Being a security guard is so much more than just having a job. Merely implying that security guards are necessary is a severe understatement. According to statistics supplied by the Department of Labor, there are at least 1.1 million private security guards, and security guard employment continues to increase, but security guards still outnumber police officers by a ratio of two to one. The private security industry has stepped up to fill in the gaps that law enforcement can’t, but it won’t make much of a difference unless the officers it employs embrace the core values and superior character traits that serving the public demands.
Pride
Let’s be honest. No one becomes a police officer or a security guard to get rich. Being able to buy food and clothes and pay the rent is important but seeking jobs in the public safety sector is inspired by a very different motivation. There is a satisfaction in life that can only be obtained by knowing that you made someone else’s life easier or better in some way. Believing that you kept an innocent citizen in a parking lot from being robbed and assaulted or that you protected someone’s home from being burglarized and vandalized is what you actually work for.
Selflessness
Protecting people means putting your own life at risk potentially to death. The majority of situations are not that serious, but there may be times when would-be criminals have weapons and aren’t afraid to hurt someone else or to use them to confront you. Acknowledging and accepting this risk is essential. It goes without saying that security guards receive training, but in order to function effectively, each guard must be aware of the potential to be injured and be willing to handle it.
Integrity
Integrity might mean a lot of different things to different people but having integrity as a security guard means doing your duties to the best of your ability. Remaining accountable to your employer and to the people you protect is your main goal. You will be able to do that effectively and better than anyone else when the safety, livelihood, and property of the citizens you watch out for are as important to you as it is to them.
The California Safety Agency provides trained and armed security guards who participate in vehicle and foot patrols for apartment complexes, residential and gated communities, and businesses in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. If you are interested in security guard employment and are ready to discover the challenges and rewards of this exciting work, visit our careers page to find opportunities and apply.