area, call C.O.P. Security at 585-750-5608 or email rbarton@copsecuritycorp.com.

Should You Have a Security Guard At a Construction Site?

Posted July 23, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Security Guards, Security Services.

If you think about it, construction sites actually have a lot of things worth protecting, including people, machines, equipment, tools, and building materials. In a world where people will try and steal stuff to resell it and make money, do you really want to leave your construction site unprotected from thieves and vandals? C.O.P. Security recommends hiring a security guard to watch your construction site, especially at night when it’s dark outside and workers have gone home. Thieves and vandals especially like to come out at night, with things like crowbars and spray paint.

Think of all the money that’s invested into a construction site. Whether it’s an office building or a residential home, either way there’s a lot of money, time and effort at stake. You’ve got an accumulation of building materials on site– things like pieces of wood, steel beams, brand new windows, etc. Then there are expensive tools and machinery on site as well. These things could easily be damaged, “lost,” or stolen if no one is watching over them. A security guard’s job is to have a watchful eye over everything on site.

What about emergencies? Say, for instance, a fire started in the middle of the night. Or someone was walking at the site and hit their head on a beam, fell down, and started bleeding? Wouldn’t it make sense that a security guard calls the appropriate authorities to come help with whatever emergency occurs?

How about trespassers? Some people have no business being on a construction site, and security guards patrol the area on foot making sure only people who should be there are there.

Security guards can notice safety hazards and issues and bring them to the attention to the powers-that-be. If bad weather is expected, guards can help take precautions to protect materials and equipment.

Construction sites are unique– no two are the same. It helps to have security guards who take the time to know the site they’re guarding, and then watch over it like a hawk.

In Western New York, specifically the Rochester area, if you need construction site security services, please call C.O.P. Security at 585-750-5608.

How Schools Should Evaluate Their Security Guards

Posted June 7, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under School Security.

Perhaps now more than ever parents are concerned about who is watching their kids at school. With all these school shootings going on, people are scared. Will their little one be the victim of gun violence while they’re trying to learn their reading, writing and arithmetic?

How should you, as a parent or school administrator or teacher, evaluate your school’s security guards?

Ample Coverage

First, does your school have enough guards to cover all times of the day and night? For instance, are there security guards in place when kids are dropped off in the morning, at lunch, walking the halls, picked up after school, and/or at sporting events and after school activities like band practice or drama club rehearsals? There shouldn’t be a time when a school doesn’t have a guard present! After all, bad people can do bad things at anytime– whether it’s 7 in the morning or 7 at night, right?

Resources Used for Security

Consider the school’s budget. How much of it goes toward safety and security? Perhaps your school is behind-the-times– paying more money and attention to things that may not be keeping kids, teachers and visitors safe and secure from harm. Investigate the budget and learn if it’s where you think it should be, or if you need to attend meetings and “make some noise” to get more money devoted to security.

Knowledge of the Facilities

If and when you interact with security guards at school, ask them questions. You can quiz them to see if they know all about the school’s facilities. They should know where things are, traffic patterns, and other pertinent information. School guards need to communicate well with principals, teachers, students, etc. If they keep to themselves, never share their reports, and don’t know anybody’s name, they’re not doing a good job. Guards must establish rapport with the people they’re guarding, and communicate effectively with them.

A Plan for the Worse

Does your school have a planned protocol to deal with anything abnormal? Do the guards literally know what to do if a person with a weapon is found roaming the halls? Does it seem like everyone’s on the same page and aware of what’s going on at the school? If not, why not?

Take time and effort to make sure your school takes security seriously and that guards are doing the job you’d expect them to do– help keep them accountable so tragedies will ultimately be prevented.

If you’re looking for reliable school security guards for Monroe and Genesee County schools, contact the experts at COP Security today.

How to Assess Your School’s Security Needs

Posted May 23, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under School Security.

If you work at a school in the Rochester/Western New York area, when’s the last time you assessed your school’s security needs?

Having a security plan in place is both mental and physical. It’s mental in the sense that you and others in the building know what to do if and when something bad happens– you think about what could go wrong and plan accordingly. It’s physical in the sense that you might need physical protection against threatening people or things, including active shooters and/or bombs.

Meanwhile, nowadays security plans typically include cyber-related computer issues. For example, how do you protect grades such that students don’t hack into the files and change them?

It’s important to assess how your school is currently doing at security, and what it could do to be better. It’s also a good idea to look at the entire campus and the area around it, to take into account any new or potential threats. Where are the vulnerabilities?

To assess your security plan, make a list of security issues you can think of, followed by a list of potential dangers.

Consider the following:

• What’s the current management policy regarding security? Who is keeping overseers at the school accountable?

• What’s the current physical policy? Do personnel know what they should be doing at all times?

• Take a risk assessment… what are risks that could happen and how would they impact the school?

• How about access control? How do people enter/leave the campus and its buildings? Is there a way to stop unwanted guests from getting into buildings or rooms they don’t belong in?

• What about staffing issues? How many guards does the school have? Are more needed? Are more experienced guards needed?

• And how about cyber/communication issues? Who is watching over the school’s computer systems? Is there a rapid response plan? How can staffers and others communicate both internally and externally should a problem arise?

• After assessing your security plan, you might need to adjust policies and procedures. Maybe you need more security cameras, gates or guards. Maybe you need to implement an ID system.

Schools often revise their security plans in order to keep up with the times– and like Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a changin’.” So true.

COP Security can help your Western New York school figure out how to guard its people and places better– call COP Security at 585-750-5608 for more information.

What Does a School Security Guard Do?

Posted May 10, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under School Security, Security Guards.

There are more and more schools across the country hiring security guards these days. School security guards are put into place to protect students and teachers and provide communities with peace of mind. School security guards often have a variety of responsibilities throughout the course of a normal day. Here are several things school security guards are in charge of doing.

Monitoring who comes in and out of a school

Most schools are very vigilant about who can come in and out of their building during the school day. School security guards can help with this by setting up shop near the entrance to the building and keeping an eye on those who come into the school and walk out of it. They can also engage with visitors to see what they need and point them in the right direction if they’re not sure where to go after entering a school.

Patrolling the inside and outside of a school

It’s important for school security guards to establish a strong presence in a school building. They can do it by walking around the inside and outside of a school periodically to patrol the grounds. As they patrol, they can keep their eyes peeled for any potential problems. They can also work to develop friendly relationships with students and teachers so that people feel comfortable coming to them when they encounter security issues.

Responding to fights between students and emergency situations

There are all kinds of dangerous situations that can pop up out of nowhere during an average school day. In some cases, these situations will involve students fighting with one another in between classes. In others, they’ll involve parents getting into verbal or even physical altercations with teachers. School security guards need to be ready to spring into action whenever these types of situations take place. They also need to be prepared to respond to emergency situations.

Are you interested in bringing school security guards into your school to patrol the premises? In Monroe and Genesee Counties, C.O.P. Security Inc. can set you up with the security guards you need for your specific school. Call us at 585-750-5608 today to hear more about our security services.

Why Students Appreciate Having Security Guards at School

Posted April 18, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under School Security, Security Services.

Think back to your days at school… do you remember the kid who was picked on by others? Most schools had–and have–bullies in them whether we like it or not. It’s just the way of the world and the state of society. Yet a lot of people are more aware of bullying as an issue these days, so there’s hope that not as many kids will have to experience taunts, slurs, hazing and other associated words and deeds that make their life a living hell.

A Trusted Protector

Why do students appreciate having security guards around? Because guards are a trusted set of adult eyes, ears and hands who can watch out for them and protect them if/when needed.

Bullies like to take advantage of others when no adults are around– but if a school hires multiple security guards, it makes it that much harder for a bully to find a place to harass a kid. Teachers cannot be everywhere they’d like to be at all times during the school day– and they’re there to teach rather than police children’s abhorrent behavior. Therefore, a security guard makes sense in a school when kids act up, act out, bully or otherwise intend to do harm to themselves, each other, teachers and/or visitors. Our world has become dangerously violent, and perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in today’s schools.

When you think of schools these days what first comes to mind? If you said “school shootings,” you got it! Sad, isn’t it? But we can’t just let the shooters and bullies and bad guys win. Schools need to increase their security presence in order to better protect the people there. Furthermore, guards can check for weapons, subdue fights, help angry people calm down, and, ultimately, stand in for moms and dads who can’t be there but wish they were, watching over their beloved kid(s) all day, everyday.

A More Desirable Place to Learn

Schools need to be the kind of place students feel safe attending… and when kids don’t feel safe there, they get bad grades, they make themselves sick to avoid going to school, and/or they get into drugs and other bad stuff to quell the pain.

In the Monroe County and Genesee County regions you can count on COP Security Inc to supply your school with security guards. Please call 585-750-5608 to discuss your needs.

The Process of Security Guards Handling Emergency Situations

Posted January 8, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Security Guards.

How do security guards handle emergency situations? They’re expected to be physically and mentally “on the scene” where they should perform a variety of duties in order to manage the scene for safety’s sake. Guards are in charge of protecting people and property from harm as best as they can.

Identify the Problem

Guards need to be able to identify emergency situations which could include fire, bombs, weapons, suspicious packages and explosive devices. They have to assess what “could” happen, and then follow procedures taught to them during training in order to react properly to the situation at hand.

Know Their Role

Before a guard begins working on site, their employer or client should determine their role in potential emergency situations. They should be able to answer the question, “What is my role if this or that should happen?” That way, the employer/client and guard are on the same page.

Say, for example, an alarm sounds in the building where the guard works. Is his or her duty to call the client/police and wait for their response/arrival? Or are they supposed to investigate the cause of that alarm while securing the scene for safety’s sake? In certain cases, guards might need to activate a fire alarm and/or call the fire department. Meanwhile, they’re responsible for crowd control and/or evacuating the premises.

Ancillary Duties

Basically, security guards have many duties. They look for fire hazards and do their best to prevent fire from happening; if there is a fire, they’re the ones to respond to alarms and contact authorities, including dispatchers and supervisors. If and when a crime occurs, a guard should call police and have them handle it. Guards can also secure and protect a crime scene.

C.O.P. Security, Inc., offers professional, dependable security in the Rochester, NY region. Guards can handle foot patrol, vehicle patrol, and special event security. You can ask for armed or unarmed guards. Do you have any questions about hiring professional security guards and how they’d help deal with emergency situations? Please call C.O.P. Security at 585-750-5608 or email rbarton@copsecuritycorp.com.

How Many Security Guards Do I Need for My Event?

Posted January 3, 2019 by barton_secure & filed under Security Guards.

You’re having an event and you want to hire security guards. Inevitably, you’ll ask yourself this question: “How many guards do I need?” Most times, people underestimate the number with the intent to not spend “too much” money on guards, but in today’s increasingly violent (and sometimes bizarre) world, safety needs to be a chief concern. Event planners should, therefore, always err on the side of caution, and not be afraid to spend the necessary money in order to protect their guests and property/venue well.

Ideally, guards are there at an event to keep order and keep the event planner’s risk at a minimum.

Prepare for the Unforeseen

First, for your event, think of all the likely scenarios that could go wrong. Then think, “How many guards would be needed for crowd control and to put people at ease if the worst happened?” Start from there with your thinking…

Event Type

Next, will there be alcohol at the event? If so, that automatically increases the need for more guards, because drunk guests cause problems that guards have to take care of… a heavy metal concert where beer is served is a lot different than, say, an alcohol-free church concert.

If no alcohol is present at your event, then consider having one guard for every 150 guests. If alcohol is present, then go with one guard for every 75 guests. Keep in mind that guards often end up watching over gates, doors, and assets, so plan accordingly.

Security Guards for Larger Events

What about small events? If there are less than 10 people, you probably don’t need a guard. Most events, however, tend to fall in the range of 10 to 50 guests. With that scenario, two to four guards make sense. Get more guards if the area covered is larger, with people scattered throughout many areas.

Larger events, with 50 to 250 people, mean that you should consider hiring and utilizing four to twelve guards. If the event brings 250 to 1,000 people, then it’s a good idea to have twelve to thirty guards.

Want to discuss your event with a security professional, to get a better idea of exactly how many guards would be ideal for your particular situation? Please call C.O.P. Security at 585-750-5608.