What is a Security Guard?: Some Little Known Facts

The many answers to this question will be most beneficial to those who are currently employed as one – that is not to say outsiders will not find anything interesting in this article.

1.      A security guard is a civilian or an ordinary citizen in a funny looking uniform. Many new security guards and those who have been in this job for far too long and haven’t had a chance to do something better with their life tend to forget aforementioned fact.

2.      A security guard is not a cop. I cannot stress this enough. A security guard is not a police officer. Therefore, if you walk into a coffee shop in your uniform and the barista tries to give you a free drink thinking that you are one of city’s finest, tell her unequivocally that you are not a badge holder. Don’t forget to add a ‘yet’ at the end. It will show you haven’t gotten lazy. Also, pay for that coffee. You don’t want to be charged with “impersonating a police officer” for one lousy cup of joe.

3.      If you are in uniform, people will feel comfortable approaching you to seek information of not so diverse kind. It’s mostly the directions. If you are approached by a lost “ordinary citizen” at a location where you do not work, let them know that you are out of your jurisdiction then provide whatever help you can safely offer.

4.      It is usually a good idea for a security guard to travel without uniform, and I don’t mean naked; that would be against certain laws and he/she might also catch a cold.

If you use public transit and commute to work in your uniform, there is a remote chance that your bus will be held up or a hijacking will take place on it. Guess who gets the first bullet if something goes wrong with otherwise a peaceful criminal activity. Yes, you are right. It’s you because your uniform will not only alarm the idiot perps but also a dead uniformed person will send a stronger message to the authorities. “What about the bus driver? He is also in uniform?” you might ask. The criminals want someone professional to drive the bus. They don’t want to jeopardize the safety of the passengers (the rest of them) by hurting the expert operator.

5.      If a security guard is driving a marked security vehicle, it still doesn’t make them a cop.

In other words, if you are a security guard and you are one of the few lucky ones who get to drive company’s marked vehicle – unlike cops – all traffic laws apply to you just like any other ordinary citizen. It means if you speed like a maniac, you will get a ticket, and if you pull over another citizen’s vehicle by following it with your amber lights flashing, you will and should get arrested.

6.      If a situation calls for seeking assistance of police, a security guard’s word will likely have more weight with cops.

If you are a security guard and someone threatens you with calling the cops on you and you know you haven’t done anything wrong, politely provide the phone number of local police station to the threatening party and tell them you are also going to make the call and then both parties can witness who the cops listen to. Do not forget to get all of your cards ready before the police arrive.

7.      A security guard is not allowed to carry firearms. Only weapon that a regular guard is allowed to carry is a baton and even that only after proper training and licensing.

A citizen should not expect a security guard to deal with a person carrying any kind of firearms. If such a hostile situation arises, repeat after me, “Call 9-1-1”, because the guard too is going to do the same.

Introduction to a Security Guard

Needless to say, I am a security guard in a private Canadian company, and that's why I have decided to start this blog. As a security guard over the years I have made some strange - hopefully equally interesting - observations which many other "experienced" guards have also made but have chosen to ignore.

My blog is not a guide to becoming a security guard. There will be no job postings here. There will be no intentional demonizing of any security company or its clients. All I am going to present is a sketch of my observations to give a sneak peak into an industry which is ubiquitously visible yet shrouded in mystery and awe, nevertheless, is equally ridiculed and despised by many outsiders.

Whether or not you are in the industry you'll find something here that you might find interesting. Who knows, you might even learn something.

If you are a security guard then I don't need to tell you that a security guard's job is the one that is most thankless and under-appreciated. For many outside observers security guards do nothing but walk, stand and - even worse - sit around all day (afternoon, evening or night; it is called rotatory shifts, people) and get paid. They don't know that having to do nothing and still staying alert is the hardest job ever. That's why they invented the Terminator, T-800 model. (If you didn't understand this last bit, go watch Terminator 2. You just finished your 12 hours shift. You've earned it.)

Many so-called observers would have security guards be unpaid volunteers rather than be paid employees. Damn it... even a scare crow gets more appreciation than a security guard.

"Mister Geppetto is the father of Pinocchio", an observer retorts.

I stand corrected.