You manage a medical office in Garden Grove and the front desk staff keeps asking for a professional presence in the lobby — someone who can screen visitors, handle a disruptive patient, and make everyone feel safer without making the waiting room feel like a checkpoint. Or you run a shopping center in Hawthorne and your tenants want visible security in the parking lot, especially after dark. Or your apartment complex in Downey needs someone at the gate who can manage access, greet residents, and deal with problems before they escalate.
All three of those situations call for the same thing: a trained, licensed unarmed security guard. Not because armed is too expensive (though it does cost more), but because unarmed is the right tool for the job. Most security needs in Los Angeles do not require a firearm. They require a person who is trained, alert, professional, and knows how to handle situations through presence, communication, and de-escalation.
We have been placing unarmed security guards across LA County, Orange County, and throughout California since 1997. PPO license 12958, over $1 million in liability coverage, full workers’ compensation. This page covers what unarmed guards actually do, when they are the right choice, what they cost, and how to get one on your property.
What This Page Covers
- What unarmed security guards actually do on your property
- When unarmed is the right choice (and when it is not)
- What unarmed security costs in Los Angeles
- Training and licensing requirements in California
- Why clients choose Scaife Protection for unarmed security
- Frequently asked questions
What Unarmed Security Guards Actually Do
There is a misconception that unarmed guards are somehow less capable than armed guards. That is not how it works. Unarmed security officers do everything armed guards do — minus carrying a firearm. The job is the same. The training overlaps significantly. The difference is the tool set, and for most properties and situations, a firearm is not part of the equation.
Here is what your unarmed guard handles on a typical shift:
Access control. Managing who enters and exits your property. This could mean checking IDs at a gate, logging visitors at a front desk, verifying credentials at a loading dock, or screening guests at an event entrance. Your guard is the first line between your property and someone who should not be there.
Foot and vehicle patrols. Walking your property on a set route, checking doors and windows, monitoring parking lots, inspecting stairwells, and looking for anything out of place. A guard who is visible and moving is the single most effective deterrent against theft, vandalism, and trespassing. Cameras record. Guards prevent.
De-escalation and conflict resolution. A homeless person refusing to leave your lobby. Two tenants in a shouting match in the hallway. A customer getting aggressive with your staff. These situations happen regularly in LA, and a trained guard knows how to resolve them without physical force in the vast majority of cases. De-escalation is a skill, and our guards are trained in it.
Incident response and reporting. When something happens — a break-in attempt, a medical emergency, a fire alarm — your guard responds first, contacts the appropriate authorities, secures the area, and documents everything. You get a detailed incident report, which is critical for insurance claims and legal protection.
Customer service. This is the part people do not think about. At a shopping center, your guard gives directions, helps customers find their cars, walks employees to their vehicles after closing. At a medical office, the guard greets patients and manages the waiting area. At an apartment complex, residents get to know the guard by name. An unarmed guard who is personable and professional adds value to your property beyond security.
When Unarmed Security Is the Right Choice
Straight answer: unarmed is the right choice for the large majority of security needs. If your risk profile does not specifically call for lethal force capability, unarmed is what you want. Here are the most common situations where unarmed guards are the clear fit:
Retail and shopping centers. Your customers are families, shoppers, and workers grabbing lunch. An armed guard standing outside a clothing store in Carson sends the wrong message. An unarmed guard in the parking lot of a shopping center in Gardena sends the right one — visible, approachable, and clearly there to keep things safe. Unarmed guards handle shoplifting deterrence, parking lot patrols, and tenant concerns without creating an atmosphere that drives customers away.
Medical offices and clinics. Patients are already stressed. A firearm in a waiting room does not help. An unarmed guard at a medical office in Garden Grove or Fullerton manages visitor check-in, handles disruptive patients, and keeps the environment calm. Healthcare security is about presence and professionalism, not force.
Office buildings and corporate campuses. Lobby security, access control, visitor management, after-hours patrols. An unarmed guard at the front desk of an office building in El Segundo or Torrance handles all of this. The guard is part of the professional image of your building.
Residential and apartment complexes. Gate access, package management, noise complaints, parking enforcement, late-night patrols. Residents want to feel safe, and they want to know the person at the gate. An unarmed guard at an apartment complex in Downey or Norwalk becomes part of the community. That matters for tenant retention.
Construction sites. Many construction sites do well with unarmed overnight security — someone who is present, visible, and can call police if there is an attempted break-in. Unless your site has unusually high-value materials or is in a location with very long police response times, unarmed is typically sufficient.
Events. Corporate functions, private parties, community events. Unarmed guards manage access, monitor crowds, and de-escalate situations. For most events, unarmed is appropriate. Learn more about event security →
When You Might Need Armed Security Instead
We are not going to tell you unarmed is always the answer. It is not. There are situations where armed security is the appropriate call, and you should know the difference.
High-value cargo and inventory. A warehouse in City of Industry storing electronics worth six figures. A cannabis dispensary in LA. A jewelry store. When the product itself attracts serious criminals who are willing to use force, armed security changes the risk calculation.
Remote sites with long response times. A construction site in Palmdale or a facility in Lancaster where police might take 20 to 30 minutes to arrive. When help is far away, the guard needs to be able to handle more on their own.
Executive and VIP protection. Personal security for someone who has received threats or has a public profile that creates risk. Close protection work typically requires armed guards with additional training.
If you are not sure which you need, that is normal. We will walk your property, assess the risk, and give you an honest recommendation. We are not going to upsell you on armed security if unarmed is the right fit. That is not how we operate.
Private Armed Security Services →
What Unarmed Security Guards Cost in Los Angeles
In the LA market in 2026, licensed unarmed security guards cost $25 to $38 per hour. That is the range for a legitimate, licensed, insured operation with real supervision and trained guards. Here is what drives the price within that range:
Shift timing. Overnight shifts and weekends cost more than daytime weekday shifts. That is standard across the industry.
Hours per week. More hours generally means a better rate. A property that needs 40+ hours per week gets different pricing than a property that needs 16 hours on weekends only.
Site complexity. A single-entry lobby post is simpler than a multi-building campus with parking structures. More complexity means more training, more detailed post orders, and more supervision.
Contract length. Longer-term contracts allow better staffing planning, which usually translates to better rates.
How this compares to armed. Armed security in LA runs $32 to $48 per hour — roughly 30 to 40 percent more than unarmed. The premium covers additional licensing, firearms training and qualification, higher insurance premiums, and greater liability exposure. If your situation does not require armed security, you save real money by going unarmed — and you get the appropriate level of protection for your property.
Watch out for lowball quotes. If someone is quoting you $18 an hour for unarmed security, ask yourself how the math works. California minimum wage, payroll taxes, workers’ comp, insurance, uniforms, training, supervision — there is no room left at that rate. What you get is untrained guards who do not last, no supervision, and a company that might not have proper insurance. When something goes wrong, that is when you find out what you actually paid for.
Security Guard Costs FAQ →
Training and Licensing for Unarmed Security Guards in California
California regulates security guards through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Every unarmed security guard must hold a valid BSIS Guard Card before they can work a single shift. Here is what that involves and what we add on top of it:
BSIS Guard Card. The state-mandated registration that requires background checks, fingerprinting, and completion of required training courses. This is the legal minimum. No guard card, no legal authority to work as a security guard in California.
Powers to Arrest training. California Penal Code 837 gives security guards specific authority to make citizen’s arrests under defined circumstances. This training covers when and how a guard can legally detain someone, the limits of that authority, and how to do it safely. Every guard we place completes this training.
De-escalation and conflict resolution. This is where the real skill is. Knowing how to talk someone down, how to redirect a confrontation, how to handle an aggressive person without it turning physical. We train our guards in verbal de-escalation techniques because that is what actually gets used on the job, shift after shift. A guard who can resolve a situation with words is more valuable than one who cannot.
CPR and First Aid. Medical emergencies do not wait for paramedics. A guard who is CPR and First Aid certified can stabilize a situation until help arrives. At a medical office, a shopping center, or an apartment complex, this training can be the difference between a bad outcome and a manageable one.
Site-specific training. Beyond the certifications, every guard we place gets trained on your specific property. Your post order, your patrol routes, your emergency procedures, your tenant expectations. A guard who shows up not knowing where the fire exits are or how to reach the property manager is not ready to protect anything. We do not send anyone to your site until they know it.
Why Clients Choose Scaife Protection for Unarmed Security
We are a family-owned security company based in Lawndale. Omar Scaife has been running this operation since 1997 — 27 years of placing guards across Los Angeles County, Orange County, and throughout California. Our PPO license is 12958. We carry over $1 million in general liability and full workers’ compensation coverage. You can verify all of that at search.dca.ca.gov.
Here is what that means for your property. When you call us, you talk to someone who knows the neighborhoods you are asking about. We know what security looks like at a shopping center in Hawthorne versus an apartment complex in Downey versus a medical office in Garden Grove. We have done all of them, for years. That experience shows up in better post orders, better guard placement, and fewer problems.
We do site visits before we quote. We build post orders tailored to your property. We put guards on your site who know your building, your tenants, and your expectations. And we check in regularly — supervisor visits, guard monitoring, and direct communication with you. If something is not working, we fix it. We do not hide behind a call center.
Same-day deployment when you need it fast. Consistent, long-term staffing when that is what matters. Either way, you get guards who are licensed, trained, insured, and backed by a company that has been doing this longer than most of our competitors have existed.
Learn More About Scaife Protection →
Frequently Asked Questions About Unarmed Security Guards
What is the difference between an unarmed and armed security guard?
The core job is the same — access control, patrols, incident response, reporting, de-escalation. The difference is that armed guards carry a firearm and hold additional BSIS licensing and firearms training certifications. Unarmed guards handle the same situations through presence, verbal skills, and coordination with law enforcement. For most commercial, retail, medical, and residential properties, unarmed guards are the appropriate and cost-effective choice. Armed security is reserved for high-risk situations where the threat profile specifically calls for it. Learn more about armed security →
How much does an unarmed security guard cost in Los Angeles?
In 2026, licensed unarmed security guards in Los Angeles cost $25 to $38 per hour. The exact rate depends on shift timing (nights and weekends are higher), weekly hours, contract length, and site complexity. This is lower than armed security ($32 to $48 per hour), and it is the right price point for the 80+ percent of security needs that do not require a firearm. For a quote based on your specific property, call (323) 786-8140 or use our free quote tool.
Can an unarmed security guard detain someone?
Yes. Under California Penal Code 837, security guards have the authority to make a citizen’s arrest when they witness a felony or certain misdemeanors committed in their presence. Our guards are trained in Powers to Arrest procedures, including when detention is legally justified, how to do it safely, and how to document and hand off to law enforcement. This authority exists regardless of whether the guard is armed or unarmed.
What training do your unarmed guards have?
All of our unarmed guards hold a valid BSIS Guard Card, which requires background checks, fingerprinting, and state-mandated training. Beyond that, our guards complete Powers to Arrest training, de-escalation and conflict resolution training, and CPR/First Aid certification. Before deployment, every guard receives site-specific training on your property — your post order, patrol routes, emergency procedures, and tenant expectations.
How quickly can you get an unarmed guard on my property?
Same-day deployment is available for emergency situations throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County. Call us at (323) 786-8140 and we can often have a guard on site within hours. For standard placements, we schedule a site visit first and typically have guards deployed within 24 to 48 hours. We carry a roster of trained, ready guards specifically so we can respond fast when you need it.
Related Guides & Resources
Security Services for Every Situation
Whatever your property type and wherever you are located in California, we have experience. Licensed guards, background checks, and flexible deployment — same day when you need it, or long-term contracts that actually work.
View All Security Services →
Serving Communities Across California
We are based in Lawndale and provide security throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, the Central Valley, and across California. Your location. Our guards.
See All Locations We Serve →