Your warehouse in Commerce got hit last weekend — someone cut the lock on the back gate and walked off with $40,000 in copper wire. Or you have a 500-person fundraiser coming up in two weeks and the venue is asking for a security plan. Maybe your tenants at a strip mall in Hawthorne are threatening to leave because nobody feels safe in the parking lot after 6 PM. A patient threatened your front desk staff at a medical office in Garden Grove. Tools keep disappearing from a construction site in Downey overnight.
These are the calls we get every week. Different properties, different problems — but they all come down to the same thing: you need security guard services from a company that actually knows what it is doing.
Scaife Protection Services has been placing licensed, insured security guards across Los Angeles since 1997. We hold PPO license 12958 — look it up at search.dca.ca.gov. We carry over $1 million in general liability and full workers’ compensation coverage. We are owner-operated and based in Lawndale. When you call us, you talk to people who know this city — the neighborhoods, the property types, the specific threats that show up in South LA versus the San Gabriel Valley versus Orange County.
Below you will find every type of private security service we offer, how our process works, and why property managers, business owners, and event planners across California have trusted us for 27 years.
What Security Services Do You Need?
Every property and every situation calls for a different type of guard, a different skill set, and a different deployment plan. Here is what we offer and who each service is built for.
For properties where the stakes are high and the threat is real — warehouses with expensive inventory, cannabis facilities, jewelry stores, executive protection details. Our armed guards carry additional BSIS licensing and go through extra training in firearms, de-escalation, and use-of-force protocols. Learn more about armed security →
The backbone of most commercial security programs. Unarmed guards handle access control, patrol, incident reporting, and customer interaction at office buildings, retail centers, and medical facilities. They create a visible deterrent and professional presence without the liability profile of armed personnel. Learn more about unarmed security →
Round-the-clock coverage for properties that cannot afford gaps — distribution centers, data facilities, apartment complexes, and any site where the threat does not clock out at 5 PM. We staff all three shifts with guards who know your property and your post orders. Learn more about 24-hour security →
Corporate galas, concerts, weddings, private parties, community festivals — any gathering where crowd management, access control, and guest safety matter. Our event guards know how to work a room without making it feel like a lockdown. Same-day deployment available for last-minute needs. Learn more about event security →
Copper theft, equipment vandalism, and unauthorized access are daily realities on job sites across LA. Construction security guards monitor entry points, patrol the perimeter, and log every person and vehicle that comes on site. Overnight and weekend coverage when your crew goes home but your materials do not. Learn more about construction security →
Warehouses in Commerce, City of Industry, and the Inland Empire are prime targets for break-ins and internal theft. Our warehouse guards handle dock access, trailer seal verification, employee screening, and overnight patrols. We work with your operations team to build a plan that protects inventory without slowing down workflow. Learn more about warehouse security →
Retail theft, parking lot safety, loitering, and tenant complaints — shopping center security is about keeping customers comfortable and tenants happy. Our guards patrol common areas, respond to incidents, and serve as the visible authority that makes people feel safe coming back. Learn more about shopping center security →
Healthcare facilities deal with agitated patients, controlled substances on site, and staff who deserve to feel safe at work. Medical security guards are trained in HIPAA awareness, patient interaction, and de-escalation specific to clinical settings. We protect urgent care clinics, dental offices, outpatient centers, and large medical campuses. Learn more about medical center security →
Lobby access control, visitor management, after-hours building security, and employee safety. Office security guards are the first face people see when they walk in. We place guards who are professional, approachable, and trained to manage everything from package deliveries to unauthorized visitors. Learn more about office security →
Multi-tenant commercial buildings, apartment complexes, and mixed-use properties all need a security presence that tenants trust and management can rely on. Building security covers access control, parking enforcement, common area patrols, and incident response across the entire property. Learn more about building security →
Trucking yards and logistics facilities are targets for cargo theft, especially along the I-710 and I-5 corridors. Guards verify driver credentials, log trailer movements, and patrol the yard perimeter overnight when most break-ins happen. We know the logistics industry and the specific threats your yard faces. Learn more about trucking yard security →
Gated communities, HOA properties, private estates, and apartment complexes where residents expect a safe environment. Residential security guards handle gate access, visitor screening, patrol routes, and noise complaints. They are part of the community and know the residents by name. Learn more about residential security →
Not sure which service fits? Our hiring guide walks you through how to find, vet, and hire a licensed security guard in Los Angeles — what to look for, what it costs, and how to avoid the companies that will waste your money. Read the full hiring guide →
How It Works — From First Call to Guard on Site
We do not quote over the phone and guess. Here is how we actually set up security for your property.
Step 1: Call or request a quote. Reach us at (323) 786-8140 or use our free quote tool. Tell us about your property, your situation, and what triggered the need. We will ask straightforward questions — property type, location, hours you need covered, any recent incidents.
Step 2: Site visit. We walk your property with you. We look at entry points, lighting, camera placement, blind spots, patrol routes, and risk areas. This is not optional — it is how we build a plan that actually works. Any security guard company that skips this step is guessing, and you are paying for that guesswork.
Step 3: Custom post order. Based on the site visit, we write a detailed post order — your guard’s playbook. It covers patrol routes, check-in schedules, incident reporting, emergency contacts, and specific instructions for your property. Every site gets its own post order. No templates.
Step 4: Guard deployment. We match your property with guards who have experience in your industry and your area. Standard deployments happen within 24 to 48 hours of the site visit. Emergency situations? We can have a guard on your property the same day you call.
After deployment: Our supervisors check in regularly, monitor guard activity, and adjust the post order as your needs change. You are not locked into a plan that made sense six months ago. We stay involved because that is how security actually works.
Why Choose Scaife Protection
There are hundreds of security guard companies in Los Angeles. Most of them showed up in the last five years, run lean on insurance, and treat guards as disposable. We have been doing this since 1997. That is 27 years of placing guards at warehouses, shopping centers, medical offices, construction sites, trucking yards, and private events across California. Our PPO license is 12958. Our general liability exceeds $1 million per occurrence. We carry full workers’ compensation on every guard. These are not marketing lines — they are verifiable facts, and we want you to check.
Scaife Protection is owner-operated by Omar Scaife. When you call, you are not routed to a national call center dispatching strangers from a database. You are talking to people who know Los Angeles — who understand the difference between securing a trucking yard in Compton and protecting a medical campus in Fullerton. That local knowledge matters because security is not one-size-fits-all. The threats, the neighborhoods, the response times, and the type of guard you need change from site to site. We know that because we have worked in these communities for nearly three decades.
We walk every property before we quote. We write custom post orders for every site. We deploy same-day when the situation calls for it. And we do not disappear after the contract is signed. Our supervisors stay involved, our guards stay consistent, and when something is not working, we fix it. Clients like Dan S. and Andy C. have said as much in their Yelp reviews — that we actually do what we say we will do. In this industry, that is rarer than it should be.
Frequently Asked Questions About Security Guard Services
How much do security guards cost in Los Angeles?
In the Los Angeles market in 2026, expect to pay $25 to $38 per hour for licensed unarmed security guards and $32 to $48 per hour for armed guards. Rates vary based on shift timing (overnights and weekends cost more), contract length, site complexity, and whether you need armed or unarmed personnel. If someone quotes you under $20 per hour, the math does not work for a legitimate, licensed, insured operation — you will end up with undertrained guards and high turnover. For a quote based on your property, call (323) 786-8140 or use our free quote tool.
What is the difference between armed and unarmed security guards?
Armed guards carry firearms and hold additional BSIS licensing. They cost more and are appropriate for high-value inventory, executive protection, remote sites with long police response times, and high-risk environments. Unarmed guards handle the majority of commercial security — shopping centers, office buildings, medical facilities, and residential properties where visible presence and professional conduct are what matter most. We will walk your property and give you an honest recommendation based on your actual risk, not what costs more. Armed security details → | Unarmed security details →
How quickly can you deploy a security guard?
For emergencies, we offer same-day deployment throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the surrounding areas. Call us at (323) 786-8140 and we can often have a licensed guard on your property within hours. For standard placements, we schedule a site visit first and deploy guards within 24 to 48 hours. We prefer to walk the property before placing a guard because that is how we build a post order that actually works — but when the situation is urgent, we move fast and refine the plan after the guard is on site.
Do you require long-term contracts?
No. We handle everything from single-day event security to multi-year ongoing contracts. There is no minimum commitment required to get started. We believe that if we do good work, you stay because you want to — not because a contract locks you in. We are happy to discuss terms that fit your situation, whether that is a weekend event or permanent coverage at a commercial property.
How do post orders work?
A post order is a written set of instructions specific to your property. It tells the guard exactly what to do on each shift — patrol routes, check-in times, areas to monitor, incident reporting procedures, emergency contacts, and any special instructions. We build post orders after walking your property, and we update them as conditions change. Think of it as the guard’s playbook. Every property we protect gets a custom post order. No templates, no one-size-fits-all.
How do I verify your security guard license?
Go to search.dca.ca.gov and search for PPO license number 12958. You can confirm our license is active, check the expiration date, and review any complaints or disciplinary history. Any legitimate security guard company in California will give you their PPO number without hesitation. If a company will not share it or does not have one, walk away.