Think of the last time you went to the mall or walked through the museum. You probably didn’t notice it at the time, but you most likely saw at least one security guard on duty. When you put their mind to it, you can probably think of many places where you’ve seen security guards: parking lots, shopping centres, outdoor fairs, and even schools. Without these guards doing their jobs, many of our public and private spaces would be a lot less safe.

So what do security guards do? This is probably the number one question for those interested in security guard training. It’s probably best to start with what security guards don’t do. Security guards are not police officers and they don’t have the powers associated with law enforcement. Although in times of need, they do have the power to make a citizen’s arrest. So if there is a crime in progress, a security guard can intervene if he or she deems appropriate, but they are not required to especially if their own lives or the lives of others could be at risk. Each country, state/ province will have different sets of rules governing security guard expectations when it comes to actual crimes. It is essential that potential security guards become familiar with these rules in their applicable region. Security guards can work for private companies or they can be employed at different sites themselves.

The moto for security guards is “detect, deter, observe and report”.

Detect: Be on the lookout for possible signs of trouble

Deter: by their very presence in uniform, security guards deter criminal activities. They can also deter by taking action against people causing trouble.

Observe: Using observation and monitoring, security guards collect information about the current scene in addition to details that may become valuable if there is a future investigation.

Report: The outcome of solid observing involves reporting events to the proper authorities.

There is some discrepancy over how the terms “security guard” and “security officer” are used. The term security guard often implies a lesser trained individual with not as many duties or responsibilities in terms of enforcement. A security officer is associated with those who are extensively trained and may have additional schooling in the fields of firearms and weapons handling. “Officer” is used because they tend to think of themselves as being closer to “police officers” than simple guards. To the general public, there is often little difference between these two terms, but within the world of security, the distinction can be important. Since this website is designed for the general public and those interested in security, there will be no differentiation between security guard training and security officer training. Everything will be covered so no one will be left out. It’s best to think of these occupations as connected anyways, and a brotherhood mentality is best adopted amongst those in the field, rather than looking for differences and ranking in hierarchy. In short, all security work is valuable and those interested in any area should find useful information here.