Is your RV dealership struggling with theft and vandalism?
Relying on security guards to protect your dealership against these issues is a common approach. Many businesses assume that live security personnel offer the best protection for their commercial properties, and many continue to rely on them to prevent break-ins, burglaries, and vandalism. While having security personnel on your site may provide you, your employees, and your customers with a sense of security, here is the reality:
Relying on security guards as your first line
of perimeter defense is just not good enough.
Here are five reasons why:
1. Large sites are hard to protect.
RV dealerships have large perimeters, multiple access points, and valuable assets to protect, leaving guards with limited visibility of your site. While a guard is checking one side of your lot, they may be unaware of what is happening on the other side until it is too late. Even multiple guards may be unable to stop a break-in or delay vandalism until police arrive.
2. Remote locations are even harder to protect.
If your RV dealership is in a remote location, it presents even more serious challenges. You may have trouble finding personnel who want to work in such areas due to lengthy commutes and a lack of nearby amenities. In the event an incident occurs, delayed police response times become a concern, leaving guards to manage the situation on their own. Geographic features may also make it difficult to monitor the site. Combined, these factors make your remote dealership an attractive target for thieves and vandals.
3. Security guards are expensive.
According to Salary.com, the average annual salary for an unarmed security guard typically falls between $32,870 and $41,788— and that does not include benefits. How many security guards do you need to protect your dealership? What about entrances and attached buildings? The more security guards you hire, the higher your overall wage costs, and salaries are not the only cost. You also must pay for recruiting, training, liability insurance, patrol vehicles, and more, which adds up quickly. Then there is the often-overlooked cost of employee turnover. The security business has high turnover rates, which brings additional costs to account for constantly hiring and training new people. Add it all up, and you will see that security guard protection can burn up your budget. Sure, you can outsource security, but the company providing the guards faces the same issues and passes their costs along to you. If they experience high turnover coupled with a shortage of experienced candidates to fill those positions, you may get guards who are not properly qualified to protect your dealership.
4. It’s difficult to find personnel with the right qualifications.
Security work can be physically demanding, so hiring guards who are in good health and bodily condition is essential. Guards must be responsible, punctual, and mentally prepared. They must show up every day, on time, and stay awake on the graveyard shift. They must be temperamentally suited to respond appropriately to any incidents on your property. Finally, they must be mentally able to deal with the mundaneness of routine patrols while always being alert and prepared to respond quickly to intrusions and other threats. RV dealerships are unique because guards must deal with protecting assets, stopping vandalism, and making sure vagrants are not sleeping in RVs. In addition, it is your responsibility to ensure that the security guards you hire get the proper training and certifications to stay in compliance and minimize any potential liability to your dealership.
5. Security guards can be spread too thin.
“Security” is a broad term, and security guards are asked to do a lot while on duty. In addition to patrolling perimeters, they must check buildings and assets on the property and respond to any suspicious activity. If your dealership has a large perimeter, you must choose how to deploy your guards. The more guards assigned to monitor the perimeter, the fewer that are available to protect everything else on your property. You can add other security measures, like alarms. But the costs of such a piecemeal approach can do real damage to your budget and still be ineffective.
Are you ready to secure your perimeter and protect
your RV dealership from would-be thieves?
Now that you know the challenges of solely relying on security guards to protect your RV dealership, how will you update your security plan? If you’re not sure where to start, get in touch with one of our perimeter security experts to take the first step. Together, we’ll examine your current security efforts, identify potential risks, and develop a comprehensive plan to safeguard your assets.
