Armed & Unarmed Security Officers in Chicago
Trained officers and security guards, armed or unarmed, for the post that needs covering, locally, nationally, and internationally.
TB Defense provides armed and unarmed security officers, often called security guards, for buildings, businesses, utilities and critical infrastructure, construction sites, and events. Every officer is vetted, trained, and supervised, and every post is sized to the risk. Based in Chicago and led by a Chicago Police officer with 20 years of service, we staff posts locally, nationally, and internationally.
What security officer coverage includes
- Uniformed or plainclothes officers, armed or unarmed per the assessment
- Standing posts, lobby and access control, and roving patrols
- Utility company and critical-infrastructure security
- Construction, retail, commercial, and industrial site security
- Licensed officers, with armed personnel credentialed for the jurisdiction they work in
- Clear post orders, supervision, and reporting
How does security guard coverage work?
Coverage starts with the site, the risk, and the hours that need covering. We post officers sized and equipped to match, with clear post orders and supervision. Armed or unarmed is set by the threat, and we recommend the posture the situation calls for. Coverage can run for a single shift, a busy season, or as a standing post.
Who needs security officers?
Property managers and building owners, businesses and retailers, utilities and critical-infrastructure operators, general contractors, commercial and industrial sites, and event hosts who need a reliable, professional presence on a post. After floods, storms, fires, and other disasters, officers can also provide site protection and access control while a property is damaged or unsecured.
Security guard services for every kind of post
The standard is the same on every post: a vetted, trained officer who knows the site, follows the post orders, and reports what happens. What changes is where the attention goes.
Office buildings and lobbies
Lobby and front-desk officers manage who comes in, check visitors and deliveries against the building’s procedures, and keep the entrance calm and professional. After hours, officers secure the building, patrol common areas, and respond to alarms and tenant calls. For a company’s own offices and leadership, see corporate and workplace security.
Businesses and retail
A visible, courteous officer at the door deters theft and trouble and reassures staff and customers. Coverage can focus on opening and closing, busy seasons, or a location that has had problems, with an officer who fits the setting and treats customers well.
Utilities and critical infrastructure
Utility company and critical-infrastructure security is a service we provide. Officers are briefed on the specific access and safety requirements of each site, control entry for staff and contractors, and patrol perimeters, yards, and equipment areas where an intrusion could disrupt service.
Construction sites
Materials, tools, and heavy equipment are most exposed after the crews leave. Officers control the gate, check deliveries, and patrol the site overnight and on weekends. Where trucks and deliveries need managing, pair a post with traffic and parking control.
Events and venues
Officers staff gates, entrances, credential checks, and back-of-house doors for corporate gatherings, public events, and private celebrations. For coverage planned around a run of show, see event security, wedding and private celebration security, and film and production security.
Industrial sites, warehouses, and patrol
Mobile and roving patrols cover large properties and multiple sites, checking doors, lots, fences, and loading areas on a set schedule. For warehouses, yards, and docks, see supply chain and cargo security.
Should security guards be armed or unarmed?
It depends on the threat, the site, and the setting. Unarmed officers suit most lobbies, retail floors, and events, where presence, access control, and clear communication do the work. Armed officers fit higher-risk posts, such as sites with a history of violence or valuable assets on hand. We recommend the posture the assessment supports.
Armed personnel carry under the credentials that apply to them and to the jurisdiction, such as state security licensing or federal LEOSA qualification for qualified current and retired law enforcement officers. Some properties and venues do not permit armed staff, and we plan around that. How armed and unarmed security differ.
Is a security guard the same as a security officer?
In everyday use, yes. People looking for security guard services in Chicago and firms offering security officers are describing the same role: a trained professional posted to protect a property and the people in it. We use “officer” because of the standard we hold our people to: vetted, trained, supervised, and accountable for how they represent you.
What sets our officers apart
A uniform is only as good as the person wearing it. TB Defense is led by career Chicago Police investigators, and that experience shapes how we select, brief, and supervise officers: reading people, calming a confrontation before it grows, and reporting clearly when something happens. Our leadership keeps operations disciplined and holds every post to the same standard.
Organizations that have worked with TB Defense include the City of DeKalb, LondonHouse Chicago, Servpro, Preferred Electric, and Viking Electric. See our clients.
Services that work alongside officers
A post often works best as part of a wider plan. When a post calls for law enforcement experience, we staff off-duty and retired law enforcement officers. Traffic and parking control keeps vehicles and people moving at events, construction sites, and campuses. Event security covers planned gatherings from the first guest in to the last guest out, and corporate security adds workplace violence prevention and protection for leadership. When the concern is a specific person, executive protection puts a dedicated agent beside them.
Not sure what a site needs? A security risk assessment shows where it is exposed, so the coverage matches the real risk.
Local, national, and international coverage
Built in Chicago, ready to travel. We staff posts across Chicago and its suburbs and for clients with sites across the country and overseas, drawing on a vetted network of professionals from law enforcement, the military, and protective intelligence. One team and one standard keep coverage consistent wherever the sites are.
How an engagement works
Every engagement starts with a conversation about the site and what concerns you. From there we scope the coverage with you, staff it, and stay in contact throughout.
What affects the cost
Every proposal is priced to the post. The factors that move it:
- The number of officers and posts
- Total hours and shifts, including overnight and weekend coverage
- Armed or unarmed coverage
- Patrol routes or multiple sites
- Standing coverage versus a single shift, event, or season
- Short-notice requests
What to have ready for the first conversation
- The address or addresses, and the type of property
- The days and hours you need covered
- What concerns you, including anything that has already happened
- Any requirements from a landlord, insurer, client, or contract
- Existing security, alarms, or building staff the officers will work with
- A contact on site
Common questions
Do you provide both armed and unarmed officers?
Both. We recommend armed or unarmed coverage based on the risk assessment. Armed personnel carry under the credentials that apply to them and to the jurisdiction, such as state security licensing or federal LEOSA qualification for qualified current and retired law enforcement officers.
Can you secure a utility or critical-infrastructure site?
Yes. Utility company and critical-infrastructure security is a service we provide. Officers are briefed on the specific access and safety requirements of each site, control entry for staff and contractors, and patrol the perimeter and equipment areas. Armed or unarmed coverage is set by the risk at the site.
Do you provide security guards outside Chicago?
Yes. TB Defense is based in Chicago and staffs security officer posts locally, nationally, and internationally, whether that is one site in the Chicago area or several properties across the country. The same vetting, training, and post standards apply wherever our officers work. Tell us where and when, and we will scope the coverage.
Can you provide short-term or one-time coverage?
Yes. Coverage can run for a single shift, a weekend, an event, a busy season, or the weeks after a disaster, as well as a standing post. We also take short-notice requests and move quickly to staff them properly, and earlier notice gives us more staffing options.
Can you provide off-duty or retired police officers?
Yes. When a post calls for law enforcement experience, we staff current off-duty and retired law enforcement officers and coordinate on-duty police details through the agency when an assignment calls for them. They work under the same post orders as the rest of the team. See off-duty and retired law enforcement.
Will your officers work with our building staff and existing security?
Yes. Officers work alongside building management, property staff, and any existing security team, with post orders that make clear who covers what. We fit our posts to the gaps rather than duplicating what is already in place, and we stay in contact with your side throughout.
Protect what matters most.
Tell us what you are protecting and what concerns you. We will give you a direct assessment and a plan to protect it. We treat consultations as confidential.
Tell us what needs protecting.
- Phone855-823-3336
- Emailadmin@tbdefense.com
- Office1021 W Adams St, Suite 200-37, Chicago, IL 60607
- HoursIntake line answered 24/7. Office by appointment.