Nolan Hensley If you’re thinking of arming your executive security team, there are a few things to think about.
So you’ve decided to hire protection for yourself or another high-profile individual. That’s fantastic! It is critical to have a robust executive protection plan in place.
But there’s one more major decision to make: whether or not to equip your executive protection team.
Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages to residential security London, as with any topic, but you may not be aware of them. This article should hopefully clear things up.
Because hiring armed guards is a serious matter that demands careful consideration, we’ve put together a detailed list of the benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages of Armed Guards
When evaluating the advantages of hiring armed guards, a few stand out. Nonetheless, we’ll go through everything again just to be sure we’ve covered all of your bases.
Protection
The increased level of protection may be the first thing that comes to mind. Armed security has this apparent advantage. Simply said, your security professionals are better prepared to handle issues that are far more serious and deadly.
Unarmed guards may not be sufficient in the unusual event that you or someone else is attacked by an armed assailant. One of the most important advantages of armed guards is their mobility.
“It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” as the saying goes. When it comes to potential security threats, this is especially true. While a life or death crisis isn’t likely to pop up, having guards who are trained to adjust to any threat is a tremendous plus.
With unarmed guards, the level of security you can realistically expect is just restricted. Sure, they’ll probably suffice 99 percent of the time, but if the 1% situation occurs, you could be in trouble.
Deterrence
The irony of security is that the ideal situation is for them to never have to do anything. By arming them, you can raise the chances of that ideal scenario becoming a reality.
At the end of the day, potential attackers are significantly less likely to target someone who is protected by armed guards. That seems self-evident. Armed guards help with deterrence, which is an important aspect of security.
Even if you’ve already opted to arm your security, this comes with another tiny consideration. Specifically, whether or not your guards should be open carry.
The solution is highly dependent on your security objectives. In many circumstances, simply having security there is enough to dissuade criminal activity. However, in other cases, you may decide that an obvious display of force is the best alternative.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a gang of obviously armed guards, but there are few things more discouraging to would-be criminals.
The Drawbacks of Armed Guards
While the benefits of arming your security are more obvious, the disadvantages are less so. As a result, here’s a full list of the drawbacks.
Risk
Increased risk is perhaps the biggest and most evident disadvantage of armed guards. When a firearm is involved, the stakes become much higher.
For one thing, there’s always the possibility of an unintentional discharge. People aren’t flawless, and even the most well-trained individuals can make mistakes. Guns increase the severity of those possible accidents greatly.
When it comes to humans and their flaws, firearms are likewise problematic because people can’t always be trusted with them. Carrying a gun can have a tremendous psychological influence on someone, causing them to act with unnecessarily aggressive or cocky behavior.
It can also have other effects on humans. When a security guard is armed, he or she is given the authority to use lethal force if required. That carries a lot of emotional weight.
Someone who is not emotionally prepared to handle the stress of handling a firearm may end up shooting someone who does not need to be shot. That possibility necessitates the purchase of suitable insurance coverage, which brings us to our next point: cost.
Cost
Insurance premiums are a crucial issue given everything that may go wrong. When armed guards harm or kill someone, the resulting claim will very certainly be substantial.
The increased insurance obligation comes at a much higher price. For an unarmed guard, that extra cost often covers less than a lower-priced insurance policy would.
Furthermore, if one of your guards kills or injures someone while on duty, insurance expenses will be the last thing on their minds. There is precedent for large lawsuits in this situation, and a judge or jury is unlikely to rule in your favor.
Even if you win your lawsuit, the court costs alone can be too expensive. It’s always possible to settle out of court, but it comes with its own set of costs.
Finally, hiring armed guards is usually more expensive. These are frequently folks with military or law enforcement backgrounds, and that extra knowledge isn’t cheap. Regardless of future costs, this is an upfront cost you can’t avoid.
Should I Arm or Should I Not Arm?
Ultimately, the decision to hire armed security guards is yours to make. The best thing you can do is sit down and think about whether or not they’re qualified for the position. Each option has a price, so take your time and make sure you’re selecting the best choice possible.
