According to the FBI, although the overall national 2016 crime rate in the United States of America has seen a decline in recent years, a majority of US cities have become more dangerous. While we see a major downturn in violent and property crimes from 5,856 crimes per 100,000 individuals in 1991, the highest ever recorder national crime rate in the country to just 2,857 crimes per 100,000 individuals in 2016, making American cities relatively safer than they were two decades ago; the preliminary numbers in 2016, however indicate the shocking reality of an increase in crime rates in the last 15 years.

As per FBI estimates, a 3.9% spike in violent crimes has been observed from 2014 to 2015 alone. Furthermore, an increase in murder rates in Chicago, Boston and Washington DC show strikingly troubling trends, calling for the need of standardized security services throughout the country.

What Can Be Done To Keep the American Public and Its Corporations Safe?

Top management issues and security threats facing American public and its corporations indicate Lone Wolf Attacks, Internet/Intranet Cyber security, crisis management and active shooter threats as the top warning risks in the upcoming years. The need to protect the lives and properties of your loved ones by deterring crime through superior security services has become the utmost need of time.

Keeping burglars and intruders at bay to make sure your precious belonging are absolutely safe and sound has become the number one priority of most US citizens and organizations, calling for the need of providing the most powerful security services by major security companies in the country. Massive investments in the research side by most US security companies have been made to develop innovative security measures in the pursuit of providing hundred percent reliable security services so as to exceed the expectations of their clients.

In this regard, two major options of security services you can consider for protecting your valuables have been identified:

1.     Nifty and Smart Security Gadgets and Apps

Following are five best security gadgets that can be used to protect your precious assets from the criminal attempts of law breakers:

·        Using Saxby Security Light

It is an outdoor security gadget activated by passive infrared sensors to send out an immense bright light, perfect to spot a suspicious activity within a shady doorway.

·        Using Dummy Cameras

Being up to inspection, dummy cameras are made from genuine lens and camera body. Cheaper than real CCTV set-ups, these ingenious camera models are an effective way to deter troublemakers.

·        Using Siren Built-in-alarm Padlock

Siren padlock alarms can give potential robbers a scare by getting activated as the lock is moved, knocked or simply touched.

·        Using Pressure Mats-on-Guard

Perfect to keep a track of any visits, this pressure mat automatically sends a wireless signal whenever someone enters your facility.

·        Using Personal Security Applications

To tackle the issues of domestic violence, abuse and rape, several personal safety apps have been developed such as Circle of 6 App, Life 360 Family Locator App, and Watch over Me App, Sentinel Personal Security SOS App and many more. These have proved themselves to be very beneficial in saving lives and are perhaps more important to have on your phone than any popular game of the season.

2.     24/7 Vigilant Human Security Guards

Providing a peace of mind, the presence of an armed security officer patrolling within your premises taking rigorous guard tours helps business owners, employees, customers and visitors work more productively in high risk area without worrying about their personal safety. Skilled to map out all the various ways to and from point to point locations within your facility, personalized guards are well-trained to provide superior security services taking appropriate steps to prevent the outbreak of theft and vandalism within the property and guide the public in case of an unforeseen incidence.

Security Gadgets and Apps versus Personalized Security Guards

Security apps and gadgets have been developed to help the common persons deal with day to day safety needs and can also be used in high profile security models to enhance the level of protection of major security concerns of today’s business corporations. Cheap and reliable these smart gadgets can be used easily by most individuals and organizations on a regular basis to combat crimes on a budget.

Although the value of these smart security solutions cannot be ignored, there are some limitations to these technological tools. What if something goes wrong with the programming systems within these apps and gadgets?  Can they be used for personal interactions with all those who enter or leave premises especially when someone needs to be guided or negotiated with? What if an individual needs to be frisked?

This is where we realize the importance of having a personalized security guard on board. Having an armed and uniformed security guard service within your facility serves as a signal in itself to potential law breakers, making them think twice before committing an act of vandalism within your property. Serving as a better visual deterrent, security guards are well-trained to spot any suspicious activity right there and then, taking appropriate actions to assess the circumstances and arrest the security violators. Not just that, but an observant security officer also serves as an escort or customer service professional. However, certain limitations such as high turnover, lack of training and low wages within the security companies pose severe challenges for personalized security guard services.

An Integrated Security System as the Next Major Shift in the Personal Security Industry

With that in view, we see the evolution of an integrated guarding system as the next imperative shift in the conventional security services model. By this approach we mean an amalgamation of human and technological solutions to help human security guards do what they are best at and machines do what machines at best at so that the technological tools can be utilized to perform the dangerous, redundant and dull part of the work while human security guards can be used to provide insights, judgments and people skills. In this way we will be able to achieve the best of both worlds.