ABCO Maryland Private Detective Agency & Background Screenings

12102 Ocean Gateway | Route 50 West Ocean City, 21842 | Golden Pond Center Unit #1 | 410-213-0220 | Fax 410-213-7661

Uniform Or Plain Clothes Security Officers

The decision to hire a uniformed security officer should be based on whether it is more important to deter people or to catch them. Keeping people honest is cheaper and much less time consuming than catching them in an act of dishonesty. Deterrence is preferable. If you catch an employee stealing, you will have to hire and train a replacement. If you decide to have them prosecuted, you will spend many hours away from your business and will be tied up in court.

A uniformed officer can be very effective in deterring customers and employees in gross acts of dishonesty. For example, a parking lot security officer who makes regular rounds and investigates car alarms can cause a thief to go elsewhere. An officer checking departing employees at a warehouse has a huge impact on theft.

Plain clothes security officers, on the other hand are essential for stopping shoplifters. You have to either catch them or force them out of your store. The security officer must be very good at reading people and their behaviors in order to differentiate between regular customers and (potential) thieves. Experienced shoplifters, at least the ones who are more cautious, can be deterred by the presence of proactive uniformed or plain clothes security. Casually following a suspected shoplifter is usually effective.