Mobile Patrol Security: How It Deters Crime and Enhances Safety

Mobile patrol security provides a flexible and proactive way to deter crime and promote property safety. In 2024, there were 121,033 reported incidents of breaking and entering, accounting for 13% of the overall crime severity index in Canada. Businesses are increasingly choosing mobile patrol security to keep their property, staff, and residents safe. 

If you’re a  decision-maker at a property, or if you’re simply interested in learning more about mobile patrol security, this blog is for you. Leveraging the decade of experience we have at Blackbird Security in keeping properties safe, we’ll cover how mobile patrols deter crime, support day-to-day operations, and increase safety for your building, residents, customers, or staff.

Key Takeaways

• Mobile patrol security deters theft and trespassing by providing visible on-site protection.

• Randomly scheduled patrols and rapid response times disrupt criminal activity.

• Mobile guards assist property managers with reporting, safety checks, and emergencies.

• Mobile patrols offer a cost-effective alternative to full-time static guard coverage.

Crime Types Prevented by Mobile Security

Property crimes affect businesses of all varieties and sizes across Canada. Mobile patrols minimize these risks, especially during times when properties are most vulnerable, such as after hours, on weekends, or on holidays. Mobile guards monitor for suspicious activity, conduct patrols, and step in to address incidents.

Mobile security patrols can help prevent the following crimes:

• Break-ins and after-hours theft

• Trespassing and vagrancy

• Vandalism

• Vehicle theft, including smash-and-grab theft

• Theft from construction sites

• Package and mailroom theft in condos

• Disruptive behaviour that can escalate into more serious incidents

In the next section, we’ll dive into how mobile guards prevent and deter crime. 

How Mobile Security Patrols Deter Crime

Mobile patrols proactively deter and stop crime through a physical, on-site security presence combined with quick response times. Unlike static security guards, who stay at one location throughout their shift, mobile guards move between properties, conducting patrols at each site according to its specific needs. Here’s a closer look at how mobile security patrols deter crime:

Visible Security Presence

Criminals looking for easy targets typically avoid properties that look as though they’re being monitored, as they might be seen or caught in the act. Mobile security guards move between sites in marked vehicles, which communicates that a site is being monitored. Even a few patrols throughout the day can make a significant difference in the perception that the property is being consistently monitored. 

Unpredictability

Mobile patrols can be scheduled at random, making it harder for bad actors to gauge a time to commit crimes. This unpredictability helps deter attempted break-ins, vandalism, and trespassing, as criminals cannot determine when guards will be at a property and won’t want to risk being caught.

Round-the-Clock Coverage and Quick Response

Since guards visit the site repeatedly, even during overnight hours or holidays, they can spot problems quickly and initiate a response. At properties with no security coverage, or those that rely solely on CCTV cameras, crimes may not be discovered until well after the fact. In the time between the initial crime and its discovery, businesses can be left open to further crimes. 

For instance, if a vandal breaks a window at a property overnight, it may not be discovered until opening the following day, allowing opportunists to enter the building. Mobile patrols prevent these situations from happening. Additionally, mobile guards can automatically respond to triggered alarms, arriving at the scene within 30 minutes to assess the situation and respond accordingly. 

Access Control

During each patrol, mobile patrol guards check all access points, including doors, gates, loading bays, rooftop doors, parkades, and side entrances. This keeps the entire property secure. Catching and stopping unauthorized access early prevents the problem from escalating later.

These practices help lower risks for buildings, property, and everyone who uses them each day.

Mobile Security Benefits Beyond Crime Deterrence

Beyond crime prevention, mobile patrol security supports a property’s safety holistically. Property managers, facility operators, and strata councils depend on mobile guards to ensure the safety of the property, help with operations, and keep things running smoothly. Here’s how:

Peace of Mind

Having trained security guards visiting the property on a regular basis helps tenants, residents, customers, and employees feel more comfortable. When people know someone is watching over the property, they feel safer, which increases employee and resident satisfaction and trust in management.

Incident Reporting and Documentation

Security guards write detailed reports during each patrol, including written logs, photos, and videos. These records are important for insurance claims, police reports, and spotting patterns that support future security strategy planning.

Depending on the mobile patrol security provider you choose, you may gain real-time access to reports. At Blackbird Security, for example, we use TrackTik. This allows our clients to see reports from guards as soon as they’re uploaded, as well as guard locations when they’re at your site. 

Maintenance Monitoring

In addition to suspicious activity, property damage, and signs of break-ins, mobile guards report maintenance issues that need to be addressed. These can include:

• Litter

• Leaking pipes

• Burnt-out lights

• Out-of-order CCTV cameras

• Blocked doorways

•  Illegally parked cars

This helps property managers stay on top of the day-to-day operations of their site.

Emergency Response

Mobile patrol guards respond immediately to emergencies and provide an extra layer of coverage during off-hours. They can respond to fire alarms, plumbing leaks, burglary alarms, and medical issues that occur when they’re on site, quickly contacting first responders or emergency maintenance. Early intervention makes the whole property safer, especially at night, on weekends, or during holidays.

Why Property Managers Should Consider Investing in Mobile Patrol Security Services

Property crime is an issue throughout many major Canadian cities. With police forces stretched thin, a crime at your property could be low on the triage list, and response could take hours. Mobile patrols offer a practical security solution at a time when response times may be slower. They help fill operational gaps, keep eyes on multiple properties, and ensure on-site coverage when owners, tenants, and employees are away.

Additionally, mobile patrols provide security coverage without the high cost of having a full-time guard on site. One mobile guard can cover several of your locations and focus on higher-risk times, offering valuable protection at a lower cost. 

Across every type of property, mobile patrols protect buildings, people, and assets, making them a smart investment for 2026.

Partner With Canada’s Top Mobile Patrol Security Service Provider

Mobile patrol security helps prevent crime, build trust with customers and tenants, and protect properties over the long term. Businesses across Canada are increasingly relying on mobile patrols to keep their assets safe around the clock.

Blackbird Security provides mobile patrol services tailored to your site's unique needs. Our teams conduct patrols on a randomized schedule, respond to alarms, and help our clients stay secure 24/7. 

Contact us to secure mobile patrol services for your property today.

FAQs

What is included in mobile patrol security services?

Mobile patrols involve visits from security guards who conduct patrols, check all access points, and respond to incidents as they occur. Depending on the security company you choose, your mobile patrol services may also include alarm response. 

How often can patrols take place?

Patrols can take place as often (as frequently as hourly) as needed, depending on the property’s size, location, risks, and needs.

What crimes do mobile patrols prevent?

Mobile patrols prevent break-ins, theft, trespassing, vagrancy, vandalism, vehicle theft, construction site theft, and package and mailroom theft. They can also address disruptive behaviour taking place on site.

How much does mobile patrol security cost?

The cost of mobile patrols depends largely on the scope of work, the site’s needs, its size, and how long it needs mobile patrol coverage. For a more accurate quote tailored to your specific site, please get in touch with us here.