Are Robots the Solution to the Security Shortage?

Where did all the security guards go?

Security firms across the United States are struggling to meet the nation’s demand for trained security guards and officers. Between “The Great Resignation” following the COVID-19 pandemic and rising levels of burnout, there doesn’t  seem to be enough security personnel  to go around. 

To make problems worse, the security guards that remain are being stretched thin. And as security needs remain high but recruitment numbers remain low, too often, a single security guard or officer is expected to do the work and cover the ground that would normally be entrusted to multiple individuals. 

Is “filling in the ranks” of security personnel with security robots a viable solution? Have autonomous security robots come far enough to fill that role?

After all, robots equipped with sensors, artificial intelligence, and custom-built capabilities for movement are already being used for window washing, pizza making, bartending, caretaking for the elderly, and other once-human tasks. Widespread use of robots in the manufacturing industry have clearly shown that robots can do some tasks better and more reliably than humans. Yet there are also other duties robots can’t accomplish as well as trained human personnel.

What would the benefits and detriments be to employing security robots in private and public spaces? Is there any possible way this could be a win-win for security personnel, the companies and communities they serve, and the producers of these security robots?

There is a positive outlook for the collaboration of human and robotic security personnel, but to understand the full potential of such a solution, we need to get into the details. 

Security Personnel are Dwindling and Struggling. Why?

There are many difficulties inherent to security work. And while most of these difficulties are by no means new, recent years have whipped them up into a perfect storm that has put the personnel pool of the entire industry into a tight spot. 

Physical Danger

There has always been a certain amount of physical risk to being in security. 

Rick McCann, the founder of the prominent security firm, Private Officer International, has estimated that there are 13,000 assaults on security officers every year. McCann goes on to estimate that 145 security officers die while on duty each year. And these deaths aren’t usually workplace accidents—they are usually the result of violence. 

Increased Demand and Workload

Dangerous and stressful as this profession may be, the need for private security personnel has increased significantly in recent years. The rise of remote work has reduced the day-to-day occupancy level of office spaces, leaving the company assets and personnel that remain there all the more at risk for theft, vandalism, assault, and other crimes. 

Despite cliches, security professionals have more to do than sit around and idly watch camera feeds. Security personnel are often expected to patrol, respond to alarms and record whether they are true or false alarms, conduct risk assessments, open and close up buildings for regular use, mediate and intervene in interpersonal conflicts, coordinate with emergency services or law enforcement if needed, and in some cases provide all these services to multiple locations. And with fewer security personnel available, those who remain are being asked to cover more ground. 

Additionally, security tasks often tend towards the repetitive and monotonous, lowering the amount of intrinsic motivation and satisfaction security personnel get from their work. 

Low Pay & Little Support 

Despite the vital services they provide in preventing loss of property and life, security personnel are typically not paid enormously well. The average security guard salary is about $37-41k a year, which is well below the average American salary of $63k. 

As security departments do not produce revenue, security guard work is regarded as a “cost center”, a “necessary expense” for doing business. This makes the security budget an attractive target for budget cutting by profit-focused leadership. And security guards aren’t typically at the top of the list for a salary increase.  

Security departments typically only see a budget increase after a damaging event has occurred. Too often such events only occur because of security personnel burnout, the very same security personnel who may face the brunt of the blame for the incidents occurring in the first place. 

Inadequate Training & Equipment

As security personnel and security budgets are stretched thin, training standards can go overlooked in the rush to maintain the status quo with fewer resources. 

A recent Times Magazine article, featuring an interview from a security guard employed with one of the country’s largest private security firms, reported that some guards are provided with little to no self-defense or de-escalation training, despite being posted in high crime areas. The interviewee in question stated that his division was frequently understaffed and provided with faulty equipment such as broken radios.

The Result? Burnouts and More Pressure

Under the conditions listed above, security personnel are getting burned out and quitting. It’s a concerning, snowballing situation as those who leave take their training with them and leave those who remain even more thinly stretched. 

This state of affairs, where stress leads to burnout and burnout leads to increasing inefficiency would be concerning in any industry, but is especially worrisome in the security industry—where small gaps can quickly lead to disastrous consequences. 

The Future of Security: Is It In the Hands of Man or Machine? 

Security has different levels. From detection, to deterrence, to defense, there are parts of the job best left up to technology and other parts of the job that can only be done by a human. 

Getting to an ideal place with security will require a combination of improving and supporting our human resources and upgrading and integrating with the best security technologies. How far that technology integration will need to go, from the simple use of two-way radios to a sci-fi future of autonomous defense robots will depend on the changing security climate. 

Apart from Robots, What is Being Done? 

A number of solutions, technological and otherwise, are being used and attempted to curb and reverse the personnel problems in the security industry. 

Some companies are offering increased pay or extra benefits. Some concerned parties have advocated for greater connectivity and resource access for security guards as they spend long hours in the field, including access to company news, personnel updates, and career-related resources. Culture initiatives may help security guards feel more interconnected, supported, and safe so they can go about their work with less stress and more positive momentum. 

As a possible upside, though these times for the industry are difficult, they are stirring up conversations about the unique and vital human skills that security guards bring to a property and to a company. Properly trained, security guards can protect people and assets as well as serve as powerful customer service ambassadors, allowing the people around them to feel cared for, connected to, and supported by the organization that security security guards represent in a unique way. 

Finally, some companies are investing in technologies that can complement, support, and yes, in some cases, reduce the need for human security personnel. Among the technologies being considered are mobile security robots. 

Security Robots: The Benefits, Detriments, and Limitations

To the disappointment of some and the relief of others, there is no viable path in sight for completely replacing the security guards and officers with security robots. 

Security robots can, and in some way already do, take on many of the tasks and responsibilities of security personnel. But they are, at present and for the foreseeable future, woefully inadequate to perform many of the more human tasks and responsibilities carried out in the security industry. 

The supportive role of robots is ready to be expanded in significant ways. But, inevitably, as security robots become more popular, their detriments and limitations are coming more and more into view. 

Current and Projected Benefits of Security Robots 

• Able to Perform Monotonous Tasks Without Burn Out: Fortunately, robots don’t get bored. Nor does monotony reduce their efficiency. On the contrary, the more repetitive the task, the better, for an artificial intelligence. Security robots, especially those designed to self-charge, can run nearly 24/7 without a break, saving money on what would otherwise be at least three security guards on rotating shifts. 
• Able to Detect What Human Senses Cannot: Robots can easily be equipped with thermal, infrared sensors and high magnification cameras,  allowing them to see and sense what a human can’t. And even if robots don’t carry these sensors, they can interface with static sensors installed around the property. Additional technological benefits may include license plate recognition, signal detection for mobile devices, environmental detection (for smoke, carbon monoxide, etc), and projecting and recording two-way audio during encounters with possible trespassers.

Current and Projected Limitations and Detriments of Security Robots

• Can Detect and Deter, But Not Defend: No existing security robot is armed or built for a physical confrontation with a human intruder or criminal. More determined criminals, if they are certain they can complete their aim before human security can arrive, may be completely undeterred by the presence of a security robot. 
• False Alarms & Other Glitches: Security robots are not infallible. They may generate false alarms, ignore or misunderstand commands, or take too long to respond to remote commands. 
• Stopped By Bad Weather: Few security robots are “all terrain”. For many models, rough ground, mud, or snow may prohibit their movement. Fog, dust, rain, and snow may limit the efficacy of their sensors. 
• Vulnerable to Vandalism: Some see damaging a security robot as an opportunity to “stick it to The Man” without having to confront a human. In the wrong environment, security robots can become magnets for vandalism and similar problems. 
• Potential Liability Issues: If an accident occurs, one in which a security robot either accidentally injures someone or puts someone in harm’s way where a human guard could have helped, lawsuits may ensue.
• Can’t Think Like Humans Can: Higher levels of critical thinking, creativity, judgment, and interpersonal management are needed for certain security tasks and scenarios. Additionally, some locations just need that “human touch” to feel truly safe.
• Won’t Fix Deeper Problems in the Security Industry: Autonomous security robots may take some strain off of the security industry—but they won’t fix the deeper problems of inadequate training and personnel support that the industry is still dealing with. Newly set and adhered to standards as well as mentality shifts in both the corporate and public sphere will be needed to fix the root of the  industry’s personnel problems. 

Security Run By Robots—Are We Already There? 

There are already lots of robots in the security industry. They may be missing legs, the weight of human identity, and active, physical defense responses, but they are there. 

And some of them are all the more effective for being non-mobile, especially in perimeter security.

While human security guards are often best in crowded settings, the remote and open spaces, such as those surrounding valuable critical infrastructure sites, are often best monitored by “robotic” systems. Around an electrical substation, for example, a “smart” perimeter security system can combine the perimeter data of cameras, radars, and other devices, to intelligently detect and respond to potential perimeter breaches better than a whole team of security guards could. 

It is precisely because these systems work through fixed mounted devices and “smart” software, rather than through eye-catching mobile robotic units, that they present far less of a target to attackers. Blending into the property, these “smart” systems can detect and track targets in the dark or through obscuring weather, filter nuisance alarms, and, if a target gets too close, notify security personnel and trigger deterrence measures such as sirens,  floodlights, or even hyperspikes. No constantly-patrolling human personnel needed. 

These “smart” perimeter security systems already exist and are in use. Spotter Global perimeter security systems, for example, protect critical infrastructure sites around the world, including substations, dams, airports, military bases, and more. These systems work effectively for securing the large, open areas around high-value sites. They aren’t suited for many smaller-budget, crowded, and more geographically-complicated security venues. 

Will Robots Replace Security Guards? 

Yes and no. In some ways, they already have. But there are still lots of security locations and security jobs that robots aren’t suited to just yet. 

Even putting aside issues of functionality for certain environments, one of the greatest obstacles to the robot-security-guard-takeover is pricing. Both mobile and non-mobile security robots are still very expensive. In the near future, AI-enabled, perimeter security systems will probably remain in use only in certain large-area, high-value locations. Mobile security robots will likely be limited to the quietest, low-stakes security roles, such as monitoring parking lots and quiet office buildings. 

That’s not to say mobile security robots won’t take on some security guard responsibilities. Especially if the prices of these robots goes down, some organizations may be able to use them to cut down on the number of guards needed to secure their properties. But they won’t be able to completely replace their security staff. 

Or as Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union put it, "It's hard for me to imagine that [mobile security robots are] going to work out anytime soon in the marketplace when there are other technologies that can do a job, and also when human beings can just do the job."

Current Security Robots in Action

The Knightscope - K5

Manufactured by Knightscope, the K5 robot patrols hallways, office spaces, and other indoor and outdoor areas. It can charge itself, navigate multiple levels, and provide both detection and deterrence on possible intruders. 

While it cannot physically stop a perpetrator, the K5 has shown promise in helping to take over the patrolling tasks of security personnel and alerting authorities to intrusion attempts. They have even been leased by NYC and the NYPD for $9 an hour. 

The NYPD’s use of this robot has garnered some criticism however. And, at least in the case of the Times Square subway station, the K5 has been removed from service after less than 6 months of service. 

Thalamus Autonomous Safety Robot

Manufactured by Glocal Robotics, the Thalamus robot uses a special motricity design and obstacle avoidance abilities to patrol indoors and outdoors over variable terrain. 

The Thalamus robot detects and alarms on intrusions with silent or audible and visual alarms. The robot is equipped with LiDAR, infrared, PTZ camera, powerful spotlights, license plate and facial recognition, and more. Its design allows it to operate day and night under any weather conditions. Its aim is to provide detection and deterrence and well as ensure early response times to security incidents around large properties. 

The Thalamus robot has been featured on the Fox News website, where it has been praised as a partial replacement and support for security personnel. It has been estimated that the cost to run a Thalamus robot for perimeter security comes to about $10,000 a month—which is much more than the monthly salary of a typical security guard. 

Conclusion

Overlapping cultural, economic, and logistical factors have put a significant strain on security guards and officers in the last few years, leading to a shortage of personnel and increasing levels of burnout and error. Among the efforts to combat these difficulties, is increasing investment in security technology solutions, including autonomous security robots. 

Security robots are getting more sophisticated by the day. Smart security devices already support the work of security personnel in many ways, especially in static perimeter security systems. In the future, security robots may be able to take that support even farther as they become more mobile and take on some of the more dangerous tasks in security. 

Current security robots have many limitations, however. At present, they cannot wholly replace the security guard population and the vital human skills they bring to the market. So, while they may add support to a struggling sector, they cannot be expected to wholly replace human security guards any time soon.