The majority of security problems in California are solved by presence, procedure and judgment — not firearms. A trained, uniformed unarmed security guard deters theft and trespassing, controls who enters a building, de-escalates confrontations, assists employees and visitors, and documents everything that happens on a shift. Safeguard On Demand provides BSIS-licensed unarmed security officers for office buildings, retail centers, apartment communities, HOAs, hospitals and clinics, schools, construction sites, hotels and events.
Every officer holds a current California BSIS Guard Card, has cleared a DOJ and FBI fingerprint background check, and completes de-escalation, CPR/first aid and site-specific training before the first shift. From six offices we staff posts across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, the Inland Empire, the Bay Area, Sacramento and the Central Valley, usually within 24 hours and never on a long-term contract.
Anyone can post a person at a door. The difference between a security guard who prevents incidents and one who merely witnesses them comes down to selection, training and supervision. Safeguard On Demand officers are hired for temperament, trained to recognize pre-escalation behavior, and given written post orders for the property they protect — who gets in, what gets logged, when to call police. A field supervisor visits posts unannounced, and reports are reviewed every morning so problems are caught by us before they reach you.
Unarmed coverage also pairs naturally with our other services: a standing guard at the entrance, a mobile patrol on the lot after hours, remote video monitoring between rounds, and armed officers where cash or credible threats justify them. One account manager coordinates the whole program so nothing falls between vendors.
Property owners and managers across California choose Safeguard On Demand’s unarmed security guards because they show up, stay engaged and leave a paper trail. Officers are employees with benefits — not day-labor contractors — which keeps turnover low and the same familiar faces on your property. Hourly reports with timestamped photos, GPS-verified patrols and a named account manager come standard on every post, whether it is a lobby in Irvine, a shopping center in Santa Ana, a warehouse in Fontana or a campus in Sacramento. Request a free unarmed security quote or call (800) 640-2327 — dispatch is staffed 24/7.
Included with every deployment
Every deployment begins with a free site assessment. We review your property, hours and incident history, then deliver a written unarmed security plan with clear pricing, usually within 24 hours. Request your free assessment or call (800) 640-2327.
Our unarmed guards provide a professional, approachable presence in retail stores, malls and shopping centers across California. They deter shoplifting and organized retail theft, monitor entrances and parking lots, assist customers and support loss-prevention teams with documented incident reports. Learn more about our retail security services.
For office lobbies, corporate campuses and business parks, our unarmed officers manage visitor check-in, badge verification and access to restricted floors, monitor CCTV and respond to alarms. Concierge security officers combine front-desk hospitality with trained security awareness for Class A buildings in Los Angeles, Irvine, San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento.
Unarmed guards provide round-the-clock gate access, courtesy patrol and amenity monitoring for apartment communities, condominiums, HOAs and gated communities. They deter trespassing, enforce community rules and document disturbances, giving property managers a reliable record for every incident.
Safeguard On Demand officers in healthcare settings are trained in de-escalation with patients and visitors, access control at emergency departments and sensitive units, and coordination with clinical staff during emergencies, supporting your workplace violence prevention plan under California SB 553.
Our unarmed officers at schools, colleges and universities manage campus entry points, monitor parking areas and after-hours activity, support staff during events and dismissal, and report concerns promptly to administrators and local law enforcement.
From private events and festivals to hotels and resorts, unarmed officers handle guest screening, crowd flow, lobby and pool-area patrol and late-night coverage with a courteous, low-profile approach that protects guests without disrupting the experience.
Industries We Serve
From hospitals and schools to construction sites and gated communities, our BSIS-licensed officers follow post orders written for your industry.
BSIS-licensed, background-checked and professionally trained unarmed security officers across Los Angeles and all of California, backed by GPS-verified shifts, supervisor checks and no long-term contract.
Every unarmed security guard we place in California holds a current Guard Card issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) and works under Safeguard On Demand's active Private Patrol Operator (PPO) license. Guard Card registration requires a Department of Justice and FBI fingerprint background check and the state-mandated 8-hour Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course before an officer may work a post, followed by 32 additional hours of BSIS-approved training within the first six months. We audit registrations continuously so no officer ever works on an expired card at your business park, warehouse, hotel or HOA.
Unarmed security is above all about presence, communication and judgment. Our officers complete BSIS-required training in observation and documentation, communication and its significance, and public relations, plus Safeguard On Demand instruction in verbal de-escalation, conflict resolution, trespass enforcement under California Penal Code 602 and lawful private-person detention. This training is what allows an unarmed guard to defuse a hostile customer at a retail center, calm a disruptive visitor in a lobby, or move loiterers off a parking lot without escalating the situation into a liability for your business. Pairs with our armed security guards and mobile patrol services for complete coverage.
You receive a written Daily Activity Report (DAR) at the end of every shift, covering patrol rounds, access-control activity, visitors and vendors, safety hazards observed, maintenance issues such as broken lights or unlocked doors, and any incident. Separate incident reports document trespass, theft, vandalism, medical events or police contact with times, photos and witness details. Reports are delivered digitally so your management team, HOA board or corporate security lead can review, share and archive them without waiting on paper logs. Related coverage: shopping center & retail security.
Safeguard On Demand does not lock California businesses into multi-year contracts. Whether you need a single unarmed guard for a weekend event in Orange County, temporary coverage for a construction site in Fresno, seasonal retail security in San Diego or ongoing lobby coverage in San Francisco, you can scale hours up or down as your needs change. Straightforward hourly pricing, transparent invoicing and month-to-month flexibility make it easy to start quickly and stay only because the service earns it. Deployed from six California offices, including Sacramento and the Inland Empire.
Our dispatch center operates around the clock, 365 days a year, and can typically place a licensed unarmed security guard within hours of your call for urgent needs such as a break-in, fire alarm impairment, vacant property, employee termination or sudden vendor cancellation. We staff officers across Northern, Central and Southern California, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento and Fresno counties, so emergency and after-hours coverage is a phone call away. Ask about adding concierge security officers to your commercial and residential properties plan.
Beyond BSIS requirements, Safeguard On Demand officers are trained in first aid, CPR and AED use so they can act in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive. Unarmed guards are frequently the first responders to a medical emergency in a shopping center, apartment community, warehouse or school campus, and our officers are prepared to render aid, notify 911, secure the scene and document the event for your records and your insurer. Request a free security assessment for your commercial and residential properties today.
Unarmed security guards are the backbone of commercial security in California. They deter crime through visible presence, control who enters your property, watch for hazards and document everything that happens on a shift, without introducing a firearm into a workplace, school, hospital or residential community. For most businesses, a professionally trained unarmed officer provides the right balance of protection, cost and liability exposure.
In California, unarmed guards are regulated by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) under the Private Security Services Act (Business and Professions Code section 7580 et seq.). A guard must hold a BSIS Security Guard Registration, commonly called a Guard Card, and must work for a licensed Private Patrol Operator such as Safeguard On Demand. Guard Card applicants complete the 8-hour Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course, pass a DOJ and FBI fingerprint background check, and then complete 16 hours of additional training within the first 30 days of employment and a further 16 hours within six months, for a total of 40 hours. Every registered guard must also complete 8 hours of continuing education each year to renew. Safeguard On Demand tracks each requirement for every officer we deploy from San Diego to Sacramento.
A security supervisor walks your property, reviews entrances, lighting, camera coverage, parking and past incidents, and identifies where an unarmed guard delivers the most value.
We write site-specific post orders covering access rules, patrol routes, opening and closing procedures, emergency contacts and escalation steps, then review them with you before the first shift. Available to commercial and residential properties in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
We match officers to your site by experience, temperament and location, brief them on your post orders and introduce them to your on-site management team. Pairs with our armed security guards and mobile patrol services for complete coverage.
Field supervisors make unannounced site visits, GPS-verified patrol data and daily activity reports arrive after every shift, and your account manager adjusts coverage as your needs change.
Licensing. Safeguard On Demand operates as a BSIS-licensed Private Patrol Operator, and every unarmed officer holds a current BSIS Guard Card. Registration, training certificates and renewals are verified before an officer is assigned and re-audited on an ongoing basis.
Training. Officers complete the state-mandated 40-hour curriculum, including Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness, observation and documentation, communication, public relations, liability and legal aspects, and post orders and assignment, followed by 8 hours of annual continuing education. Safeguard On Demand adds customer service, de-escalation, first aid/CPR/AED and site-specific instruction.
Uniform and identification. Under California law, security guards must carry their Guard Card while on duty and wear a uniform that clearly identifies them as private security rather than law enforcement. Our officers wear professional Safeguard On Demand uniforms with visible identification.
Reporting and insurance. Guards are required by law to report incidents involving arrests or physical altercations to BSIS within 7 days. Safeguard On Demand carries general liability and workers’ compensation coverage and provides incident and daily activity reports that support your own insurance, HR and legal documentation needs.
Safeguard On Demand staffs unarmed security guards statewide from offices in Santa Ana, Northridge, San Diego, Mountain View and Sacramento, plus our Inland Empire team in Corona. Select your region to see the cities we cover, or search for your city to reach its local security page. For 24/7 dispatch anywhere in California, call (800) 640-2327.
Dispatched from our Northridge branch and Santa Ana headquarters, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Downtown high-rises, Hollywood venues, San Fernando Valley industrial parks and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Santa Ana headquarters, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Irvine business parks, Anaheim entertainment venues, Huntington Beach retail and the Santa Ana and Garden Grove commercial corridors, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Inland Empire team in Corona, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Riverside and San Bernardino warehouses, Ontario and Fontana logistics hubs, Rancho Cucamonga business parks and Moreno Valley distribution centers, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our San Diego office, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Downtown and UTC office towers, Chula Vista and Oceanside retail centers, Escondido industrial sites and coastal hospitality properties, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Southern California and Bay Area offices, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Oxnard and Ventura port and agricultural operations, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria hospitality, San Luis Obispo commercial properties and Salinas Valley processing facilities, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Sacramento office, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton and Visalia agricultural yards, cold-storage warehouses, retail centers and facilities along the Highway 99 corridor, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Mountain View office, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose office districts, Silicon Valley campuses and data centers, Fremont and Hayward manufacturing and East Bay retail, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Dispatched from our Sacramento office, our unarmed security officers provide uniformed, customer-focused coverage for state-capital office buildings, Elk Grove and Roseville retail, Folsom and Rocklin business parks, Vacaville and Fairfield logistics and Santa Rosa, Chico and Redding properties, with standing posts, foot patrol and lobby desks backed by GPS-verified shifts and daily activity reports.
Do not see your city? View all California service areas or request an unarmed security quote for any property in the state.
An unarmed security guard monitors and patrols a property to deter theft, vandalism, and unauthorized access. They manage visitor entry, conduct regular patrols, respond to incidents, write activity reports, and communicate with law enforcement when needed. They handle all tasks without carrying a firearm.
Yes. In California, every security guard must hold a valid BSIS Guard Card issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. This requires completing a minimum of 40 hours of state-approved training, passing a background check, and meeting all legal eligibility requirements before deployment.
Unarmed security guard rates in California typically range from $23 to $40 per hour depending on location, shift type, and level of experience required. Safeguard On Demand provides a free property assessment and transparent pricing with no hidden fees and no minimum contract requirement.
An armed security guard carries a licensed firearm and is suited for high-risk environments requiring maximum deterrence. An unarmed guard relies on visibility, communication, and de-escalation skills. Most retail, office, residential, and educational settings are best served by unarmed officers.
Yes. Under California Penal Code 837, any person including a security guard may make a citizen’s arrest if they witness a crime being committed. However, unarmed guards are trained to follow strict legal protocols during detention and to contact law enforcement immediately rather than use physical force.
Safeguard On Demand can deploy a BSIS-licensed unarmed security guard within 24 hours of your request across Los Angeles and California. Same-day deployment is available for urgent situations. No long-term contract is required to get started.
Unarmed security guard rates in California depend on the hours of coverage, the location, the level of experience required and how quickly coverage must begin. Overnight, weekend and holiday coverage can be combined with mobile patrol to reduce total cost. Safeguard On Demand provides a free site assessment and a written quote with no long-term contract.
Most posts are staffed within 24 hours, and emergency coverage can often begin the same day in Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, San Diego, the Bay Area and Sacramento. Call (800) 640-2327 for 24/7 dispatch.
