Security is a significant concern for business owners, property owners, and event planners. You want security personnel with a wealth of experience and expertise for quality protection. Various security firms have security personnel with different training. A common practice by many firms in the industry is to enlist the services of off-duty police officers. The practice is beneficial because it leads to a safer environment.
However, are there limitations to working with off-duty officers? Highlighted below are the advantages and disadvantages of using off-duty police for security work that you should know before hiring a security company.
Pros of Hiring Off-Duty Law Enforcement Officers
Many individuals or business owners struggle to decide between partnering with a security firm that recruits off-duty police as staff and one that hires security guards. Going with a company that employs off-duty law enforcement is a better choice, right? To answer this question, let us highlight the pros of working with off-duty officers to address your security needs:
Law Enforcement Officers Have Essential Training and Licensure
Certified police officers have the requisite training for up to nine months. The rigorous training focuses on conflict resolution, emergency response, evidentiary procedures, and search protocols. Therefore, when you hire a firm with officers as staff, you are guaranteed professionals who will handle any security issues with the utmost professionalism and efficiency.
Even after training to obtain the badge, police engage in continuing education and training for career development. This is unlike security guards, who only receive one and a half years of certification training. The training period is insufficient to equip them with the skills law enforcement possesses.
With this in mind, find a firm that partners with off-duty law enforcement. With these professionals handling your security needs, you can be at peace knowing they will use their skills to meet your security expectations at an event, at home, or on business premises.
Police Have More Knowledge and Experience than Security Guards
Law enforcers are proactive problem solvers who will identify and neutralize security incidents or threats before they happen. Their work environment makes them highly aware of or alert to their surroundings. Coupled with extensive training, these experts will identify any threats before they happen and arrest them before they ensue. In contrast, security guards do not handle threat situations every day. With a lack of experience handling violent or tense circumstances, you will be concerned about their ability to manage these events, denying you the peace of mind you were looking for when you initially decided to hire security experts.
Talk to a security company that hires these police because you can be confident that their knowledge and experience in security matters will be sufficient to handle the security needs of your event or property. Officers will not panic when you need them the most.
Police Understand the California Statutes Better
The police's mandate is to enforce the rules and maintain order. To do this, these officers must know the state statutes, the judicial system, traffic laws, and procedures for conducting investigations and gathering evidence to prevent human rights violations. As a client hiring security services, you do not want to deal with lawsuits from people for constitutional rights breaches on your premises or at your event. Having these officers as security guards minimizes the likelihood of charges against you because these experts understand what is expected of them by the Constitution and how to handle people best to avoid violating their constitutional rights.
You cannot say the same for security guards. Many have little knowledge of the statutes and how to handle people. Therefore, they could overstep when managing people or neutralizing security threats, breaching the law. For instance, if you are holding an event where alcohol is being served, some clients could become unruly or turn violent. Security officers could use excessive physical force while dealing with the client, causing them harm or violating their rights. These clients could sue you or your business for assault or battery, severely denting your reputation. Thankfully, police understand the law concerning handling incidents like these and will follow the process provided by the law to handle the matter. You will not have to worry about being sued for battery or assault.
Off-Duty Officers Have More Authority
The authority police command is unmatched to that of security guards. The only mandate guards have is to stop, question, perform searches, and detain when necessary. While performing these responsibilities, security guards must observe the guidelines protecting their practice. When they step out of their mandate, they risk legal action. These professionals are less likely to be respected because they will command little or no authority.
In contrast, police are highly regarded in society and command much respect. Even without the uniform, their presence alone at an event commands authority and deters criminal activity. People planning criminal activity are less likely to proceed with their unlawful plans when they notice the presence of police officers.
Besides, police officers' authority makes them less likely to misunderstand the local police. If security threats escalate, the local officers will respond more promptly when they know their fellow officers are calling for backup. When the typical security guards call for backup, they do it through law enforcement, meaning they could take longer to react.
When it comes to questioning suspects, officers know the best questions to ask to obtain the required information. They also understand the duration they should hold the suspect to protect their rights. Therefore, when looking for comprehensive security that commands respect, you should call a firm that employs law enforcement.
The Presence of Police is a Deterrent to Crime
The public and crime perpetrators view the presence of security guards with police training in premises, homes, or events as a command of authority. The public respects officers, while criminals fear them. Therefore, if you need to hire a security service to control a crowd, it will be easier if the people notice your guards are law enforcement and not the usual security guards. You can ask your security firm to bring officers while they are in their official uniform so that people can quickly identify them. People will listen to whatever the officers say because they recognize that the professionals have more training and skills than the standard guards.
If you hire a firm to prevent crime, police officers on your property or in an event will deter criminals from executing their illegal plans. Criminals know that police have more training than the typical guards and could be armed. Therefore, they are less likely to engage police officers and will go elsewhere to execute their unlawful plans. So, a high-value security firm has police as staff because a badge or uniform alone is sufficient to discourage unlawful or criminal activity.
Police Have Better Emergency Response
Crime is not the only emergency that can occur on your property or event. Fire is a typical emergency in many residential or commercial properties and usually causes significant losses. So, when hiring security, you must know a fire event is also possible, and you need security guards who can respond promptly to save lives and property. With police officers guarding your property, you can be sure their priority will be evacuating people according to safety protocols and contacting the fire department because they have the training to handle fire incidents. This is the advantage officers have over the typical private guards, who have minimal training in handling fire incidents and are more likely to be confused or panic, leading to severe losses.
When the police contact the department dealing with fire emergencies, they are better positioned for a quicker reaction because they use different means of communication. They rely on a special code in emergencies to make fast responses possible. On the other hand, regular private guards use regular communication channels, leading to slower responses than when officers are involved.
Communication is paramount in emergencies. Law enforcement has training in dealing with communication during emergencies. Again, their line of duty involves communication with emergency personnel, meaning they have the experience to give accurate information to emergency personnel to prevent time wastage that could lead to loss of lives and property. You will feel safer when officers are around because emergencies like fire or medical will be addressed promptly.
Officer Provide Enhanced Personal and Property Protection
People primarily seek the services of security firms for their protection or to safeguard their properties. Many police have experience handling hostage situations, while others have acted as personal guards for high-profile individuals. So, when you hire a firm that employs these officers as security guards while off duty, you will have better protection than when dealing with regular security guards. When speaking to your security company, specify the officers you want them to send for your protection. You can request the files of the officers the firm is considering assigning you and ensure they have experience handling the type of security you require.
Once you have officers as your personal guards or guarding your property, the chances of crime are minimal. Positioning officers in strategic areas of your property discourages theft and other crimes, as criminals fear the police even when off-duty. Officers also conduct patrols daily. With them on your property, you can rest easy knowing they are patrolling strategic areas of the property to keep criminals outside and arrest any security threats they identify.
Police are Excellent for your Home or Residential Property
Every person wants security assurance at home, whether owning or renting. So, you should hire a company employing off-duty police to secure your home or residential property from burglary and robbery, which are prevalent in these properties. The officers will be at the property entrance to ensure people without business stay outside. They will do this by requesting identifying documents from anyone wishing to access the property. Besides, they will want to establish the reason for the visit. With their training, they can tell fake identifying documents or people lying about the reasons for the visit, keeping them outside.
Additionally, the officers will react first during an emergency. They will respond if it is a robbery because some will be armed. Most security guards are unarmed, and thwarting robberies, especially those involving firearms, becomes a challenge, and this could increase robbery incidents on your property. However, when robbers know that armed officers guard your home, they will find a softer target.
Officers Strengthen Your Professional Image
When holding an event for your company's workers or shareholders, you want to demonstrate that their security is your primary concern. Off-duty officers at an event like this communicate this message and make your guests feel more comfortable than in the presence of regular private guards. Besides, it shows the community that you support the local police and believe in their capabilities, bolstering the organization’s image.
Police are Highly Beneficial in Bars and Nightclubs
The public has low regard for regular security guards. Their incapacity to command respect means patrons in bars or clubs can engage in unruly conduct without fear. In contrast, police command more authority, and their presence alone in a bar is enough to make unruly patrons behave better despite their intoxication. If an officer asks a patron to exit the bar or club, they will not resist and will heed the officer’s command. If they resist, officers have the necessary training and skills to overpower and force them out of the property without causing harm.
Off-Duty Officers Provide Better Person Protection
Hiring off-duty law enforcement as personal security increases your protection if you are a high-profile individual like a business executive, politician, celebrity actor, or artist. Criminals are using sophisticated techniques to accomplish their illegalities, including kidnapping and demanding ransoms. These officers are the best to keep you safe because they have the training to provide VIP protection. They can escort you in cars, monitor security threats, and offer surveillance to keep you safe.
The advantage of having police for personal protection is that they are up to date with the techniques criminals employ to accomplish their plans. So, they will take the necessary steps to seal all security loopholes that criminals could use to commit theft or kidnapping.
Relying on Law Enforcement for Security is within the Law
The law requires that law enforcement provide security at particular public events. The local government typically offers these officers, but this does not mean you cannot hire additional for your event. Whether it is a requirement by the law or not, having officers present, even if not on duty, means that the plans will run smoothly.
Working with off-duty officers offers several benefits. However, you must pick a security firm that works explicitly with law enforcement to benefit from their skills, training, experience, and knowledge.
Cons of Employing Off-Duty Officers
Working with off-duty officers is beneficial, but it has its downsides. To begin with, police officers outside work do not enjoy the same legal protection as on duty. When outside work, law enforcement has limited privileges when working as security guards, as they lack most privileges, like making formal arrests.
Similarly, using uniforms or on-duty tools like badges and radios while off-duty could result in legal repercussions. An officer risks fraud or misrepresentation charges for driving a police car, wearing a uniform, or using an official weapon for off-duty assignments.
Using off-duty officers could result in hiring malpractices. Firms that rely on the skills of these officers tend to overlook other qualified job applicants who are not necessarily police officers, leading to issues of bias.
Also, with the rigorous training and skills officers possess, they could respond to security threats in a manner that security guards should not react to, leading to legal implications. Besides, if the officers were on duty earlier in the day or week and came to work as security guards at your event or premises, they could be tired from a long day at work, leading to mistakes that could have been avoided if regular security guards were on duty.
Additionally, even though they are not on duty, these officers are more obligated to enforce the law than to provide private security. If a crime happens that they are legally obligated to respond to, even off duty, they could abandon their task as security guards to enforce the law.
Another downside of partnering with law enforcement is the lack of oversight because they operate outside the contracts and guidelines followed by regular private guards. Without oversight, these officers are less likely to perform their responsibilities as required by the agreement, compromising the quality of services they provide.
Find a Reputable Security Firm Hiring Off-Duty Officers Near Me
Working with a security company that employs off-duty officers sounds appealing. Hiring officers as security guards offers multiple benefits. However appealing the idea of hiring a company with off-duty officers as staff is, it is always good to consider the limitations of working with these security guards. A company that hires police for security work means you will receive services tailored to your specific security needs. At Green Knight Security, our staff are off-duty officers with the experience you need to satisfy your security needs. Call us today at 844-457-8326 to discuss your security needs in Los Angeles.
