Hiring off duty police officers for safety personnel is a big decision. Whether you need someone to act as a security guard at a retail location or as a professional to protect an individual, you want to make sure you are getting the right person for the job.
Before hiring police officers you come across, you need to put some serious consideration into the quality of the individuals that will be on location, protecting the safety of your business or your person.
Benefits of Hiring Off-Duty Police Officers:
At CornerStone Protection, we believe the best security available comes from real policemen. That is why we offer premium off-duty police services to businesses and individuals in Kentucky. If you hire off-duty officers, you can get services like:
- Security guards for retail stores
- Foot patrols
- Vehicle patrols
- Event security
- Executive security
- Traffic control
- Security for industrial facilities
- Guards for financial institutions
- Protection for construction projects
- Security escorts
And more!
If you don’t want to take any chances with your safety concerns, there is no substitute for hiring law enforcement professionals. Read on to learn more regarding some of the advantages of hiring police officers for business security and safety.
Why is Hiring an Off-Duty Police Officer Often the Better Choice Over a Security Guard?
1. Better Training
The training of most security guards will be no match for the practice of a real law enforcement officers. In some cases, security guards receive very little preparation before going out in the field. Even when compared to the protection guards with more extensive training, it still doesn’t meet the standards of law enforcement professionals.
Policemen go through a significant amount of training before they get to wear a badge, and they continue their training as their careers progress. Furthermore, police officers are using their practice every day when they are on the job. From day one, they have to apply what they learned, and they often have to review their decisions to ensure that they are meeting the standards of their department.
2. Law Enforcement Experience
Having better training gives law enforcement officers a significant advantage over regular defense guards, but there is no substitute for real law enforcement experience. These professionals have to go out to protect and serve every time they are on duty. They have to detect crimes in real-world situations, interact with the public, and handle themselves in a high-pressure environment.
This experience can’t be taught. A real police officer is going to have insights into detecting and preventing crime that you can’t get from a regular security guard. They will also have the experience to deal with difficult situations, and they will know how to stay calm when things get tense.
3. A Better Understanding of the Law
To enforce the law, the officers have to understand the law. Most defense guards have a minimal understanding of the law and how different rules work in the context of their jobs. This can cause problems for business owners because the security guard might be unsure of the steps they can take in situations where they might be dealing with the public. This can hinder your efforts at crime prevention, or it could even result in your safety violating the rights of an individual.
If your security guard does not act because they are unsure of what they are allowed to do, this can have obvious consequences for your protection. As an additional problem, if they work in an inappropriate way or violation of a person’s rights, you can be held accountable. With hiring an off-duty police officer, you have a professional that knows what he or she is allowed to do, and they have the training to understand how to apply the law in a way that is correct for the situation.
4. The Authority of a Police Officer
A security guard is going to have very little authority. They can stop and question people, and they might be able to detain someone if they have probable cause. While that might sound like a lot of authority, it comes with strict legal guidelines, and if they are not followed precisely, it can lead to trouble.
Whether a police officer is on or off-duty, they have the authority of their position. Unlike a normal security guard, they can make an arrest. They can also call in crimes to get support from other officers.
Furthermore, when it comes to things like detaining suspects, probable cause, and knowing how long a person can be held, a police officer is going to be in a much better position to make these decisions.
5. More Credibility
Normal security guards don’t have the same credibility as real police. Many criminals know they don’t have the same training or authority as a law enforcement officer, so they don’t take them seriously.
With premium police services, you may have the option to have them wear their uniforms when they are working for you. A uniformed police officer will act as a much better deterrent than a regular security guard. If a person is thinking about committing a crime, they might think twice when they realize real police officers are present.
6. Better Response in an Emergency
Police officers are trained for how to respond in an emergency – and this includes more than just reacting to potential crimes. If an emergency occurs, you can rest assured that you have a professional on the scene. Policemen will be able to stay calm and start taking steps to make sure the situation is resolved in the best way possible.
Beyond their response to the scene, a police officer will usually be able to receive a quicker response from emergency services. A security guard calling 911 is going to have to go through the same process as any other person. With a police officer on the scene, they can call in a code on their radio to receive a quicker response. Even if they don’t have their communication, they will be able to communicate with emergency dispatchers more effectively.
7. They Can Do More
With their superior training and experience, police officers can do more to protect you and your business. As we mentioned before, they have more authority than regular security guards. This authority allows them to take actions that would be prohibited for your standard police security guard.
Beyond that, their training and experience have put them in a wider range of situations. They can be a posted guard at the entrance to a business; they can lead loss prevention initiatives; they can patrol buildings and parking lots; they can direct traffic and manage large crowds. If there is safety work to be done, you can feel confident in the abilities of police officers.
8. Better Protection
The bottom line is that the hiring off-duty police officer will provide better protection in a wide range of different scenarios. They have the training, experience, and authority to provide a level of protection that is not available from a person who is just a security guard.
Furthermore, they can protect the reputation of your business and help to guard against legal liability. A poorly trained security guard might make a mistake that could make your business look bad. In the worst scenario, they might harm someone or violate their rights. When this occurs, it not only damages your reputation, but it can also open you up to the potential for a lawsuit.
Final Conclusion
While these issues could arise with an off-duty security officer, they are much less likely to occur. They are law enforcement professionals, and they know how to interact with people in that capacity. They also know how to apply the law while still respecting the rights of individuals. With police officers for protection, you get the best in crime prevention and protection, and that includes the professionalism of a real policemen officer.
CornerStone Protection is the leader for Kentucky alarm services. Along with alarm system design and installation, we also offer off-duty services for a variety of safety concerns. If you want to hire an off-duty police officer for the best protection available, contact our team to start your free consultation.
