Keeping your property secure is always important and it doesn’t matter if that property is your business or home. Other than keeping your valuables, equipment and property safe, having some form of security in place also gives you great peace of mind that you are protecting your possessions and nearest and dearest from harm.
To protect a property, you will likely install an alarm and possibly some CCTV. However, when protecting a business or more substantial property, it is common to consider both manned and unmanned security solutions. Depending on what you require, there are benefits and drawbacks to each of these types of security.
Manned Security Solutions
Despite technological innovations of recent times, such as CCTV, access control systems and remote monitoring, manned security, such as SIA accredited security guards and NASDU trained dog handlers, are still seen as the gold standard of security.
One drawback of having just manned security, without any unmanned, electronic or physical security in place, is that you may not capture evidence of any crime that takes place and security guards and dogs are most effective in the physical areas they patrol, so it is always recommended to also have CCTV in place.
Some of the main benefits of having manned security in place include:
Safer environments for customers and staff – Having a customer facing security guard can help to protect both customers and staff from violence and intimidation. This is especially the case in pubs and nightclubs. Security guards who are well trained will have the ability to detect problems and will be able to deal with them before they escalate.
Protection of Assets – A security camera can assist in identifying thieves, providing the police and the courts with invaluable evidence. The fear of being caught in a way that can be used evidentially, towards their potential prosecution will put off most thieves and trespassers.
Preventing unauthorised access – Employing manned security will help to stop unauthorised people getting onto your property. This is the case for premises and places such as construction sites and vacant land. In many cases, those illegally entering a construction site will tend to be looking to steal valuable construction materials, tools, and even plant machinery, all of which are of high value. Construction site security is therefore a key solution.
Avoiding damage and destruction – Whether it is the case that people are deliberately wanting to cause damage or they simply cause it when they enter the property illegally, security guards can deter vandals and break-ins, utilising both physical force and even simply their very presence, acting as a deterrent.
Unmanned Security Options
Unmanned security, are those methods and tactics of security that do not require the physical presence of a security guard or team of security guards. In a lot of cases, people do not see the need to have a physical presence on the property due to the brilliant innovations of security technology. There are a wide range of unmanned security solutions, with a variety of benefits and merits to consider:
CCTV systems – Whether or not you have physical, manned security on your property, you should also have a CCTV system in place, to complement the security guards and add an additional security layer. There are a number of different types of CCTV, some more advanced than others, providing different functions. You can get CCTV systems which capture a better quality than others, but this will likely cost you a bit more.
Some CCTV solutions do not actually record and store images, but only allow people to watch over the property. It is far more effective to have one which does record, as then you can go back through it when something occurs on site. Having the CCTV system in a visible position can act as a deterrent for potential vandals and thieves and can catch people in the act and help to identify them in a court of law.
Alarm systems – Alarm systems come in different shapes and sizes and some are more advanced than others, with a wide array of features. You may select a simple alarm system which simply sounds when triggered, hopefully deterring a perpetrator. If you were to have a sound-only alarm, it is best to couple this with manned security in some capacity.
