Exactly. If it hadn't been for that illusion of security, the victim could have had a 20-second head start and run the hell away from her attackers. Instead she waited by the guards, not realizing that they were only there to pass the popcorn as her head got stomped in.
That was such a sad video. The poor girl went and stood near the security guards, and as soon as the thugs arrived, the guards just moved away and left her. At the very end, after they had kicked her into unconsciousness, one of the guards (who looked to me like a woman, although it was hard to tell) sort of waved her hand to motion the attackers away - and then stepped back when one of the thugs came in to give the girl a final kick in the head. It was horrifying.
Boy are you blind. They observe and report because the cops want part time work. See Ca Laws on guards. You want to hire a real guard you will have to hire an off duty cop.