Security Guard Services
Security Guard Services in State College, PA
State College business activity centers on the downtown blocks of College Avenue, Allen Street and Beaver Avenue, with shopping centers and service retail along the North Atherton Street corridor. Innovation Park at Penn State and the office parks around the campus house research, technology and professional firms that draw on the university.
See the Pennsylvania page for coverage across Pennsylvania.
Retail Districts Covered in State College
Coverage in the State College area includes these retail and business districts:
- Downtown State College
- College Avenue and Allen Street
- North Atherton Street corridor
- Nittany Mall
- Benner Pike retail corridor
- Innovation Park at Penn State
Security Considerations in State College
Downtown State College is a dense, walkable district where restaurants, bars, apartment towers and street-level shops share the same blocks. Foot traffic runs late into the night during the academic year, so posts at storefronts, residential lobbies and parking garages often need evening and overnight coverage. Officers working these posts benefit from clear Post Orders on guest access, ID checks at residential entrances and calm de-escalation with large groups of students.
Penn State home football weekends at Beaver Stadium, events at the Bryce Jordan Center and the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts each July bring visitors far beyond the town’s resident population. Hotels, retailers and venues along the main roads see heavy traffic and parking pressure on those dates. Coverage schedules are usually built around the university calendar, with added posts for game days, move-in weeks and commencement.
Winters in Centre County bring snow and ice that affect patrol routes, sidewalks and building entrances. Sites spread between State College, Bellefonte and the Benner Pike area involve drive times on rural roads, which matters for mobile patrol planning and relief scheduling. Construction of student housing and campus-adjacent projects also creates demand for gate and perimeter coverage during off-hours.
Security Services in State College
Armed and Unarmed Security Guards
Licensed security officers for daily posts in State College, assigned to Post Orders written around each site’s layout, hours and risk.
Retail Security and Loss Prevention
Officers for stores and shopping centers in State College, trained in organized retail crime recognition, de-escalation and incident documentation.
Luxury Retail Asset Protection
Client-facing officers for boutiques and flagships in State College who protect staff and inventory without interrupting clienteling.
Event Security
Access control, guest list management and crowd coverage for product launches, private events and venues in State College.
Fire Watch
Fire watch patrols and logs in State College while alarm or sprinkler systems are out of service, set to the local fire authority’s requirements.
Executive Protection Support
Protection support for executive, dignitary and VIP visits, meetings and events in State College.
Concierge and Lobby Security
Front desk coverage, visitor management and access control for office and residential buildings in State College.
Warehouse and Construction Security
Gate, dock and perimeter coverage for distribution centers, warehouses and construction sites in and around State College.
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 McCray Operations Desk answers 24/7/365. Incidents are documented on scene, and clients receive reports in the same format at every location.
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.
Common Questions
Can coverage be added for Penn State home football weekends?
Yes. Additional posts for game weekends, move-in periods and other campus events can be built into the written schedule ahead of the season. Staffing levels and post locations for those dates are set during the site assessment.
How is security guard coverage priced?
Rates depend on the officer classification, hours, schedule and site requirements. McCray provides a written rate schedule after reviewing the needs of each site. Holiday, overnight and short-notice coverage is billed at a premium rate.
Request a Security Assessment in State College
Call 833-832-6647 or request an assessment online. See the Pennsylvania page or view all service areas.