Insights
Security Guides and Checklists
Practical guides, checklists and templates for retailers, property managers and procurement teams planning, buying or changing security coverage.
This page brings together McCray’s planning guides, checklists and templates. Each one addresses a specific task, such as reducing shoplifting, preparing a store for the holiday season, writing a request for proposal, comparing providers, moving many locations to a new provider or adding McCray as an approved supplier. The guides are organized below by the team most likely to use them.
- Shoplifting prevention
- Organized retail crime
- Holiday planning
- Provider selection
- Armed or unarmed
- Security costs
- Officer classifications
- Fire guards
- RFP template
- Provider transitions
- Vendor onboarding
For Retailers
Store, district and loss prevention managers can use these guides to plan prevention on the sales floor, prepare for peak periods and decide what kind of officer coverage a store needs.
Shoplifting Prevention Guide
Store layout, merchandise protection, fitting rooms, self-checkout and a safety-first response in which employees observe and report rather than confront.
Organized Retail Crime and the Luxury Client Experience
How organized crews operate, officer placement and selection, joint training for sales associates and officers, a written apprehension policy, incident documentation and coordination with nearby retailers and police.
Holiday Retail Security Checklist
A downloadable checklist organized by phase: four to six weeks out, one to two weeks out, daily opening and closing, peak days and the post-holiday returns period.
How to Choose a Retail Security Provider
Ten questions to ask before weighing price, covering licensing, insurance, screening, training, supervision, turnover, incident reporting, holiday and event staffing, use-of-force policies and references.
Armed vs. Unarmed Security Officers for Retail
How store risk, location, merchandise, insurance, landlord requirements and brand affect the choice, and the licensing and insurance differences for armed posts.
For Property and Facility Managers
Property, building and facility managers can use these pages to budget for coverage, match officer experience to each post and understand fire guard requirements in New York City.
Security Guard Cost Guide
What drives hourly contract security rates, why the officer’s wage is not the bill rate and how to compare quotes from different providers.
Officer Classifications
McCray’s four officer tiers, from entry-level to off-duty officer, and how to choose the right tier for each post.
FDNY Fire Guard Requirements
When a fire guard is required in New York City, the F-01, F-03, F-04 and F-60 Certificates of Fitness and what to have ready before requesting coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers on getting started, officer screening and training, armed coverage, licensing, Post Orders, supervision and incident documentation.
For Procurement and Risk Teams
Procurement, risk and facilities teams can use these documents to solicit proposals, plan a change of provider across many locations and complete supplier onboarding.
Security Guard Services RFP Template
A downloadable, vendor-neutral request for proposal covering sites and post schedules, scope, licensing, training, supervision, insurance placeholders, pricing and evaluation criteria.
Multi-Site Provider Transition Checklist
Preparation, a rollout in waves, checks during the first two weeks and reviews at 30, 60 and 90 days when changing providers across many locations.
Vendor Onboarding for Procurement Teams
The documents McCray provides, such as a certificate of insurance, W-9 and license information, and the typical steps to add McCray as an approved supplier.
How to Use These Guides
The guides are general information for planning purposes and are not legal advice. Licensing, training and fire safety requirements differ by state and city, so each requirement should be confirmed with the agency that regulates it. The license requirements by state page summarizes licensing rules for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including the regulator where one exists. Insurance and indemnification terms should be reviewed by counsel and an insurance advisor before an RFP is issued or a contract is signed.
Each checklist should be adapted to the site it is used for: its layout, incident history, lease terms and local rules. Assigning an owner to each item makes progress easier to track. Organizations that want an outside review can request a security risk assessment, which produces a written report with prioritized findings and recommendations. New articles are published in Insights.
Request a Security Assessment
Call 833-832-6647 or request an assessment online. Questions about getting started, officers or licensing may already be answered in the FAQ.