After-Hours Security Essentials

How to Protect Your Business When the Office Is Empty

When the last employee clocks out and the office lights go dark, your building doesn’t stop needing protection. In fact, after-hours is when many security risks ramp up—from break-ins and vandalism to unauthorized access and internal threats. An empty building can look like an open invitation if proper safeguards aren’t in place.

At Executive Security Services, we help businesses across the Pacific Northwest stay protected—even when no one’s around. Whether your facility is empty every night or just on weekends, here’s how to keep it secure when the doors are locked and the staff has gone home.

Locks Are a Start - but They’re Not a Security Strategy

A deadbolt may slow someone down, but determined intruders know where to look for weak spots. Side doors, unlocked windows, loading docks, and delivery zones are common access points—and once they’re inside, you’ll wish you had more than just a solid latch.

Executive Security Services helps businesses go beyond basic locks by integrating our trained access control guards, scheduled lock checks, and monitoring of restricted zones. Our uniformed or plainclothed guards can secure sensitive areas during shift changes or patrol facilities during off-hours. Because when it comes to protecting your business, it will take more than a door lock to ensure your assets are protected.

Cameras Help if They Are Working Properly

A dusty camera pointed at a wall won’t do much when things go sideways. Surveillance only works if it’s functional, visible, and being monitored by someone who knows what to look for. Grainy footage reviewed after the fact is no match for live monitoring and on-site security support.

Executive Security Services offers surveillance assessments to ensure you’ve got proper coverage and visibility where it counts. Want eyes on your facility all night long? Our team can supplement your cameras with overnight patrols, access control guards, or concierge-style guards who can monitor video feeds and manage front desk responsibilities at the same time. That’s multitasking we’re proud of.

Randomized Patrols = Reliable Protection

Predictability is the enemy of prevention. If your security routines follow the same pattern every night, it’s only a matter of time before someone figures them out. Randomized patrols keep potential intruders guessing—and that uncertainty is a powerful deterrent.

Our patrols by car or on foot are available around the clock, and we can customize schedules to match your risk level, location, and layout. Whether you need unarmed patrols for routine sweeps or armed officers for high-risk zones, Executive Security Services will build a plan that keeps people on their toes—and keeps your property off their radar.

Lighting: Security’s Unsung Hero

It’s not glamorous, but good lighting does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to security coverage. Poorly lit parking lots and back entrances are not doing your business any favors in terms of security. Consider switching to motion-sensor lighting and strategically placed fixtures to make it clear that your building isn’t an easy target.

Not sure where to prioritize your lighting? Executive Security Services can walk the property with you and identify areas that could use improvement. Combine well-lit entryways with guard shack coverage, foot patrols, or drive-by perimeter checks, and you’ve got a layered defense system that works long after the sun goes down!

Update Your Emergency Contact Chain - Seriously

We’ve seen it more than once: an alarm goes off, and the contact on file is on vacation… in another time zone… with no cell service. That’s not ideal. Your response plan is only as strong as your ability to act fast.

Executive Security Services works with your leadership team to review emergency protocols, ensure response partners are up-to-date, and make sure your security team knows exactly who to contact—and how—if something goes wrong. You handle the business; we’ll handle the “what ifs” so you and your team can enjoy much needed time off.

For High-Risk Hours, Consider On-Site Security

If you manage high-value inventory, sensitive data, or operate in a high-risk location, having a trained security guard on-site overnight can make all the difference.

From armed guards for deterrence to concierge guards who can keep tabs on deliveries and monitor guest access, Executive Security Services has a range of professional security staff ready to support your needs. Whether in uniform or undercover, our guards are trained in de-escalation, observation, and rapid response.

We’ve Got Your Back - Even After Everyone Else Goes Home

Just because your team is off the clock doesn’t mean your assets are vulnerable. Whether you need short-term coverage, mobile patrols, or a full-scale overnight security plan, we are ready to protect your people, property, and peace of mind—after hours and every hour in between.

Contact Executive Security today to talk about an after-hours security strategy tailored to your building and your business! We work in a variety of industries and are happy to work with you on your physical security needs.