How to check a security company before you sign
4 min read · Safelite Guard Security
Hiring the wrong security company costs more than money. These checks take less than an hour and tell you most of what you need to know.
1. Look up the license yourself
Any company that provides security guards in California must hold a Private Patrol Operator (PPO) license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Search the company name or license number on the state license search at search.dca.ca.gov. Check that the license is current and that the name matches the company on your contract.
2. Ask how guards are licensed
Every security guard in California must hold a guard card, and armed guards also need a BSIS exposed firearms permit. Ask the company how it confirms these are current before an officer is assigned to your site.
3. Ask for a certificate of insurance
A real company can send a certificate of insurance quickly. Check the dates and coverage, and ask to be named as an additional insured if your lease or contract requires it.
4. Ask to see a sample report
Reports are how you know the work happened. Ask what a daily activity report looks like and how incidents are written up and sent to you.
5. Call after hours
Call the number on the website at night. If nobody answers before you sign, nobody will answer after.
Be careful with big numbers
Years of experience, headcounts and renewal rates are easy to write and hard to check. Ask what a number is based on. A license issue date and a few references you can call tell you more.
Armed or unarmed security: how to decide
3 min read · Safelite Guard Security
Most sites are well protected by unarmed officers. Armed security makes sense when the risk calls for a stronger response. Here is how to think it through.
Start with what you are protecting
- High-value inventory, cash or controlled products
- Isolated sites with long police response times
- A history of armed robbery or violent incidents
- Executives or public figures facing known threats
If none of these apply, unarmed officers who are alert, visible and well trained will usually do the job at a lower cost.
Think about the people on site
An armed officer changes the feel of a place. At a store, an office lobby or a place of worship, a calm unarmed presence is often the better fit. At a high-value warehouse at 3 a.m., the opposite may be true.
Mix the two
Many sites use both: unarmed officers at the front, and an armed officer for overnight hours, cash handling or the highest-risk entrance.
Get an honest recommendation
A good security company will tell you when you need less than you asked for. Ask for a site walk and a written recommendation before you decide.
What to put in your post orders
3 min read · Safelite Guard Security
Post orders are the written instructions officers follow at your site. Clear post orders are the difference between an officer who guesses and one who knows exactly what to do.
- Site details. Address, entrances, parking areas, alarm panels and keys.
- Contacts. Who to call for what, day and night, in order.
- Duties by time. What the officer does at open, during the shift and at close.
- Patrol routes. Where to walk or drive, how often and what to check.
- Access rules. Who may enter, how visitors and deliveries are handled, and who to refuse.
- Emergency steps. Fire, medical, intrusion, violence and power loss, with who to call first.
- Reporting. What goes in the daily activity report, what counts as an incident and when you are notified.
- Conduct. Uniform, phone use, breaks and anything officers must never do on your site.
Review post orders with your security company at the start and update them whenever something changes. Officers should be briefed on every change.
Event security checklist for Los Angeles
3 min read · Safelite Guard Security
Use this list when you plan security for a festival, production, private party or venue night. Share it with your security company early.
- Expected attendance at peak, not just total tickets
- Number of entrances, exits and emergency exits
- Alcohol service and ID check rules
- Event hours, plus load-in, load-out and overnight equipment watch
- Backstage, VIP and artist areas that need controlled access
- Parking lots, rideshare zones and street lines
- Bag check and prohibited item rules
- Radio channels and one lead contact on each side
- Venue contract and permit conditions. Some venues and city permits set a minimum number of licensed guards, so check before you book.
- An incident plan for medical calls, lost children, fights and evacuation
Send your security company the site map and run of show as early as possible. The more they know, the fewer officers you pay to stand in the wrong place.
