Security First: How To Pick The Best Security Company In New York City

As you must know, New York City has a long-running reputation for crime, cemented by movies as far back as ‘The Incident’ in 1967 through the Scorsese classic ‘Taxi Driver’ in 1976 all the way through to the ‘let’s clean up these mean streets’ action movies of the eighties and nineties.

Fun Fact! ‘The Incident’ is about some punks who hold a subway car hostage, and the NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority refused to grant permission to the production to film the movie in one of their cars, probably out of concern about that reputation exactly. 

All footage recorded on the platform had to be taken from a camera concealed in bags. Good thing no security guards were watching. Great film, by the way, with Martin Sheen in his first film role. 

All Eyes On The Center

Additionally, New York City is a center of the world full of targets like the headquarters of top global companies and political players like the United Nations.

Plus, many very public events are held in New York City, such as movie premieres and awards shows, attracting some of the biggest celebrities and important personalities in the world. 

Thus, all kinds of security concerns exist and security companies are in demand in New York City. There is a need for top-notch security. But how do you pick the top security company in New York City?

A Sense Of Security

What are the different kinds of security one might seek? There are a variety ranging from residential security services to corporate and commercial security services. Security services are available for hotels, warehouses and construction sites. Retail and Event security are also a thing. 

Most of these services involve a security guard, who can be employed in private and public areas such as airports, factories, hospitals, libraries and concert halls, among other places like in gated communities and at special events. 

DefIne And Defend 

Best, then, to define the role of a security guard. Security Guards are most often expected to oversee and execute the following duties:

1. Conducting patrols and surveillance activities
2. Supervising or monitoring employees or clients, at their workstation
3. Directing emergency procedures for the safety of people and property
4. Enforcing rules and regulations
5. Maintaining and enhancing security at facilities such as observation posts and lighting systems.

Security guard licensing is overseen by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. 

What To Ask

Criteria for picking the best security company in New York City includes:

1. Experience
2. Training
3. Response Time
4. Customer Service
5. Technology
6. Competitive Rates

Don’t sacrifice quality for your budget! Find a company that remains competitive and will work with you on a budget that satisfies your needs without exceeding your budget.

Another good idea is to employ a company who will provide a consultation on what safety concerns you should be minding. Maybe you don’t know. You’re no criminal. You don’t think like a criminal. So you need someone who does, or at least has experience with their thinking patterns. 

Protecting Yourself

Here are the questions you might want to ask.

• Are the company’s security guards licensed by the state of NY? To be licensed, a guard must be eighteen years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, completed eight hours of pre-assignment training and double that in on-the-job-training and have undergone fingerprinting.
• If they have completed the training, they will have learned the role of a security guard, what to do in emergency situations, how to deal with public relations, the principles and application of ‘controlled access’ systems and, probably most importantly, ethics and conduct. For example, aggression prevention is one example of the skills future guards learn during training. 
• It doesn’t stop there! To maintain their license, security guards must refresh with eight hours of training per year. 
• It is also prudent to find a company who runs their own independent background checks on potential employees, like Building Security Services of New York.

Ask for references. See what other clients have to say about their service. You can check online reviews too. 

A Question For Yourself

The best question to ask is of yourself: What are your qualification requirements? Let any potential company know what your security concerns are. That is how you will get the best results and is a great place to start. 

Hopefully, this article has prepared you with all the tools you need for selecting the top security company in New York City to serve and protect you.