While there’s no clear-cut answer to whether there are differences between a security guard and a security officer, what is known is that the two roles consist of different duties. These two types of security professionals are often confused and at times used interchangeably. In this article, you will be able to know the difference between a security guard and security officer by comparing them side-by-side.
Security Guard
A security guard is a professional who works for security companies. The security guards are considered as the lower enlisted security and work under the supervision of a security officer or supervisor. Security guards are not only a must for banks, but also in various other organizations where they provide extra security. Because the field of security is highly specialized, there are different types of security guards that you could come across. This would depend on the type of business you want to be protected and the budget of your organization.
Duties and Responsibilities
Let’s explore some of the duties of a security guard:
- Reporting suspicious activities to security officers or building owners.
- Guarding building entrances
- Providing visitors or customers with information and assistance
Security Officer
Security officers, also called security supervisors, are managers of a group of security guards who supervise and manage the operations of the guards. They give orders and oversee the daily operations of the guards. Being a security officer is a good career for ex-military or ex-police personnel who want to continue working in the security field.
Duties and Responsibilities
Let’s take a look at the duties of a security officer:
- Monitoring the operations of security guards along with the establishment.
- Planning security guard schedules
- Issuing directives to security guards
- Leads the security guard trainings
There are things that stand out when it comes to differentiating between a security officer and a security guard. Aside from their job descriptions, these two categories vary in areas such as the number of training modules they have undergone. This makes identifying one from the other as easy as making comparisons. However, for easier differentiation, we have also compared their levels of authority and power, which have been discussed in-depth earlier in this article.
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