A while ago my wife was talking to someone who asked what I did for a living, when my wife replied that I was a Security Officer this lady exclaimed that I was just a “wannabe”. I asked my wife if she happened to ask this person what exactly it was that she thought I wanted to be. I think that most people get their ideas about what a Security Officer is from how they are portrayed in movies and TV. The problem is that Hollywood stereotyping is usually based on the exceptions and not the norm and so it is consequently very far from the truth more often than not. From what I have seen of Hollywood portrayals of Security Officers, about the only thing they typically get right is that when an incident goes down the Security Officer is usually the first one to get shot. Beyond that, most of the Security Officers that I know are far from the inept bumblers that they are often depicted as. So, just to set the record straight, I thought that I would share just exactly what this particular Security Officer wants to be; I “wannabe” the man of integrity that other people can trust to guard & protect their prized possessions. I “wannabe” the one who pays enough attention to not only keep a vigil on all he is guarding, but can also see to the safety of all those around him. I “wannabe” the guy who just by his vigilant presence decreases crime. I “wannabe” the one who makes it possible for other Law Enforcement Officers to focus their efforts elsewhere because I’m “holding down the fort”. I “wannabe” the one who is specially trained to handle a large variety of different crisis even though I spend 99% of my time doing everything I can to prevent a crisis. I “wannabe” the one who is trained in safety procedures and emergency protocols and is more than a “first responder” I’m an “already there”! I “wannabe” the one who works long hours, sometimes not only late at night but ALL night long, but somehow still maintains an alert and constant vigil even though we constantly get accused of “doing nothing”. (Most people live their lives in a self-absorbed stupor and have no idea that staying alert, focused and constantly aware of your ENTIRE surroundings for hours upon hours on end actually takes work, and sometime LOTS of coffee. LOL!) I “wannabe” the guy who is helpful, polite, courteous and even friendly until the situation calls for something else. (Many LEO’s I know act like hardcases ALL the time.) I “wannabe” the guy who is willing to put his life on the line and go the extra mile not because he is getting paid to do it, but because it is the honorable thing to do. I “wannabe” the guy who makes an honest living and provides for his family doing something he enjoys doing. Yes, even though we are often underpaid, misrepresented, misunderstood and disrespected, I am proud to put on my badge and name myself among the many men and women who serve as Professional Security Officers. After all, Professional Security was in place in this country long, long, long before state and federally funded law enforcement was ever installed. Oh, and just a couple more things; some refer to Professional Security as “rent-a-cops”. This really doesn’t bother me as much as it does some PSO’s. To me, it is just recognition of the fact that we are privately funded which says a lot about our worth. If privately funded Professional Security wasn’t important or of value, we would have died out long ago when government funded law enforcement was installed. As it is today, Professional Security is thriving even in this slow economy and is in the top ten of all growth industries in the nation. Also, I once had a friend tell me that what I wear isn’t a “real badge” and I had to school him otherwise. I told him that a $100 bill is just a piece of paper, it is what that piece of paper represents that gives it worth. Regardless of what my badge is made of or how thick the metal is, my badge represents one of the oldest and largest privately funded Professional Security Corporations in the WORLD!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 14:02:02 +0000
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