Security Guard Services in Philadelphia, PA

Our Philadelphia supervisors work in the market and visit posts in person. See our Pennsylvania page for statewide coverage and license details.

Retail Districts Covered in Philadelphia

We support retailers and properties in the Philadelphia area’s main luxury and high-traffic retail locations, including:

• Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square
• King of Prussia Mall
• Center City, including Chestnut Street and Market Street
• The Fashion District Philadelphia
• Suburban Square in Ardmore
• Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey

Security Considerations in Philadelphia

King of Prussia is one of the largest retail destinations in the country, and its luxury wing carries some of the highest-value inventory in the region. Stores there need officers who can work closely with mall security and respond quickly to coordinated theft.

Walnut Street boutiques around Rittenhouse Square are street-level stores with busy sidewalks. Door management, staff protection and clear reporting are central to the job.

Center City office buildings, universities and healthcare campuses need reliable lobby, access control and patrol coverage.

Security Services in Philadelphia

Screening, Training and Supervision

Officers complete a five-stage screening process and tier-based training before assignment, including de-escalation and, for retail posts, organized retail crime recognition. Supervisors make unannounced site visits, and the MGP Operations Desk answers 24/7/365. Incidents are documented on scene, time-stamped and GPS-verified.

Pennsylvania Licensing

Pennsylvania security companies are licensed at the county level through the Court of Common Pleas, and armed officers must hold Lethal Weapons Training Act (Act 235) certification. McCray Global Protection holds Pennsylvania license CP-51-MD-0001855-2022.

Fire Watch Rules in Philadelphia

• Philadelphia requires a fire watch under Section 901.7 of the Philadelphia Fire Code during an emergency or planned impairment of a fire protection system, during hot work and for at least 30 minutes after, and in certain new combustible buildings during construction. Source
• Philadelphia fire watch personnel must be trained in the duties in the Site Safety Plan, inspect every area every 30 minutes, and keep logs, with at least one fire watch for every five floors. The City says combining fire watch and security duties is acceptable. Source

MGP writes the local fire authority’s requirements into the Post Orders before the first shift. See Fire Watch Security.

Hiring Off-Duty Police Officers in Philadelphia

• Philadelphia Police Directive 6.11 prohibits officers from outside employment of a patrol, investigative, guard or security nature, and from any job that uses their badge, uniform or police powers (updated March 7, 2019). Source

MGP coordinates off-duty officer coverage where the department allows it, and assigns Tier III retired police officers where it does not. See Off-Duty Police Officer Services.

Common Questions

Are armed officers available in Philadelphia?

Yes. Armed posts are staffed by retired law enforcement officers who hold the armed licensing Pennsylvania requires, and are assigned after a review of the site’s risk, lease and insurance requirements. For luxury boutiques, MGP generally recommends unarmed officers focused on deterrence and client service.

How is security guard coverage priced?

Rates depend on the officer classification, armed or unarmed status, hours, schedule and site requirements. MGP provides a written rate schedule after reviewing your needs. Holiday, overnight and short-notice coverage is billed at a premium rate.