LEOs and Security? Thoughts..

[leitung]

I have been working as an armed security guard for over a year now. I have had MANY interactions with law enforcement during this time. I have gotten mixed reactions from many LEOs during my time.

I notice some LEOs see us as an extra eye out for them (as we should be) and treat us pretty well. I have had some cops tell me that we help them out so much, and we were critical in some aspects of law enforcement. I have had several cops back me up, even when I made a mistake (which I have made plenty). They also back us when SHTF, we had a stabbing at one of our properties, and the officers first priority was to make sure I was okay when I didnt respond to my radio. I have had many LEOs like seeing me around when they respond to calls at our properties (we do apartment complexes) and ask for me to assist them when they respond to a call at one of our units.

Then I have had things the other way around. I have had some LEOs who I can read and they just seem to see us as being in the way, and we are of no real use to them in their opinion. I have found several encounters with CHP to have gone this way.

Now, in all fairness, there are PLENTY of guards who have done their fair share of making us all look like a bunch of dumb wannabe cops, who run around, using excessive force and pulling their guns at the drop of a hat on anything. So in a way, these idiots have done a great job at making the rest of us look like idiots in the eyes of the responding LEOs.

So I kinda see it this way, as long as we remember our job and place, we usually have the respect of law enforcement officers in our area.

[eltee]

Alot of us started out as security officers prior to getting into law enforcement. Many of us work off duty in security, and many of us work in security post-retirement.

Some LEO's have a predisposition against security personnel, a sort of "holier than thou" mentality. That's their own personal shortcoming.

I'd like to think the majority of LEO's consider security personnel as allies. Besides, that security officer you diss today may be your supervisor in the dept. a few years down the road (happened many times in my dept.) so being courteous to all is a good rule of thumb.

Personally, I like talking with and assisting security personnel. Mutual respect benefits both sides.

[Cpl_Peters]

I think it all depends on the type of attitude the SG has when working with LEOs. I'll be honest...some are just plain annoying, tugging at your shirt tail while you try to conduct an investigation or trying to update you with pointless information that may seem like a huge priority to them when in fact it is not. Also some get over zealous and like to call PD of SD for minor things that can be resolved without LE intervention. Even more annoying are the ones that think they are cops themselves and either get in over there head or act outside there jurisdiction. Case in point, trying to make car stops with their orange flashing lights on city streets.

all in all the security people that work in the locations in my city are pretty decent with a few exceptions. The guys that work at our local mall are terrific in my opinion. They know there job and don't get over zealous about it. Target stores loss prevention is also top notch. They are down to earth and write great citizen statements that can almost be transcribed word for word into our police reports.

My main piece of advice to any security guard when working with law enforcement is to provide only as much assistance as requested of you. Whether that is writing a statement in the field, guarding a detainee or just plain standing to the side and letting us do our job. Remember we are the ones that have to write the final reports and are ultimately held responsible for the events that unfold once we arrive on scene.

With all that said there have been times i was very thankful that security was on scene(especially to direct and guide us in large confusing apartment complexes). But there have also been times when they have taken something routine and simple and made it extremely more complex.

my .02

[leitung]

Thanks for the replies..

[forgiven]

I vote for one sheriff, a couple of deputies and a armed populace.