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Why You Should Hire Security Guards for Your HOA

Why You Should Hire Security Guards for Your HOA

If you manage an HOA in Florida, you'll want to do everything you can to ensure the safety of the people who live in your community. A great way to accomplish this is to hire security guards for it. Trained security guards can help prevent vandalism and theft in your neighborhood by their presence alone and because they will be constantly watching out for suspicious activity. They will also man the gates to ensure that only people who should be there are allowed inside. What's more, security guards will give residents peace of mind knowing that their community is being watched over by security professionals!


Security guards can help prevent vandalism and theft.

Photo of a security guard's uniform.

Preventing criminal activity is one of a security guard's main duties. If you hire security guards to watch over your HOA community, they will always be on the lookout for such activity and can help prevent incidents of vandalism and theft. Just their presence alone will help deter criminals from entering your HOA. Additionally, by constantly monitoring your community, security guards can possibly catch any criminals who are in the process of committing acts of vandalism or theft and can act accordingly to protect the homeowners.


Security guards will control who enters your neighborhood.

For HOA communities that are gated, security guards should always be hired to man them. That's because people can sneak into unmanned gates if they are not working properly or by following...

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4 Reasons to Hire a Professional Process Server in Florida

4 Reasons to Hire a Professional Process Server in Florida

Most people don't expect to find themselves involved in a legal matter until they're already in the middle of it. At that point, the entire situation can feel draining, confusing, and surreal. While you will likely face a lot of challenges throughout your legal proceeding, serving legal documents to other involved parties doesn't have to be one of them. There are 4 reasons to hire a professional process server to serve your legal documents in Florida. These include the fact that professional process servers get the job done quickly, provide proof of delivery, and file documents with the court. Also, you would be breaking the law if you tried to serve papers yourself. Keep reading to learn more about why should hire a professional process server for your case in the Sunshine State.


1. It's illegal to serve papers for a case you are involved in.

The first reason why you should hire a professional process server in Florida is very straightforward. If you try to serve papers yourself, you are breaking the law. It is illegal in the Sunshine State to serve papers for a case you are involved in. Hiring a process server prevents you from violating the law and preserves the integrity of your case. Don't risk tainting your own record or jeopardizing your legal proceedings; instead, rely on a professional process service to handle legal document delivery for you.


2. Professional process servers can get the job done quickly.

The second reason why...

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Keep Your Event in Florida Sunny & Safe With Employee Screening

Keep Your Event in Florida Sunny & Safe With Employee Screening

Are you a property owner here in Florida who is hosting an upcoming event? If so, you'll want to keep it as safe as possible by screening the staff who are working at your event. Employee screenings allow you to perform background checks, criminal checks, and credit history reports on all of your event staff members. It is extremely important to be aware of who is working at your event, especially if there will be children present. Running an event is also stressful, so screening your staff means you will have one less thing to worry about.


What do employee screenings include?

Background check being marked green in Tampa, FL.

There are 3 main things that employee screenings include. These things are:

  • Background checks: One part of the employee screening process is performing a background check. A background check will primarily give you access to your staff members' employee history, which can be important information for an event host to be aware of.
  • Criminal checks: When you have an event staff member professionally screened, you will gain access to any criminal records that the person may have. This is important because, depending on the nature of the criminal activity, you may not feel comfortable having this person work at your event. Knowing that information allows you to make an informed decision about who you want as part of your event staff.
  • Credit history reports: During the employee screening process, you will also obtain the credit history report of that staff member. A credit...
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Ease Your Mind by Hiring Security Guards for Your Brick & Mortar Store

Ease Your Mind by Hiring Security Guards for Your Brick & Mortar Store

When you're running a brick-and-mortar store, there are a lot of moving parts to manage and, especially during a busy season here in Florida, it can feel overwhelming. You can do a lot to ease your mind by hiring security guards! Security guards will deter shoplifters with their presence alone, saving the company money in lost merchandise. They'll also help to deter rowdy customers that can cause a scene and disturb the other customers in the store. Not having to worry about the security of your store will free you up to do something only you can do – run your business! With all of these benefits, it's clear to see how hiring professional security guards can help take your business to the next level.


On-site security guards will deter shoplifters, saving your company money.

Without security guards on the premise, your brick-and-mortar store can look like a smorgasbord of opportunity to shoplifters. If left unchecked, these individuals will pocket whatever they can find and sneak it out of the store with no intention of paying. When you have security guards on-site, it will be much more difficult for shoplifters to steal merchandise without being caught, and they'll often prefer to strike somewhere that has been left unguarded. Not only will this ease your mind and keep merchandise available to paying customers, but with shoplifters deterred by security, your company will save money on replacing lost merchandise.


Professional security...

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Smart Home Security - Is it Time for You to Upgrade?

Smart Home Security - Is it Time for You to Upgrade?

Smart home security has come a long way since its inception. Many security professionals in Tampa, FL describe it as taking the best of traditional home security and bringing it to the next level. However, if you're unfamiliar with smart security, the technology and number of options can be daunting.

The good news is smart home automation is an effective crime deterrent that can offer unparalleled safety and convenience. But does this mean it's time to upgrade to smart home security? It certainly could, but before you decide, let's take a look at three primary components of smart home security automation: video doorbells, home webcams, and smart door locks. Each offers unique and sometimes complementary enhancements to your overall security.


Enhance your security with video doorbells featuring app integration.

Video doorbells are a great security option as they allow you to see who is visiting your home at any time, even when you are not there. Since smart doorbells feature motion detectors, network-enabled digital cameras, plus mobile apps, many are capable of notifying you of your visitor's arrival before the visitor rings your doorbell. Some devices even allow you to watch the visitor as they approach your home. This functionality allows you to catch or deter criminals and keep a watchful eye on your kids or mail-order deliveries.


Home webcams can improve your home security.

Webcam mounted on wall of living room at a home in St. Petersburg, FL.

Home webcams are another option you can...

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DON'T Hire a New Nanny Without Doing This First!

DON'T Hire a New Nanny Without Doing This First!

Nannies play an integral role in the lives of our children or loved ones. However, it can be difficult to know if the person you're hiring can be trusted with such an important duty. Because modern technology makes it easy for anyone to conceal or hide their former misdeeds, you must exercise caution when hiring a nanny.

Employment applications, references, and interviews are great. But as solid as these measures are, the traditional hiring process is often ill-equipped to uncover anything your prospective nanny goes out of their way to cover up. Fortunately, there's a proven technique you can use to reveal prior criminal behavior - you can order a background check. You can choose what you'd like to see based on which background check you select: criminal history, FBI, or level 2 background check.


What to expect from a criminal history background check.

You never want to be caught off guard by your nanny's past. A criminal history background check can alert you of any major offenses in an applicant's background. Upon ordering a criminal background check, you can expect to learn whether your applicant has:

  • A prison record
  • Arrests that resulted in a conviction
  • Civil judgments
  • Pending criminal cases
  • Felony and misdemeanor criminal convictions

You can also find out if the nanny you are considering hiring is on the domestic terrorist watch list by ordering a criminal background check. A level 1 criminal background check...

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Commercial Building Security Goes beyond Just a Few Cameras

Commercial Building Security Goes beyond Just a Few Cameras

There's nothing wrong with using closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras as part of your building's overall security plan. However, here in Tampa, FL, relying solely on video cameras to protect the entirety of your team could be risky. While they can discourage some criminal activity, an experienced or determined criminal can bypass your CCTV.

The good news is that there are several other highly effective ways to deter crime and monitor who is entering and exiting your building. Many of them complement your CCTV and vastly improve the overall safety of your commercial building. Additional commercial security options include access control systems, intercom systems, and employing security guards.


Access control systems will provide your commercial building with additional security.

Two security guards monitoring a panel of CCTVs in Tampa, FL.

Monitoring the flow of visitors coming in and out of your commercial building is a great way to provide additional security. This is especially true if your organization receives a steady flow of visitors throughout the day.

The most common technique of managing access to your building is to use an access control system. These digital access control devices can track everyone that enters or leaves your facility in real-time. Access control devices can also grant or deny building entry. So, they're more comprehensive than a receptionist taking notes on a notepad. These devices can connect to your security system and record and validate anyone who...

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When Should You Hire Unarmed Security Guards?

When Should You Hire Unarmed Security Guards?

We’ll be the first people to tell you that securing your property is important, but armed security isn't always the best fit for every business, home, or HOA. Unarmed security guards are a great option depending on your circumstances.

If you have a property in Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, or a surrounding community in central Florida, learn how unarmed security guards can save you money and give you peace of mind long-term, as well as when it’s appropriate to hire unarmed versus armed guards.

Hire Unarmed Security Guards


Even the presence of a security guard can deter threats and prevent crime.

If threat deterrence and prevention is your main goal, an unarmed security guard may be what you need for your property. Criminals take the path of least resistance, and having a security guard in place means a direct point of contact with the police, as well as a watchful eye.

Essentially, the presence of security guards is generally enough to deter most crime. The Public Library of Science published a study on the effectiveness of security agents in public mass transit areas, which showed that increasing patrols resulted in a 49% increase in incident detection and a 16% reduction in criminal activity overall.

Hire Unarmed Security Guards


Armed guards can be overkill in many situations.

Many properties are considered fairly low-risk in terms of crime, and common threats include theft and vandalism. In situations like...

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Why Your Clearwater, FL Home Needs Security Services

Why Your Clearwater, FL Home Needs Security Services

Residents of Clearwater, FL view the city as one of abundant beaches, endless sunshine, and plenty of activities to partake in. However, it's important to be aware that Clearwater has a higher-than-average crime rate when compared to the rest of the country. According to NeighborhoodScout, it's only safer than 14% of cities in the United States.

Even with its high crime rate, you don't have to worry about your home's security when you enlist our professional security services. We offer comprehensive security services to residents in Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater, FL. 

Check out some ways that your home can benefit from our expert security services. 


A security patrol can keep an eye on any technical issues that may arise with your home's surveillance system. 

As a busy homeowner, you likely don't want to be bothered with constantly checking on the status of your home's security system. A qualified security patrol can check on the status of your Clearwater home's surveillance system.

Our staff is trained to recognize issues with motion detectors, door and window sensors, cameras, and control panels that are broken or have been tampered with. 

When one of our security patrols spots a technical problem, he will report it to the management team on duty. Then, the management team will make you aware of the technical issue that needs to be addressed. 


Security...

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Help Your HOA or Business with a Professional Security Consultation

Help Your HOA or Business with a Professional Security Consultation

Even with safety measures and modern technology in place, you should never get too comfortable with the state of your HOA's or business's security. There are always ways to adapt and improve your property's security features and protocols.

Here at Bales Security, we provide professional security consultations to secure your property in Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, and the surrounding areas. Even if you feel content with the security of your business or residential area, check out these four reasons why you should schedule a professional security consultation with us today.


1. A security consultation offers an assessment of threats and vulnerabilities.

Protect yourself, employees, and customers with an assessment of threats and vulnerabilities. A security consultation will offer you with an overview of past security incidents and current weaknesses. From there, we work with you and your staff to mitigate weak areas in your business to reduce risk and profit loss.

We also assess the security levels of your HOA and can help you add new, updated neighborhood gates or upgraded security cameras. Our team can also speak to your residents about personal security and why they should always be alert of their surroundings. During a security consultation, we address other things such as:

  • An assessment of threats or vulnerabilities
  • Review and development of procedures and policies
  • Security audits
  • Security training
  • Security planning
  • ...
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