Companies May Be Overspending Millions on Guarding Decisions Not Based on Data

EXTON , Pa., Nov. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Many organizations spend millions each year on security guards without a clear understanding of whether those resources are deployed where they are truly needed. CAP Index, the leader in crime risk forecasting and security analytics, provides Guard Optimization Analyses that help companies make informed, data-driven decisions about how and where to allocate their guarding budgets.

Drawing on more than 37 years of crime risk forecasting expertise and managing over $1 billion in guard spending, CAP Index's Guard Optimization Analysis compares current guard spending to actual crime risk across an organization's locations. Developed and delivered by criminologists, data scientists, and security experts, this analysis helps uncover potentially over- and under-guarded sites, identify inefficiencies, and provide actionable data to guide resource allocation decisions. These insights help security leaders improve protection while reducing unnecessary costs.

"Our models bring clarity to one of the most complex and costly areas of security management," said Dr. Casey Harris, Ph.D., VP of Crime Risk Modeling at CAP Index. "We partner directly with clients, combining our crime risk data with their operational insights to create analyses that identify where current guarding allocation may not align with actual risk. This collaborative approach gives security leaders the clarity they need to make informed, strategic decisions about how to allocate resources effectively."

Guard Optimization Analysis: Align Guarding With Risk

Without objective data, guarding decisions often rely on gut feelings or local preferences, which can lead to overspending in some areas and under-protection in others. CAP Index's Guard Optimization Analysis helps security leaders:

• Map guard deployment against actual crime risk
• Uncover inefficiencies and areas of over- or under-guarding
• Strengthen budget requests with defensible, third-party reporting
• Reallocate resources to maximize both protection and return on investment

Mike Lamb, a long-time CAP Index client and respected leader in the asset protection field, said the analysis reshaped how he and his teams think about guarding strategy. "CAP Index's guarding analysis provided the insight we needed to evaluate deployment across our entire enterprise," he said. "It revealed that while in some cases guard use was appropriate because of historical incidents, many other decisions were driven by habit, intuition, or by those who voiced the strongest opinions rather than by actual risk. Having objective, data-driven insight to guide those decisions is invaluable, especially when guarding budgets reach into millions of dollars."

Dr. Harris added, "When organizations understand how their guarding spend aligns with risk, they can make confident decisions that improve security outcomes and financial performance at the same time."

To learn more or start with a free Guarding Assessment, visit our website.

About CAP Index

CAP Index is so much more than address-based crime risk reports. For more than 37 years, CAP Index has helped businesses make smarter, data-driven security decisions through a suite of solutions including guarding assessment and management, security and site assessments including ESRM, static and dynamic risk modeling, and much more. These tools and analyses quantify risk, guide resource allocation, and optimize protection strategies, giving organizations the insight needed to protect people, property, and profitability.

Learn more at capindex.com.

Contact:
Lisa Moughan
Marketing Director
484-824-0876
[email protected]

SOURCE CAP Index