CCTV and security guards are perhaps the two most important security measures that any business can use to protect themselves from harm.
Criminals are a constant threat to any business and if you want to achieve long term success, you simply must take suitable precautions to guard against them.
For many many years, hiring an in person security guard was by far the most effective way to keep a site safe, but, as technology has developed, and criminals have got smarter, CCTV has emerged as a highly valuable asset to have on your side.
Of course, these two things don’t have to be exclusive to each other, and work extremely well in tandem, but it is definitely worth understanding the pros and cons of each option.
CCTV
CCTV is the most versatile security measure on the market. It observes constantly, allows you to view your entire site all at once, detects security breaches, and deters criminals.
It is your eye in the sky and has become a simply must have for any business owner who is serious about their security. In the past, the amount of money that you could save on manned guarding by installing CCTV was limited by the fact that someone still needed to monitor the screen to detect suspicious behaviour.
This was only a minor inconvenience but nowadays you don’t even need to worry about that, with all sorts of smart Ai technology such as motion detection and auto alert letting you and your security team know the instant unauthorised activity was detected.
Security Guards
The one downside of CCTV is that whilst it deters and identifies intruders, it is still an inanimate object at the end of the day and can’t physically deal with issues when they arise.
For that you will need a security guard. These highly trained individuals will conduct mobile patrols on your site, monitor CCTV, work alongside your staff during evacuations, and liaise with the emergency services when the time comes.
Sure, there are cheaper security options, but there are very few more effective.
Why not both?
At the end of the day, the answer to the question of security guard vs CCTV doesn’t always need to be found. These are not direct competitors in the security industry. They do very different things and have very different pros and cons. They are actually most effective when used together and if you run a large scale business you will almost certainly required both to protect your site effectively.
If you don’t have the budget for both options, a CCTV system from a company such as www.trusthire.co.uk is probably the best way forward. CCTV can monitor an entire premises in a way that even the most highly trained of security officers cannot and records everything that happens on site in case of emergency. Unlike a security guard whose primary focus is always security, CCTV can also be used for more routine purposes such as optimising your workflow and overseeing project progress from afar.