Truer Words...
As many of you know, I have worked about 8 years in the Private Security Industry. Over the course of time, you develop a thick skin due to the nature of the job. More often than not, the only people who want to see you there are the people that hire you. Not the employees of your client, for they are certain you are there to keep tabs on them (And in some cases, that is accurate) and certainly not the troublemakers who make your lives miserable.
One of the organizations that protect our interests in California is the California Association of Licensed Security Agents, Guards and Associates (CALSAGA). In their most recent newsletter, a guest columnist summed up the general reasons this is the case, and to me, truer words could not have been spoken.
Ending the Negative Stereotypes of Security Officers
Guest Commentary by Michael Beruman
People sometimes show little respect for security guards. One of the more common epithets used to refer to a security officer is “rent-a-cop.” And I have heard much worse. Sometimes people are downright offensive towards guards. To gain perspective about how at least some people view them, one need merely observe how they are portrayed in the movies: as people who are at once disheveled, slightly confused, and semi-somnambulant. This stereotype is undeserved. Most of the security officers I know are hardworking, dedicated people, who are serious about their principal role, which is to prevent crime through their visible presence. They are not the dullards rendered by the imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters.
Security officers come from all walks of life and educational backgrounds. An increasing number have college degrees. In fact, several people working at my company have advanced graduate degrees. Contrary to what some people might believe, most security officers earn a decent living, and considerably more than the government-prescribed minimum wage, something that is certainly justified given the nature of their work. What, after all, could be more important than protecting the lives and property of others?
The unskilled night watchman of yore is an anachronism. It is an image I would like to dispel. Today’s security officers must undergo a complete criminal background check, pass a licensing examination, and undergo extensive training in subjects such as the power to arrest, communications, public relations, legal principals, observation, documentation, evacuation procedures, self defense, restraining techniques, CPR/First Aid, and anti-terrorism. Many officers undergo training in the use of various weapons, including firearms, chemical sprays, and baton. The law also requires that officers receive continuing education in order to maintain their licenses. The most advanced security professionals have had training comparable to the police, even members of SWAT teams. Indeed, some security officers are also active or retired members of law enforcement agencies.
Sometimes the inquiries of security officers are viewed as an unnecessary impertinence or as an impediment to our being able to get where we need to go. Security officers certainly do not intend to offend people or to get in their way unnecessarily. However, they have a job to do. When they inquire about one’s presence or purpose on a property, they are doing what they are supposed to do, namely, represent the property owner’s interests. Indeed, their legal status is that they stand in the property owner’s place as his agent. If that is not enough, consider this additional fact: the officer might well be the person best able to help you in an emergency situation. Doesn't that warrant extending him just a little more respect?