Police and Security: So Sad

The police have no respect for security. They do not trust security people.

For over 30 years the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) has hosted annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. There Security managers and Directors host Law Enforcement speakers. The attendance is usually exclusively security professionals with few if any Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) in attendance, other than the speakers. LEOs are happy to have a free day with free food and a respectful audience. As they leave they can be heard supporting the idea of cooperation between the public and private sector.

Cooperation means that the private security sector aids the police. There is no reciprocity.

Each year the cops tell the security people that their people need more training. Some acknowledge that security spots and reports crime better than the average citizen.

As security pays $9.00-$14.00/hr and the security manager has no training budget because of management priorities, and everyone treats the guards like pariahs; they can't get people smart or motivated enough to train. The police have huge training budgets and the cops make $30.00-$50.00/hr. or more.  It is therefore easier to get good people.

Cooperation means that the private security sector aids the police. There is no "special" reciprocity...other than the cops will come when you call if they decide it warrants a response...just like to any citizen call.

Support means providing Law Enforcement with funds or equipment, tours of facilities, and the promises to call them if anything important happens, to provide evidence of crimes that the local DA will prosecute and will make them look good to their bosses. Otherwise -"go away little ones."

 The LEOs see the security folks as either wanna-bes or ex-cops who are bored after retirement. At best they hope to get hired at a good security manager job/salary after they retire.

The most a security manager can hope for is the phone number of the Chief who will then ask his subordinates to 'appear to take these guys seriously.'

Security managers may try to improve their team by requiring police training [832PC in California]  or a degree in Police Science but they can't pay well enough to attract these people. They can't even get guards with 8th grade reading comprehension. (1950s 8th grade reading comprehension; ie: today's college junior] So sad.

When a cop meets a competant security professional the first question they ask is: "Were you a cop?" If never a cop, no credibility is granted.

The police get Homeland Security intelligence...this is never passed to the security personnel...unless that security manager is a personal friend OR ex-cop.

Perhaps the police could train security guards? Never happen! The police feel, as the Thin Blue Line, that they are the only ones who can do security... and many citizens feel the same way. They already operate under an us vs. them mentality. They are the sheepdogs and everyone else are sheep. Training sheep to be sheepdogs is beyond their belief system. some guards are sometimes arrested for crime, on or off duty. (Search Google) Therefore many cops feel that they would be training criminals to use cop skills against cops! The Horror! Never happen, Bota. If a guard could do police level work how could the police justify their salary and benefits...especially retirement. Lastly it would affect their egos in a decidedly painful manner. Never happen, Packy!

This can not be fixed until all security guards are police academy (or equivalent) graduates...which will never happen.  The economics today prohibit it. So sad. [Besides smart companies don't want cops as guards where they may report every minor infraction of the law to their brothers in blue.]


To the Chief of Police, the concept of the Strategic Corporal  is unknown; they think their cops will handle every contingency or if their manpower is overwhelmed, then "tough beans, fella, you're on your own." Security Guards could be that missing link...but I dare dream too much.

To the Security Manager, relying solely on your contract guard firm to provide training while keeping costs unchanged is just stupidly naive. Selling the idea to management means at worst a new job search for you. So sad.