Because the crime rate is rising everywhere – including in Sydney – it is important for businesses in Sydney to hire security guards. Business managers sometimes forget that apart from the security aspects, security guards also contribute to the overall image of a business.
As security guards at a business are usually the first and last people customers have contact with when visiting the business the guards form an important part of a business’s image to the public. Security guards who are clearly from the local community and at ease with the environment where they are deployed create a safe atmosphere. Research in large cities like Sydney has shown that local security guards enhance the customers’ feeling of safety.
Benefits of Hiring Local Security Guards
In a city such as Sydney “local guards” means guards from the smaller communities where they are being deployed.
- The main benefit of hiring local guards is that the guards unconsciously “read” people’s normal movements and local customs. Any behaviour not fitting the normal scenario can more easily be spotted by local guards than non-local ones.
- Local security guards are also aware of shortcuts and hiding places perpetrators might use to try and escape. They also know from experience where visitors can safely and quickly be taken in case of emergencies – from terrorist threats to someone unexpectedly getting a seizure.
- It is also generally accepted that visitors to an unknown location (like a first-time customer to a business) will ask the nearest security guard for directions and other general information. Usually, local security guards will be able to provide the right information while non-local guards often will not be able to assist. (Although this is not a “security aspect” as such, a well-informed security guard enhances the image of any business.)
Challenges of Hiring Non-local Security Guards
If non-local security guards are hired, it takes time for the guards to get familiar with the customs and ways of the local community. Therefore, it is difficult for non-local guards to identify possible troublemakers in the neighbourhood – especially in the beginning.
Non-local security guards also have to memorise aspects such as where the rooms of the nearest medical practitioner are, while a local guard will know where to find the community’s nearest doctor because the chances are great that his family has visited the doctor at some or other time.
Tips for Hiring Local Security Guards in Sydney
Sometimes, it might be difficult to find a local security company offering the exact services needed. Often a small local company doesn’t undertake thorough background checks or have all the necessary licences. If these problems are encountered, it is better to contact a company such as the USV Group which provides security guards all over Sydney but has regional branches to serve specific communities. This offers the better of two worlds – a well-established security company with a good track record employing guards from specific local communities.
