John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP

I. To Guard, or Not?

   1. Right or Wrong?
   2. Questions
   3. Evaluation Variables
   4. Evaluation

II. Factors to Consider When Hiring

  1. What Kind of Guards: Contract, Employee, or Off-duty Police?
   2. Firearms
   3. The Scope of the Overall Decision Process

III. Guards and Robbery Prevention

To Guard or Not to Guard

I. To Guard, or Not?

The question of guarding is a difficult one. However, the use of guards is normally a protective variable that is considered by larger banks, which have operations in urban areas. It is usually not a question for community sized banks located in other than urban environments, unless a unique need is identified. However, this is not to say that an objective and individualized threat assessment in either environment, may, or may not justify the use of guards. The purpose of this article is to discuss the base rationalization that is associated with the use of guard services, and to address aspects to be addressed if guards are to be a part of a bank's protective program.

1. Right or Wrong?

In a manner that is similar to the application of camera systems, for the positioning guards, there is usually no totally right or wrong answer. For example, there is a wide variety of camera technology available which can be tailored to any protective need. While a camera system may be right for one bank, and protective application, it may not be right for another. The nature of the risk that is to be deterred, the desired results of the application, operational questions, and initial and ongoing costs of the equipment, are all variables that must be considered. The question of guard services is a similar one.

2. Questions

• Guards are expensive. They are a substantial, and continuing labor cost. There are also the substantial support costs of bonding, licensing, training, uniforms, equipment, management, and administration.

• What are the licensing and training requirements, and standards in your State?

• What does the bank's risk analysis disclose?

• Guards can be a tremendous asset to a bank's protective program. Likewise, and if not designed and managed properly, they can become a significant liability.

  

• Should they be in uniforms, or blazers?

• Should they be armed, or not?

• Do they actually deter crime, or not?

• Perception verses reality: how is their presence viewed by the bank's employees, customers, and visitors, as compared to their true protective value?

• Given their high cost, and liability: what are their duties, and operations going to entail?

• Are they really cost effective?

• Guards are traditionally assigned to high risk branch bank locations. Do they deter robbery, but at what comparative costs? Or, can robbery be effectively deterred, and losses limited, by the use of administrative controls, facility designs, equipment applications, and non-security personnel, instead of depending only upon the presence of an armed guard?

• Should the bank use employee guards, contract, or off-duty police officers in a guard role?

• Are there contracts, or labor unions to be considered?

Thank you for your interest. Please contact
Mr. Kennish, by E-Mail, with your written request for
the remainder of this educational article.

John W. Kennish, CPP - Security Consultant
62 East Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, Connecticut 06498
Phone: (860) 399-8545
Fax: (860) 399-4150
Kennish.com
E-Mail John Kennish
© 2000 John W. Kennish, CPP

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