"Guard" Vs. "Officer"

[jtwestern]

Just do the job you are paid to do. It doesn't matter.

[TOII]

Just do the job you are paid to do. It doesn't matter.

Actually it does matter, tho yes we should do our jobs.

[Trunk Monkey]

I have learned that getting upset does no good so I don't bother anymore.

A few years back I was working on a site where the police would come detonate unexploded ordenance or suspected bombs. One night the bomb squad showed up we let them on site and they went to the detonation range but forgot to get a gate card to get out to the detonation area. So, I called police dispatch , explained the situtation and told the dispatcher that I'd have one of my officers meet the bomb squad at the gate to give them the gate card.

She immediately replied you mean you'll have one of your GUARDS meet my OFFICER right?

That's about the time I gave up

[Pop pop]

You boys can fight it out, this much is true, it's about the trooper to you're left and the trooper to you're right.

The rest is Mickey Mouse, give yourself's more credit and don't worry about the debate, worry about you're team..

That's that.


Pops..

[Pop pop]

*Kill Shot*

[Corpsec1]

I used to care a lot. When I was young and making peanuts. Now, I don't care at all. Heck, I will tell people that I will meet them at the "Guards" desk. A rose by any other name still smells as sweet they say.

I say who cares as long as the checks don't bounce? People are going to think what they think regardless.

[tacticalguy]

I have learned that getting upset does no good so I don't bother anymore.

A few years back I was working on a site where the police would come detonate unexploded ordenance or suspected bombs. One night the bomb squad showed up we let them on site and they went to the detonation range but forgot to get a gate card to get out to the detonation area. So, I called police dispatch , explained the situtation and told the dispatcher that I'd have one of my officers meet the bomb squad at the gate to give them the gate card.

She immediately replied you mean you'll have one of your GUARDS meet my OFFICER right?

That's about the time I gave up

That's the attitude that pulls the industry down and what we have to strain against.

[DCPSPDcop]

It's funny to read thru these comments and see how people get upset by this... and I do understand why and completely empathize. I find it funny, because it's the same thing I hear from fellow police officers here in DC... agencies like US Secret Service Uniformed Division, US Capitol Police and US Mint Police are routinely referred to as "guards" or "security" by the public and the media alike. And of course all these cops hate it... because they are sworn police officers and not just some "guard"... at least in their own minds... although their actual duties may indicate otherwise.

At the end of the day, the public sees them as guards because of what they see them doing... guarding something. Every citizen has watched TV and knows exactly what police officers do and those guys aren't police officers because they aren't chasing thieves, shooting murderers or jumping in rivers to rescue people from sinking cars... because that is what police officers do.

So what I am saying is that the public has a skewed view of everyone and everything. We all really shouldn't put much weight on what they call us...

[Trunk Monkey]

Apparently I am out of the norm for our industry. I work on a very remote site, I am usually the only person there and I almost never interact with the public. As such I don’t have to put up with the BS most of you put up with and after hearing some of these stories I’m glad I don’t.

[Rob1985]

As most have said, it doesn't matter what your title or uniform says. When I think of a "Guard" I think of the guy or girl in the guard shack at a warehouse or a night watchman (observe and report). Most often you see "Officer" in non-LE college campuses and hospitals. I work for a hospital and we are CPO's (Campus Public Safety Officers) and our badges say "Officer". At the end of the day I don't care what my badge or uniforms says. I know my legal powers, get paid and thankful to be employed.