Becoming a Security Guard

More and more businesses are turning towards employing their own security professionals in an effort to combat theft and petty crime. With the train of thought being the idea that prevention is better than the cure, fewer organisations can cope with a security breach these days, with the losses far outweighing the price of employing security in terms of cost.

Just having a guard on the premises can give you peace of mind and be a great deterrent to those who are thinking of committing a crime. However, if he or she isn’t up to scratch, criminals will soon become wise to this and return to their errant ways. Before employing anyone to act as your security guard, make sure they have completed the necessary SIA training and have obtained their licence in Security Guarding (Static and Patrol), as it is illegal to work as a security guard without an SIA licence.

If you’re thinking of becoming a security guard, getting the right official security training should be your first step as approved SIA training is a requirement of being awarded your licence. You don’t need any previous experience or to have taken any kind of security training before, although you should have basic levels of English literacy and numeracy. The course will teach you all of the basic information you need conce
ing the security industry, as well as specific training related to becoming a security guard and how to handle conflict management.

As well as training, in order to obtain your licence, you will need to be over 18 and pass identification and criminal record checks. Licences are valid for three years, after which point they will need to be renewed, although you shouldn’t need to retake any training unless there have been significant changes in the law.