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Q. Is it really necessary to hire professional private security guards for my store, or is it enough to just hire anyone?
A. Retailers often wonder what the advantages and benefits are from hiring professional private security personnel versus just paying anyone to do the job. In order to assess whether just anyone would serve your security needs, here are a few questions to consider.
1. How valuable is your merchandise? Can you afford to lose more than the usual budget for theft – 10-15%?
2. How valuable is your reputation? Do you mind if your store becomes known as an easy target?
3. Does the person you wish to hire know how to detect, and even deter perpetrators?
4. How would just anyone handle themselves under gunpoint? Would they have the wherewithall to defend themselves? Does your place of business allow guns, or even just batons, to be carried by non-professionals?
5. How well do you know the people being hired? Were any background checks performed on them?
6. Does just anyone know how to best liaison with the police if need be?
7. If there is a personal connection to the people being hired to guard, do they have the ability to act objectively?
If your answers to the above questions are satisfactory for you, then perhaps just hiring anyone will be enough for your retail business. Most retailers find it makes the most sense to hire a professional, highly-experienced, comprehensive private security firm to guard their places of business. For a full consultation, call ISSM to determine your needs for private security personnel for retail.
