PoliceLink

SORRY GUYS BUT I HAVE TO PUT MY TWO CENTS IN ON THIS:

Being a retired L.E. Officer I will start by saying with the economy I was forced back into the working world (the pension just is not enough, but thank god for the benefits). I found it really easy to find work in the private security industry first as an Operations Supervisor, Security Manager, and then as a Certified Trainer. Like the rest of us I always looked at private security as a “want to  be industry of rent a cops”...  I soon found out how wrong I was,  that there are a lot of well trained security professionals out here that perform a multitude of needed services to the private, corporate, government, and public sectors. The company I work for has been recognized for the past three years by Training Magazine as one of the "Top 125 Training Companies" (Ranking 16th this year) to work for (the list includes many Police Departments like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other private companies like, IBM, Johnson and Johnson). All our officers have to satisfy any state regulations but our company also holds itself in most instances to higher standards then required by state regulations. In New Jersey a Security must attend SORA training (this training is over seen and regulated by the NJ State Police), however here in PA there is no training requirement but my company has a mandatory 8 hour Security Officer Basic Training class that all new hires must attend in addition to any State Regulations. This 8 hour class includes Patrol tech., Customer Service, Legal Limitations, Discrimination and Harassment training, Ethics and Conduct, and Terrorism Awareness training. Once this requirement is met Officers must begin the On the Job Training (OJT) portion where the site specific training is completed including Safety Orientation, and Driver Training here is another example: any officer that carries OC they must be OCAT certified, Handcuffs they must be PATH certified, and a Baton we require MEB certification. All officers that carry a firearm must be certified thru the state they work in as our company does business in every state with the exception of Alaska and unfortunately Hawaii! All of our Officers also are certified by the AHA or ARC in First Aid, CPR, and AED training. Our company also offers MOAB and even has an on line Training Academy. Every District has a Trainer assigned (my current District I am responsible for 650 employees that includes Officers, Supervisors, Support Staff, Operations and Account Managers).

I am currently a certified Trainer in the following Disciplines: PATH, OCAT, MEB, MOAB, CPR, AED, First Aid (ARC and AHA), Cat EYES, a Terrorism and Awareness (TAP) instructor with the Pa. Commission on Crime and Delinquency and a Certified Security consultant. Believe me I don’t make $7.00 an hour!

As we all know there are good cops, bad cops and the same is true with the Security Industry. Yes pay someone $7.00 per hour you may get a less then trained Officer. However the industry standard is approx. $9.50. There are also Security Officers making more money then some cops in certain states and that’s a fact as sad as it may be! In government services such as nuke facilities officers make up to $25.00 an hour. The bottom like anything a person that works in the Security Industry needs to work for a reputable company and be paid a decent hourly wage. We have several accounts that work hand in hand with L.E. both in the private, governmental, and in many instance the public setting with powers of arrest.

L.E. has there job and Security Officers (NOT GUARDS) have there place after all the bottom line is to protect and serve whether it’s the public or private sector. And yes there are companies that charge $30.00 an hour to a client and pay there officer’s $7.00 shame on them. The industry standard would dictate that at a bill rate of $30.00 per hour the officer should be paid approx. (give or take a few dollars depending on the training requirements, and liabilities associated with the particular site) $15.00-$18.00 per hour.

No matter how you feel about this subject Security Officers have been around a long time (probably almost as long as L.E. ) and will be needed for a long time too come.

This is just my opinion and is in no way meant to offend anyone just the way I see it having worked both sides.  Besides you would be amazed how many retired cops work as Security Officers and really make some good money doing it, after all it’s a billion dollar industry!

Mr. Moderator please allow some responses before we lock this discussion, I really would like to hear the good and bad comments to my post and will not take any offence to those who still feel that the Security Industry takes off duty jobs away from Law Enforcement.

It really doesn't matter how much jumping up and down ranting and raving about how great security guards are and just how much alike police officers they are, the fact that one has to compare their job with anothers shows lack of confidance or respect for their own profession.

Call it what you will "security guard", "security officer", "security enforcement officer", "security guarding enforcement tactical special officer of  mall interior" don't make a damn, just be professional in your profession and quit worrying who or what you are LIKE.

SEO says ...

I've got a ton more, but I'm saving them so they don't get old, lol

This thread is stupid, I have been working security for 8 years in public housing. There are some security jobs that are nothing like police and some that are. Ive just got a few things to say to my fellow security guards. WHO GIVES A SHIT HOW THE TWO JOBS COMPARE !.

Just get up and go to work and dont worry about it. What i find funny is that police link gives us a place to come and talk about security things and all you guys want to do is to prove that your jobs are like the police, TO OTHER SECURITY GUARDS!. And another thing that I find funny ( and knew would happen if police link ever gave security its own place) is you have the police coming down here giving us shit about things still. Its like they want to give us our own place to stay out of theirs, then we come down here and say dumb shit and they come down here and the same thing is going on as it was in the ASK A COP forums.

To all my fellow security guards stop saying dumb shit and quit trying to compare the two jobs Get some brains and think before you type.

Just do what I do and come here and read, if you find something that is helpful to you then use it, other than that stay on the security website, if you dont know it PM me and i will give it to you.