(Unhappy) Hello from Georgia

[MachFront]

I think you've hit all the points squarely on the noggin.
That's good advice. Good points.

[Mr. Security]

Being fired unjustly hurts. Although it might be tempting to report this company, the best choice is to move on and cut your loses. You never know if reporting the company will come back to haunt you at your next security job. It's amazing how small the world can be when it comes to who knows whom.

When you "land" your next security position, don't be surprised to find similar wrongs being committed by your superiors. Don't let it affect you and avoid revealing your feelings regardless of how "free" someone tells you to be with your opinions or observations. Go to work, do your job and that's it. If someone tries to get you involved in "office politics" remain neutral and nonjudgmental.

[N. A. Corbier]

I would too.

[lastfirstborn]

I'm part of this same company Machfront was fired from. It really is fairly shady. Most of the companies in Ga seem to be, which I hate. Actually, it's a whole other problem of mine personally, to be the only good officer left on the site now. I need to get out now, and I'm actively searching, but until then I'll do what they pay me for without a word in the negative.

But that's not why I came to this thread. I just wanted to back up Machfront in what he was saying, in case there were any doubts. Though there really don't seem to be. Everything he said is 100% true, and frankly, I'm suprised they didn't can me while they were at it actually. Live and learn I guess.

When I was a part of Cognisa Inc two years ago, they also didn't inform us of a private liscense for the officer either. That threw me for a loop, but again, I see that's already resolved. Interesting nontheless to know. At least they actually trained us.

Personally, Machfront, I think you should report this Agency for all it's wrongdoings. What if they hire the wrong sort for this job, and give them a baton and handcuffs without training? I wouldn't want anyone I cared about shopping in a mall like that. Even though it's currently putting food on my table, I really think the agency in question needs to be inactive until it can get it's act fully together.

[MachFront]

Alright. Let's clear up a few things.
I know a lot about a lot.
Forgive me for not being an expert on everything.

mh892: Tell me how I was supposed to know. How? I took the job and was under good faith that "surely they are doing everything the way they are supposed to right?!? It would be stupid to not. They would only be getting themselves in trouble right?"
The first thought you have when getting a job is not usually an automatic assumption that everything there is shady.
Besides, what does how long I worked at where I worked have anything to do with it?
This is supposed to be the owner's responsibility.
And we are unarmed. I've never worked in this field before. I know very little about it. Hell, I never would have thought in a million years that there would be as many web sites about security guards for god's sake, let alone a good forum.
Saying that this was dense of me is the very same as myself saying about well, really anyone at all that they are dense simply because they don't know what Act and Scene the quote in my sig is...and that the word "let" doesn't mean let. "let me" in this case means basically, 'anyone that holds me back'.
Sheesh. Didn't you all know that? What. Are you dense?
See?

Anyway.

I wish I would have known everything. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

BHR Lawson: 5 years? Who are you referring to? The company I worked for has only existed for as long as I worked there. 1 year and five months.
Or are ya talking about something else?

N.A. Corbier: Again, I don't know, but...
Surely a felon "can" become a security guard, but it's not supposed to be that way. What I mean is. I've lived here all my life and I have heard and seen a number of reports over time about what a big, bad deal it is when a security company is discovered doing something very wrong, such as hiring felons. So certainly the laws need improving, but also certainly it isn't "supposed" to be occuring.
*sigh* who knows. This is all making me so very tired in my spirit.

And I was talking about telling someone official about the fact that there isn't and never was training. It seems to me, from reading the laws, that it would be illegal if there wasn't any training.
I was wondering if anyone knew of any reason they could legally get away with not getting their officers trained.
I don't want to speak up only to find out they've gotten a loop-hole.

Damn.
Maybe I'll just move on and let the bad guys win, I guess.
Only the good guys lose, it seems. And these @^#$%@* just go on makin' money.
This. This is why people don't fight.

BTW, I hope I don't sound to confrontational towards anyone. I'm just angry and disenchanted.

[N. A. Corbier]

Hmmmmmm. Worked a year and five months in security at a mall and don't have or know if a license is needed????? Is this total density or is there some chain jerking going on here?

Georgia simply has no damn rules about security. No wonder the guy is confused, reading the stupid website confused me till I read a PDF application for a "registration of employee."

[N. A. Corbier]

If I value my licence? "My"?
Now, they indeed do have a licence. But I don't have one myself.
Do individual officers need a licence themselves in the state of GA?

I think I'm more confused now.

I had to do some digging in the actual forms, Georgia's website sucks. If you are a private investigator or an armed security guard, you are required to be "registered" with the state. The registration seems to be some kind of professional license.

It looks like they have no mechanisms to bar individual guards from working, they can only go after the companies in Georgia. So, that's... really weird.

Yet another state where anyone, including a felon, can be a security guard.

So, no, you don't have to tell anyone. The way their website is setup, it makes it look like everyone is licensed, but then you read the application and only armed guards need a "registration paper," which includes their firearms permit.

So, you're good to go if you don't want to tell the state, or if you do. They can't punish anyone but the company, it seems. Weird.

[Lawson]

I was thinking maybe it was proprietary, but after re-read a few of the posts, that seems less and less of the case. Maybe they didnt issue a license, but I cant imagine getting away with that for 5 years.

[mh892]

If I value my licence? "My"?
Now, they indeed do have a licence. But I don't have one myself.
Do individual officers need a licence themselves in the state of GA?

I think I'm more confused now.

Hmmmmmm. Worked a year and five months in security at a mall and don't have or know if a license is needed????? Is this total density or is there some chain jerking going on here?

[MachFront]

Eric,

Let me play devil's advocate here.... What made you feel you had "Great freedom"? Was it because you were not supervised every moment of your shift? You may have, indeed, been treated unfairly but try to take some positive lessons away with you and move on. We can all improve our attitudes and work ethic. At 32, you are still in the learning stage.

Oh, I know all this, but thank you.

As far as what I meant by "great freedom" was mainly that the property is so large and we 'had the run of it'. We could post where we wanted, when we wanted and do a patrol when we wanted, where we wanted. So long as both were done throughout the shift at certain intervals, we could, you could say, do pretty much "what we wanted". Not literally of course, but within the parameters of the job.

[MachFront]

You are bound, by law, to file a complaint of unregistered activity if you value your security license. (You are a party to the license violation, and possibly an unregistered guard.)

Complaint Procedure:

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/detective/complaint.htm

Verify they even have a license:
https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification/

If I value my licence? "My"?
Now, they indeed do have a licence. But I don't have one myself.
Do individual officers need a licence themselves in the state of GA?

I think I'm more confused now.

[hrdickinson]

Hello to everyone.

I finally got a job I loved. A job doing private security, in both a patrol and stationary post aspect. It had everything. Great freedom and a great (and pretty darn big) area,
-ERIC

Eric,

Let me play devil's advocate here.... What made you feel you had "Great freedom"? Was it because you were not supervised every moment of your shift? You may have, indeed, been treated unfairly but try to take some positive lessons away with you and move on. We can all improve our attitudes and work ethic. At 32, you are still in the learning stage.

[N. A. Corbier]

You are bound, by law, to file a complaint of unregistered activity if you value your security license. (You are a party to the license violation, and possibly an unregistered guard.)

Complaint Procedure:

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/detective/complaint.htm

Verify they even have a license:

https://secure.sos.state.ga.us/myverification/

[MachFront]

There's only three of us or so there at a time.
And the only two people I was completely open and honest with were two people I trust and were complaining of the same things about the same people.

Now, there were very rare occasions that I would express concern or disagreement about something to the Sgt., but never paint a picture of what I truely thought. I would really, really sugarcoat it. I mean really.
(if only I was as honest there as I am in the rest of my life, I'm sure they would have exploded from anger with me as a lot of people tend to do.....or cry.)

As far as getting my job back, that was never my intention. Even if I could, boy would that be uncomfortable. Screw that.
I was just wondering if I should be an honest person and go to someone official and let them know what this company is pulling (insofar as no actual training), or just let them stew in their own juices and leave it all alone...or what?

[HotelSecurity]

During your evaluation when they told you to be honest & express yourself, nothing would be held against you. Guess what, they lied. Unfortunately that's life. My advice. Move on. Yes you could hire a lawyer & maybe force them to take you back but if an employer wants you out (& if they are forced to take you back they really would) they will find a way.

Just a question. You seem like an honsest open person. You have written things in your post that if your Lt knew about I'm sure he would have tried his hardest to get rid of you. Is it possible you were too open with someone you trusted & that person sold you out?