Unarmed security guards in Gilroy.

Unarmed security guards for Gilroy properties.

Everyday security calls for an officer people feel comfortable walking up to. A guest checking into a hotel late at night, a shopper asking for directions at a retail center, a tenant getting home late to an apartment community: each one should see a professional who looks ready to help.

Unarmed posts carry the steady, everyday side of security. Officers staff lobbies and front desks, sign in visitors and contractors, walk halls, stairwells and parking areas, and report anything out of place right away. The work suits offices, medical buildings, schools, hotels, retail centers and treatment programs; for gate, dock and yard posts, see our overview of posted officers.

Need a stronger presence for certain hours? An armed officer for closing or overnight can join while unarmed officers handle the day. Extra officers can also be added for a busy season or a one-night event.

Officers who suit the place

The officer at a hotel desk off the highway, the one walking a shopping center on a Saturday and the one at a school’s front doors all do similar work. What differs is the manner. One is a host, one is a visible presence in a crowd, one is a calm adult parents can wave to.

We think about that fit before the first shift, and we keep the same officers on your post where we can, so tenants and staff get to know them. For clinics, our medical office page explains how that tone works in a lobby.

Unarmed officer pricing in Gilroy

An unarmed officer is the most flexible post, and it gives you the most control over the price. Unarmed lobby and desk posts in Gilroy typically land between $40 and $50 per guard-hour, and the security guard services page shows where a post falls in that range. Your own figure comes from your hours and duties.

Full-time coverage is where totals add up. A hotel that wants an officer on the property every single hour is buying a 24-hour post (about 730 hours a month). At $41 an hour, that’s about $29,930 a month. Hotels and apartment communities can get most of the value for much less by staffing the evening stretch, say 4 p.m. to midnight, then letting patrol visits or live cameras handle the overnight hours.

Rates climb when the officer does more than watch the front: helping guests, walking staff to their cars, rounds of pools, garages and back lots, or a contractor sign-in log. Overnight and holiday hours and a first shift that has to start tonight add to it too. A quiet office lobby on a weekday schedule stays near the low end. You get the hours, duties and rate in a written quote after a free walkthrough, with no long-term commitment.