Our Brain Squad Sounds Off On Security Guards

Yes: 8%

• We had an armed robbery in February of 2018. We brought on our officers after that to protect the store and evaluate customers. We planned to only keep them until we had our mantrap doors installed, but shortly after install, we heard another rumor of a gang member discussing robbing our store, so we have kept them on. I like having them because it relieves our staff of the responsibility of evaluating customers. Our officers can easily protect them and move any odd customers out of the store. We are in a heavy walking traffic area with a lot of tourists, and customers mostly thank our officers for protecting them. If they ask why we have officers, we tell them it’s to allow our staff to better focus on service and sales. — Elizabeth Kittell, Pretty In Patina, Omaha, NE
• Customers love it, staff loves it. Everyone feels safe and also that any jewelry they buy from us or leave with us is safe. Ours are off-duty uniformed sheriff deputies, though, and that may make a difference. — Dorothy Vodicka, The Gem Collection, Tallahassee, FL
• We hire our local PD at Christmas when we are open late to do details. It is expensive, but it gives me great peace of mind. It also makes it so I don’t need to be there every hour. In the end, we get to know our local officers and they appreciate the cushy detail. Most have wives or girlfriends (or are female officers), so sometimes they even buy something. — Mark Snyder, Snyder Jewelers, Weymouth, MA
• We sell high-end watches, so customers and employees feel much safer with a guard at the door. Today, most insurance companies require it. Besides, we have been robbed before and our jeweler was shot. After that, I said I would no longer work in our downtown store. The guard can have my paycheck so we feel safe! — Teddie Gause, Gause & Son Jewelers, Ocala, FL
• Customers love it, staff loves it. Everyone feels safe and also that any jewelry they buy from us or leave with us is safe. Ours are off-duty uniformed sheriff deputies, though, and that may make a difference. — Dorothy Vodicka, The Gem Collection, Tallahassee, FL

No: 92%

• I used to have one until an off-duty policeman said, “Do you really want someone with a minimal education to have a gun in your store?” That was one reason. The second reason was the confidentiality issue. Did not like that they were hearing what was going on. Now I have a locked door and like it a lot better. — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
• Added security will not be productive because the current clientele do not pose a risk and we are not big enough for the professional to bother us. We have a great alarm system along with CCTV with monitors outside of the sales floor. Law enforcement response to an alarm is less than one minute away. — E.L. Menk Jewelers, Brainerd, MN
• We do not because of the extra cost. Missouri is also a concealed-carry state, and we can and do carry our own firearms at times. We are well-trained on personal security and have taken courses on how to be safe and what to do in case of a robbery. — Scott Schlagenhauff, Jewelry By Morgan, Kansas City, MO
• Sadly, I believe that having a guard makes the environment consistently tense and exudes distrust. We prefer to keep staff trained in security measures to allow our customers a warm, inviting atmosphere. — Morgan Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• We live in a relatively safe place and we all carry a weapon. Keep in mind that the weapons are for saving lives, not jewelry. — Chris Snowden, Snowden’s Jewelers, Wilmington, NC
• We do not have a security guard, but we do have a locked door with a door buzzer and a doorbell that alerts us that someone is at the door. — Frank Salinardi, Linardi’s Jewelers, Plantation, FL
• Robbers can take it all. I have insurance; I don’t need any gunplay in my store. — Donald Killelea, Killelea Jewelers, Midlothian, IL
• We had one, which seemed to intimidate clients. We have installed self-locking doors, a mantrap and clearly visible cameras inside and out. — Steven Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, Bellevue, WA
• When we have had security guards in the past, it made our customers feel uncomfortable. We buzz customers in through a double door system. No system is foolproof. We all need to be very aware of what is happening at all times. — Bob Richards, Bob Richards Jewelers, Germantown, TN
• We are fortunate in that our retail center provides 24/7 armed security as part of our common area maintenance. It was certainly a plus in choosing our location. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA