The Top 10 Security Guard Officer Duties & Responsibilities

Security guards are the backbone of almost every business, building, or facility that they’re assigned to protect. 

But, how well do you really know the vast array of security guard responsibilities that make up a security job? We can bet you that, unless you work in the industry, you’re unlikely to know the full extent of it.

Of course, it’s important that anyone exploring a job in this field have a good understanding of security guard duties beforehand. It’s not necessarily a job that anyone can do if they can’t handle all of the security officer duties that they might be asked to perform. So, without further ado, here’s a quick guide to all of the potential security guard responsibilities you should know about.

Top Security Guard Responsibilities

Security guard responsibilities can mean many things. One of the more overlooked security guard duties involves writing reports. Part of the reason why security guards are on duty is so that there’s a record of everything that happens. You never know when something suspicious that’s observed will turn out to be important at a later date. This means that security officers should write detailed reports of anything eventful that happens during their shift. Of course, if there is a crime committed under their watch or something serious happens that forces them to intervene, there needs to be a report written up so that the guard’s supervisor and the proper authorities can know what happened. This is one of the key parts of security guard training. 

Of course, it’s incredibly important that any incidents are written up in real-time, or as soon as possible after an incident occurs. Having a way to do so in real-time and easily accessible (such as an app) would be ideal. 

There are plenty of times when a security guard’s duties involve traffic control. If a security officer is working at a busy spot or working during a busy event, part of maintaining order and security is directing visitors to the right place. Obviously, every security guard will be briefed on where they should be directing vehicles, and so they need to be able to convey that to everyone attending the event. Even better: if this important information, such as incident report forms, can be digitized in one place. 

Crowd management is often an important part of security officer duties. This could be at a club, sporting event, political rally, or any other type of large gathering. Energy and emotions can often run high at events like this, making it the job of security guards to make sure that people don’t get out of control. They need to be aware of any rules or laws that people might be breaking while also keeping an eye on surveillance systems. This requires constant vigilance from a security officer and the ability to recognize when things are getting out of control and when to intervene. Ideally, security guards won’t have to interfere with the event, but they might have to in order to manage a large crowd (likely in collaboration with other team members, meaning internal communication is essential). It’s also incredibly important that security guards be communicative with one another and with command control, to ensure that everyone is updated and on the same page at all times, should a situation develop. Having some kind of cross-organizational private and group chat platform would be ideal. 

It sometimes gets forgotten that a security officer’s duties include helping people. If there is important safety information about a certain building or event, security guards need to be able to convey that information to people. For example, a security guard at an office building might need to inform the people who work there to avoid a certain part of the building or do something a certain way. The security guard needs to be clear in conveying this kind of message while also advising people of the consequences if they don’t follow the instructions. Ultimately, a security guard’s responsibilities revolve around helping people and keeping everyone safe, which sometimes involves telling others what to do, or how to stick to the workplace safety plan.

Better yet: have a centralized, digital place to keep all documentation, processes, forms and more so every team member can look for and find whatever they need to know at that moment. 

While the job is important, not everything that a security guard does is dramatic or in a fast-paced environment. Often, a security guard will be positioned at the entrance of a building, so part of their job will be keeping the entrance safe, as well as assisting guests. If people visiting the building don’t know where to go or don’t know what they’re looking for, a security guard who is familiar with the building will be able to help point them in the right direction. This is often the case in residential areas, hotels, hospitals, and similar environments. Of course, the main security guard duties in these locations involve keeping unsavory people away, checking people’s IDS, and keeping everyone safe. But it’s possible to perform these duties while also assisting anyone who has questions or needs a little help.

In certain situations, security guards will be responsible for managing the access point to a certain location. Some schools and hospitals have security guards on duty to ensure that only people with a reason to be there are allowed to enter. The same is true at other high-profile locations where there is some level of safety concern. In these situations, security guard responsibilities include keeping a log of visitors and checking the credentials of everyone who enters. This is an important part of standard operating procedure, but screening visitors can be an important part of maintaining safety and security at some locations. It’s important for security officers to follow the protocols that have been put in place and ensure that the access points to a building haven’t been breached.

One of the most important security officer duties is simply to be a presence that can deter crime. Merely having a security guard on-site can help prevent crimes like vandalism and theft. It’s the same reason that police officers walk a beat and go out into the community rather than waiting to be called to a crime. The visibility of a security guard can help to maintain order and prevent crimes before they happen. Of course, this is part of the reason why the job can seem boring at times. However, it can’t be overlooked how much the presence of security guards and the fact that they’re remaining vigilant can deter crime in the first place.

While it sounds a little vague, security guard duties are often just being there and watching. If there is anything suspicious or even something that’s just out of the ordinary happening, a security guard should be able to notice it. Something unusual is often a sign that something is amiss or that someone could require help. Even if that’s not the case, it’s always best for a security guard to do their due diligence on anything unusual. This could be something they see, smell, hear, or sense in any way. Of course, this requires security guards to always have an awareness of their surroundings and have a keen sense of sight and hearing.

Don’t think that a security officer’s duties include doing everything on their own. If there is a genuine emergency or something a security guard can’t handle, it’s their job to contact the authorities. They will likely be able to call for police, firefighters, or an ambulance quicker than an ordinary civilian. Ideally, a security guard will have the instincts to call for additional help as soon as they recognize that they can’t handle a situation on their own. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so security guards should not hesitate to call the proper authorities and recognize that this is one of their duties.

On that note, it’s incredibly important that the security guards on-shift don’t waste valuable time scrabbling around for phone numbers or contact details of colleagues should they have to get in touch with someone quickly. Having an automatic directory of all members of a company, which is ready to go (at the touch of a button) can save valuable seconds if a situation is rapidly deteriorating. 

Of course, before calling the proper authorities, a security guard’s duties involve being the first line of defense in the event of a crisis or emergency. This is often the key role when starting a security guard business. 

Before starting on the job, a security officer should be trained on how to handle any situation that might arise. If action needs to be taken to assist or protect people, they will be the first to act. If the situation is serious, they will receive help from other security guards, police officers, and other first responders based on the situation. But part of a security guard’s responsibilities will always be to be the first to jump into a situation and provide the first line of defense.

Giving Backup: Digitize Your Security Guards’ Responsibilities 

Security guards have a silent but important role in most businesses, but, at the end of the day, they’re only human. With all of the different security guards responsibilities, something will have to give. 

But it really shouldn’t do. With all of the different processes they have to remember, communication they might need to deploy and several other roles besides, it’s clear that some digital delegation is a solid idea for any on-the-job security guard. 

Enter: Connecteam, the app security guards love to use. An all-in-one-app loved by security companies worldwide, security guards will have everything they need in one place: cross-organizational, private and group communication; details for every single shift (alongside shift attachments, notes and more), a centralized digital knowledge base that allows very guard to access all of the information (such as emergency evacuation prosecuted) forms (incident report forms and more) and everything else that they need to do their job properly.  

With a free-forever plan, or a 14-day free trial of paid plans, Connecteam helps every security guard stay connected, in every eventuality. 

Check out how other security guard businesses love to use Connecteam to manage and scale their businesses!

The Bottom Line on Security Guard Responsibilities 

The role of security guards can be many things: a guide, a protector, a first line of defense. 

But, with all of the different strings to the bow that is a security guard job, there needs to be a centralized place to store all of the important operational, administrative and procedural information related to the job. Having an all-in-one app for your security guard’s needs is the right way to keep guards safe, compliant and do their job the right way. 

Check out how UGS used an all-in-one security guard app to grow its business, and how you can do the same for free.