● Guide
Remote guarding vs. on-site security guards
Remote guarding puts trained agents on your cameras instead of in a guard shack. Here is how the two compare.
What is remote guarding, and how does it compare to on-site guards?
Remote guarding is live video monitoring with active response. Agents in a monitoring center watch your cameras, often prompted by AI analytics, and intervene with live talk-down, lights and calls to police when they see a threat.
An on-site guard can physically patrol, check IDs and handle people face to face, but sees only one spot at a time and is paid by the hour. Remote guarding watches every camera at once without breaks, and Turner Security offers it as a lower cost option to on-site guards for lots, yards and multi-site businesses.
- Remote guardingAgents watch every camera and respond live
- On-site guardsA person physically on the property
- CoverageEvery camera view at once vs. one patrol route
- ProofRecorded video of every event and response
Remote guarding and on-site guards compared
| Remote guarding | On-site guard | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Every connected camera at the same time | Wherever the guard is standing or patrolling |
| Breaks and shifts | Continuous coverage from a staffed monitoring center | Shift changes, breaks and absences leave gaps |
| Response | Live talk-down, lights, police dispatch with a verified description | Physical presence and direct intervention |
| Record of events | Video of what happened and how agents responded | Written reports and logs |
| Cost structure | Monthly monitoring for the cameras and hours you choose | Hourly labor for every hour on site |
| Physical tasks | Cannot check IDs or lock gates in person | Can handle visitors, keys and hands-on tasks |
| Best fit | Lots, yards, construction, closed sites and multi-site portfolios | Sites that need a person for access, visitors or events |
Where remote guarding works best
Remote guarding is strongest where the property is large, mostly empty after hours, and full of things worth stealing: car lots, equipment yards, construction sites, warehouses and distribution yards, and portfolios of many locations.
- Large outdoor areas with clear camera views
- Sites with no one on site at night
- Many locations that need one consistent standard
- Budgets that can't support 24/7 guard coverage
When you still need a person on site
If someone needs to greet visitors, check credentials at a gate or handle keys and deliveries, a guard or staff member is still the right answer. Many sites combine both: a guard during busy hours and remote guarding overnight.
A real example
A national chemical distributor with 137 locations across the US and Canada replaced on-site guards with live video monitoring from Turner Security, with one monitoring program across every site.
Common questions
Is remote guarding cheaper than security guards?
For most after-hours coverage it is. Remote guarding is priced around monitoring your cameras for the hours you choose, while guards are paid for every hour on site. Turner Security offers live video monitoring as a lower cost option to on-site guards.
Can remote guarding actually stop a crime?
Agents can see someone on the property as it happens and use live talk-down through on-site speakers, lights and calls to police. That often stops the activity before damage is done.
What equipment does remote guarding need?
Cameras with clear views of the areas you want protected, a network or cellular connection, and on-site speakers for talk-down. For sites with no power, solar camera trailers can provide all of it.
Can I use remote guarding at multiple locations?
Yes. Multi-site and national businesses can put every location on one monitoring program with the same standards and reporting.
Looking for business IT?
Networks, IP phones, servers and managed IT are handled by our sister company, TechCore. Same owners, same local team, one call for security and IT.
- Managed IT
- Networks and Wi-Fi
- Servers and cloud
- Business IP phones
Five-star reviews from real customers
Prompt, friendly and there whenever you need them. Provide great protection.
Stayed on phone with me until I was sure everything was fine!
We switched to Turner Security five years ago after enduring a decade of horrendous service elsewhere, and the difference has been remarkable. They've been consistently responsive to the occasional service request, and their monitoring has been first-rate. The level of reliability and professionalism they provide is exactly what we were hoping for.
Thinking about replacing or reducing guards?
Tell us about the site and the hours you need covered, and we'll show you what remote guarding would look like.