Hey everyone,
Just wondering how many of our NEShooters friends have worked as a Security Officer?? I am currently working at a office building, doing third shift weekends plus filling in for vactions/call outs and numerous details. Not a bad job, decent pay, and plus im am also unionized. Hopfully i can use this as a stepping stone to get into law enforcement/firefighting career. Thanks,
First, never announce that you are unionized on this board, otherwise BillB will turn this into an epic anti-union megathread
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
I don't think that working private security is going to give you leg up with regard to getting into law enforcement or firefighting. Justified or not, the image that many LEOs have of security guards is that of "rent-a-cops" and "cop wannabes." Under the right circumstances, you might be able to do some good networking for future employment by making contacts with your company's clients but not probably in the public safety field. I think it is important that people employed in the security industry realize that they are not police officers, but are there primarily to observe, record, and report and to deter. A point that frequently is missed on more than a few.
The primary issue with private security IMO is training. Frequently, I believe that security guards simply not trained to the level that they should be, it all comes down to profitability.
The security industry is one that will continue to experience growth and one would hope, professionalize itself to a higher degree than it does. Times of economic recession are good for security companies because they usually can hire better quality personnel.
For the record I worked in the private security field for several years during college, mainly during breaks and the summertime. It was a great job for a college student (at $2.35 an hour back in the day). I worked with some really great people, and also some real dregs that included a suspended Tucson Police Department patrolman, and also a really nice guy who was certified as mentally retarded (this was interesting as he was quite aware of his intellectual shortcomings and could actually discuss mental retardation cogently, he had had a lot of special education and life skill coaching, still he couldn't pass the basic American Red Cross First Aid Course. The company had him guard construction sites). We had another guy who insisted on wearing a woman's wig with tresses all the way down to the small of his back. We had another guy (a retired Air Force Tech Sgt) who had a very nice pre-numbered (circa 1956-57) S&W .44 Magnum. He was a pretty good guy, but I remember one night when a volkswagen bus ran the gate at the private country club and gated community that we had responsibility for guarding, he actually pulled out the .44 and was ready to sail a round right into the engine block of the vehicle as it sped away. Another guard and I were there and we had to grab him and stop him. Then there was poor Harry, who had been a successful businessman and a volunteer fire department captain back in the east or midwest somewhere. Very personable, very intelligent and he had a beautiful Wathler PP that he brought back from WWII. The only problem was that Harry was a hopeless alcoholic who would get drunk every night. A lot of people covered for him, but finally he had to be let go .
If you want a great job where you might learn something, get free medical, dental, 30 days paid vacation and lots of experience, then join the US Armed Forces. IMO, this will give you a better background and possibly some veteran's preference in trying to get a LEO job in Mass. Otherwise, unless you have family connections or some kind of political influence, the chances of getting a public safety job in this state, while not impossible, are really remote, again IMO.
