Security Guards Vs. Bodyguards: Main Security And Investigations
Whether it’s a security guard or a bodyguard, both are humans who make you feel a bit safer about your surroundings. However, it is important to understand the difference between the two. Read on to learn more about the different duties and roles a security guard has vs. a bodyguard.
Overlap Duties
They are both usually employed to provide private protection services but in different roles. For example, a security guard observes and reports a threat to someone who can take protective action. In contrast, a bodyguard can take immediate protective action. The reason is that the setlist of job duties between a bodyguard and security guard is not the same. Although there is some overlap, a bodyguard can also double as a security guard, but the reverse is not possible.
What Does A Security Guard Protect?
A security guard protects property like an airport, bank, or power plant. However, the people within that property are also under their watchful eye, looking out for their safety and trying to prevent a crime from taking place. They patrol buildings, issue tickets, investigate problems, respond to alarms, and monitor surveillance systems to protect tenants and identify suspicious activities.
Bodyguard Focus
A bodyguard’s service is asked to protect a particular person or group by providing personal protection. Therefore, this specific person or group they are assigned to becomes their focus, and they do all they can to keep the ‘principal’ out of crime’s way. In essence, bodyguards are security guards with a more focused target, and they have no problems being more up close and personal to protect their charge.
Protecting The Rich And Famous
A bodyguard can have different names, depending on what type of service they are rendering. They can be called
- Close protection officers – which is the more general term
- Executive protection – discretion is key
- VIP protection – visibility is paramount
An executive’s need for a bodyguard is still for their safety, but they require the bodyguard’s presence to be more on the invisible side. Whereas when a celebrity requires a bodyguard, they want their protection to be upfront and visible.
Who Needs A Bodyguard?
There are many that can require the services of a bodyguard. Depending on the circumstances, they can ask for a permanent bodyguard or part-time bodyguard. The list includes:
- High net worth people
- Politicians
- Movie stars
- Celebrities
- Musicians
- Any person who received threats
- Anyone who is perceived to be famous
Added Duties
Being a bodyguard is very important because your ‘principal’ literally places their safety and trust in your capabilities. They assume that the bodyguard is a highly skilled professional with expert training in VIP security services. And because of the particular skill set wielded by bodyguards, they are being compensated at the rates prescribed.
- In the effort to ensure the safety of their ‘principal,’ a bodyguard will perform other duties like:
- Planing traveling routes. Traveling includes on foot and in a vehicle. Both are critical to ensure all possible “worst-case scenarios” are thought out and possible countermeasures are in place.
- Going ahead of the ‘principal’ into a building or hotel room to ensure that it’s all clear of danger.
Drawing up contingency plans and analyzing threat assessments. - Making sure that there are no signs of any danger on and in the vehicles
Although security guards might not sound as glamorous as bodyguards, both do place their lives in very real dangerous situations daily for the public’s safety.
If you need security services such as security guards, then you have come to the right place! Main Security And Investigations offer security guards that can effectively monitor your properties to prevent crimes and other dangers from occurring. To learn more about what we can do to help, call us today at 281-574-1871.