06/08/2023
Benefits of Hiring Security Officers instead:
1)Security Guards are Much Less Expensive Than Off-Duty Police
Officers
Security Officers, especially unarmed guards, are less expensive than off-duty police officers.
2)Security Guards May Have More Discretion in Handling Situations with Your Tenants or Customers
A security officer can be lenient when dealing with your customers whereas a Police Officer may be forced to arrest them.
3)Private Security Offers Flexibility in Appearance
Perhaps your commercial office building would be better served by professionally dressed guards in blazers and pants rather than the “hard uniform” typical of police.
4)Security Officers Typically have the same Powers of Arrest
5)Security Guards Won’t Leave You If Another Crime Is Committed Nearby
If there is a situation in town, it is likely your police officer will be recalled to duty, leaving you with no coverage. Their loyalty is to the oath they took to protect the community and to the government agency that pays their primary salary. Security Guards are dedicated to your needs and won’t leave you.
6)More Choice in Selecting Your Security Personnel
This could mean that you get a different officer each time that doesn’t know the specific needs of your location – or even how to tell a customer where to find the bathroom! Do you want to invest the time at the beginning of each shift orienting a new police officer to your business?
7)Security Guards Offer the Option to Provide Specific Training to Suit Your Needs
It’s not likely that you will be able to provide specific training to the police officers assigned to your business. Working with your security company you can ensure that the security guards assigned to your location are trained to provide service in the manner that you require and to do the things on patrol that serve you best.
8)Security Guards are More Alert: Your Need Is “Extra” Duty After the Police Officer Has Worked Their Regular 40 Hours
Off-duty police officers have already worked forty hours (or more) as a police officer. Now, they are working extra hours at your business. Will they always be as attentive to your needs as a Security Guard for whom this is their primary occupation?
Private Security Offers Clear Ownership of Liability Issues
In the event of a situation, for example, your police officer gets into a physical altercation with someone on your property or even shoots someone while working on your property, who is liable? If there is any question about the legality of their actions your business will be drawn into the lawsuits and the police officer’s government employer may or may not be there with you. Find out the policy of the agency from whom you are hiring your off-duty police officer before you begin.
Instead, hire a reputable private security company with liability insurance that provides you a layer of protection from the actions of the security guards on your premises.
9)What if the Police Officer Gets Hurt on the Job?
If you hire a security guard from a reputable security company then you have no worries that their workers’ compensation will cover that officer’s injuries, no matter the cause.
10)Paying an Off-Duty Cop by 1099 Adds Risk
If you pay your off-duty police officer by 1099 then that exposes you and the officer to additional risks. Whose liability and workers compensation insurance covers you and the police officer? Additionally, the IRS and the courts have made it clear that they are cracking down on fraudulent 1099 claims. Misclassifying a police officer as an independent contractor exposes your business to penalties from the IRS.
11)Security Officers Take Orders from You
Police Officers will Often Use Off-Duty Jobs to catch up on Departmental Paperwork
