This is a diary that describes my training and experience as a security guard in the early 90s, working for a national security company. I was a "Rover", which meant I saw nearly every task done by Security even though I only spent about a year on the job. This was also my only true experience with poverty in my life, so I'll contrast a bit the life of a security guard with that of Lightbulb's "Confessions of a Retail Worker" series.
The attributes of a good Neighborhood Watch member are similar to that of a security guard, although the incentives and goals vary a little. As I have no personal experience in Neighborhood Watch, take any speculations I have about differences with a grain of salt.
I'm also going to note where the popular/Hollywood type image of a Security Guard is different from the reality, and where they get it right.
I'm sure George Zimmerman thought what he was doing was similar to what we did. He would be wrong. His 911 dispatcher had it right. Sadly he didn't listen.
For those primarily interested in the Zimmerman shooting, what he did wrong BEFORE he murdered his "suspect" was:
1. Not visible as a member of the local neighborhood watch (not even a T-shirt for uniform, didn't announce himself, nothing)
2. Carried his firearm concealed (a gun is not a deterrent if it isn't visible, and in the role of neighborhood watch, the only reason to have a gun at all is to deter violence)
3. Confronted his "suspect" instead of waiting for the police to arrive. (if you aren't a cop, your job is to call the cops, not to be one).
All three of those actions would have gotten him fired from a security company (as would packing ANY kind of weapon if his guard contract didn't specify that he should carry. Most guards have a flashlight and a radio, and only the radio is supposed to be used in a situation like this)
More after the fold
The primary thing to understand about being a Security Guard is that you exist to lower insurance rates. By contrast, a Police Officer is there to actually intervene in crimes in progress and to solve crimes after the fact. This is why security guards make a pittance over minimum wage and get about 1 day of training plus some pamphlets, and police officers make a middle-class income, have unions, medical insurance, pensions and typically go through actual schooling (eg Police Acadamy). They certainly have to pass some kind of testing (a guard on my shift failed a police test while I was working there)
Here are the things a guard does that lowers insurance rates:
1. Visible presence on the property. This is the reason for the badge and the uniform. Vandalism and theft (either break-ins or by employees) is far less likely with a visible guard in the minds of the would-be perpetrator. This, by the way, is the primary function of a Neighborhood Watch. This is why most of them have some kind of uniform (usually a T-shirt, or armband/beret/etc). The idea is to deter crime by being present.
2. Spot hazards to people. A wet patch where someone might slip, a rug that is torn, a piece of equipment left in a bad place - guards spot this stuff on their rounds and make incident reports - and the reports cause the problem to be fixed before somebody gets hurt. Noting who is in the building after hours is part of this (so you know who has to be evacuated if an emergency happens)
3. Spot hazards to property. Soldering irons left on in a lab, an incandescent bulb left on near a bunch of dry paperwork, frayed insulation on an electric cable, a zillion pieces of equipment daisy-chained by power strips all into one outlet. Also toilets flooding, plumbing failures, leaks, doors propped open by employers etc etc. Turning off the lights when nobody is around is a minor part of this, but isn't enough to cause paperwork.
When you walk the same property shift after shift, the slightest thing out of place leaps to your attention. This is something Hollywood sometimes gets right. A door ajar, a light on in the wrong place, even a desk with stuff rearranged on it from the last time they patrolled...when they KNOW that employee isn't in the building. Humans are awesome at pattern matching in this way.
Now because you're being paid to be present, security guards get a bunch of secondary tasks on their job. If they hold a post, they're also get at least minimal training as a receptionist. If they are the Rover, they have keys to everything and can do door-unlocks for employees or cleaning staff that need them. If you patrol parking lots you might ticket illegal parking (not like a traffic cop - usually a warning and repeat offenses cause an employee's management to get notified). Finally if something is stolen or there is some kind of mystery, you'll may spend some boring hours looking at video footage in whatever the time window is. (if a serious crime is suspected, instead you'll turn it over to a real police officer)
Now here's the core of the job. "Observe and REPORT". If you see something bad, you call it in and fill out an "incident report". If it is something that needs a firefighter or paramedic, a police officer or a plumber, the dispatcher will do the job of arranging that (and response time is VERY fast, unlike with a private citizen. At least with our agency, the police, fire etc knew we didn't call unless it was real)
What the guard is supposed to do, is call the dispatcher, then record his own observations on his clipboard. He is NOT supposed to intervene (although a medical emergency you are allowed to try to help after you've called it in). Hollywood gets this totally wrong - even armed security guards aren't supposed to ever draw their guns and blaze away. The gun is just a more powerful "uniform" to deter bad behavior. The training I got (which was just an intro, real gun training was much more involved) actually explicitly said you're not really supposed to use it or really even draw it (and if a mob is approaching, to unload it so it doesn't get used against you).
1. A guard hurting someone else while working for the security company might cause all kinds of liability for the security company or the place being guarded. This will not lower insurance rates for the customer, nor will it improve the profits of the security company.
2. A guard getting hurt while working for the security company also risks medical and liability costs, again not improving profits or lowering insurance rates
3. A guard's real "weapon" is the radio. You, your security company and your company's customer can never get in trouble by having you call the dispatcher, and having them call the proper authority. (this by the way is what Zimmerman did wrong. He was ok right up to the point where he confronted his "suspect". The 911 operator "we don't need you to do that" was trying to talk him out of that bad behavior. What happened next is the nightmare scenario #1 if he'd been in a security guard uniform)
So if your goal is spotting hazards/dangers and reporting them, plus being visible, you get some other proper behaviors.
1. Vary your time and your route on patrol. Even if you normally sit at a desk most of your shift, part of your job will be to patrol your building when the Rover shows up to give you a bathroom break. The Rover's job is to vary the timing of his patrols. The route of the patrol should be different too. This prevents anyone from just avoiding you by timing the patrols or observation. The guard stumbling across the protagonist in movies is quite realistic. If instead the protagonist somehow times the patrol, it's only plausible if the guard has gotten sloppy. (it happens, you get reprimanded if caught, repeated offenses get you fired, at least in my outfit. Patrols are logged, and most places have electronic badge keys and cameras so if the Sgt is paying attention he can spot repeat offenders)
2. Be visible. Walk in the light where you can be seen. Don't cover up your uniform (there is usually some kind of bad weather/cold weather gear that is part of the uniform, but you have to layer with long underwear, have umbrella etc in really bad weather usually). If you do confront somebody for any reason, make it clear that you are a security guard. (Again, something Zimmerman didn't do, and given that he is a "Neighborhood watch" whose primary job is being visible, this is inexcusable)
3. Be polite. Even rovers are trained to be receptionists because they'll hold posts. Anything a receptionist has to do, is part of the job. Polite also reduces chances of real conflict that cause liability etc. Polite means you live to call in the incident and report if you encounter an actual bad guy. Polite but firm almost always works for preventing, for example, an unauthorized person from leaving the lobby. If they ignore you and go in anyway...you reach for the phone or radio and call for help. You do NOT try to interpose or chase.
How to be fired as a guard, first offense.
1. Not showing up on time. The contract says all posts have to be covered for the stipulated times, plus all rover positions etc have to be filled. If you don't show, somebody else has to stay late. Unlike Lightbulb's nightmare retail world scheduling, guard schedules are posted in advance and don't change except for emergencies. If you can't show because of a real emergency, you have to contact home base immediately to get your shift covered.
2. Abandoning your post. In a movie, you might see guard leave his post to investigate something. That never EVER happens in real life. The guard would call for a Rover or a Sergeant. If you are on post, you can't leave for any reason. The Rover shows up often enough for bathroom breaks. Anything else, you call it in and wait for relief before leaving.
3. Wearing a guard uniform and committing any kind of crime OR doing activities while in uniform that expose the Security company or its customer to liability is one of the few ways of being instantly fired.
4. Falling asleep on the job. See #2 - you have to be awake to be considered "on post".
Finally, a thought on who your guards are and what their lives are like.
These are slightly above minimum wage employees. If they have a gun, they're paid a couple dollars more. If they're long term, they make a couple dollars more and usually have some kind of rank (Sergeant) or are well known to the employees/workers at their post. The job isn't the kind that can be done by undocumented workers, and it requires proficiency with English (other languages are a plus), both for interaction with people and for writing all the logs and incident reports. The job makes money for the company the more guards are on the job, so it isn't as susceptible to squeezing the worker by cutting hours as, say, retail.
These factors mean that as minimum wage jobs go, this one isn't too bad. If you are healthy, you'll get good exercise on a rover job, walking ~6 hours/shift but will only be outdoors between buildings or making a circuit around one. If you are semi-disabled, you can still work a post, as long as you get around enough to patrol your building. If you aren't a rover, your job is indoors, in nice buildings (bad buildings can't afford guards, usually) and as if not working day shift, you have a lot of free time to read, do homework, whatever...nearly anything is allowed as long as you don't fall asleep or fail to notice somebody entering your lobby. Part time work can be had that isn't career death. If you are full time, you get some benefits and overtime is scrupulously paid (because the post logging is so damn good). There is even a bit of job satisfaction from time to time every time you find and correct a safety hazard, or are the reason an employee got medical help quickly.
You have to have no criminal record. There will be a dress code with respect to grooming (I had to cut my hair and pay for cleaning expenses on my uniform. I imagine piercings/tattoos might be an issue if they're visible in uniform). You have to be punctual which usually means a reliable car. The best shifts and posts go to longer serving people - new guards get the crappy shifts. As with any endeavor involving people, there can be politics and little petty tyrant behaviors, but on the whole, I suspect a security agency that had really dysfunctional treatment of its guards wouldn't stay in business very long. You need your guards engaged on the job, not to be angry and passively-resisting the company or its customer.
I actually liked being a guard OK, except that it paid so little and as a 20-something that had an engineering degree from a prestigious college, I really wanted to start my career. The funny hours did help with job hunting, and would obviously be helpful to someone trying to further their education or covering child care with their spouse who worked a day job. If I needed a job in retirement and the low pay would be enough, I'd be willing to do it again.