Security Guard & Security Officer - The Difference

[aka Bull]

What is the difference between a security guard and a security officer?

[Mr. Security]

Each state’s general statutes determine the titles. I always preferred security guard for people like myself who primarily observe and report.

Incidentally, I started a similar thread sometime ago. You may want to read over the many posts contained therein.

[SgtUSMC8541]

Just my .02 but......

Security Guard = Warm Body (A 911 caller with legs and eyes)

Security Officer = Trained professional

[Mr. Security]

Just my .02 but......

Security Guard = Warm Body (A 911 caller with legs and eyes)

Security Officer = Trained professional

That's known as an Attendant.

[Lawson]

I got a little ass-chewing from my boss not too long ago for calling myself a security guard. Even though last time I checked my Washington State Unarmed Security Guard Licsense still says GUARD.

[EMTGuard]

My state license says "Security Officer" so that's what I use.

[N. A. Corbier]

That's known as an Attendant.

Nope, an Attendant is usually person who has no legal duty to protect property. A security guard does.

[jeff194307]

From what I know, there are many security guards and few security officers. And fewer night watchmen. I don't get the attendent thing, I thought that they parked cars and such. Seriously, to be a good security officer you need to know a few things like the difference between infraction, misdemeanor and felony. Also you must be able to understand what probabale cause is and when you are allowed to detain and/or arrest, along with a myrid of other legal knowledge. Now. I ask how many security personnel know these things?

[N. A. Corbier]

From what I know, there are many security guards and few security officers. And fewer night watchmen. I don't get the attendent thing, I thought that they parked cars and such. Seriously, to be a good security officer you need to know a few things like the difference between infraction, misdemeanor and felony. Also you must be able to understand what probabale cause is and when you are allowed to detain and/or arrest, along with a myrid of other legal knowledge. Now. I ask how many security personnel know these things?

Their employers would really like it if they didn't.

[N. A. Corbier]

Lets blur the line a little more....

http://flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&BillNum=0190

After taking a minimum of 218 hours (They're still deciding how many) of training at your own expense, or the expense of your agency... You may become a Certified Seaport Security Officer. You will have the authority to enforce all traffic laws of the State of Florida with the same authority as a campus/airport police officer. This means LEO DUI arrests. You will have trespass authority - the ability to arrest on sight any trespasser and remand them to a LEO.

And no, you're not a cop.

[HotelSecurity]

Even more blurry. The Security Agents in Montreal's Metro enforce a city by-law which basically is a mini criminal code. So you don't get charged criminally but you have to pay a fine for breaking a by-law. The Quebec penal code allows 'people who are hired to enforce a law' (including by-laws) to arrest for obstruction. So these guys have a little more power than I do. If you refuse to id yourself to them so that they can issue you a ticket,they can arrest you for obstruction.

These guys really don't want to be known as Security. Offically they're Transit Inspectors but they have adopted a bilingual word instead of Security. They call themselves SURVEILLANCE Agents.

[sgtnewby]

Guard or Officer, Neither!

I work security for a county hospital. The county has designated us "Medical Center Protection Officer." It's still "Officer" I guess, but it sounds like a garbage man calling himself a "Sanitation Technical Specialist."

[HouseEnforcer]

I know certain people would consider anyone who calls themselves a Security Officer is a wanna be cop.

[ycaso77]

Lets blur the line a little more....

http://flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&BillNum=0190

After taking a minimum of 218 hours (They're still deciding how many) of training at your own expense, or the expense of your agency... You may become a Certified Seaport Security Officer. You will have the authority to enforce all traffic laws of the State of Florida with the same authority as a campus/airport police officer. This means LEO DUI arrests. You will have trespass authority - the ability to arrest on sight any trespasser and remand them to a LEO.

And no, you're not a cop.

These limited-authority positions basically allow the agencies to skip the expense of a full fledged LEO. Do they have the authority to arrest for criminal acts conducted in thier area of operation?

[N. A. Corbier]

These limited-authority positions basically allow the agencies to skip the expense of a full fledged LEO. Do they have the authority to arrest for criminal acts conducted in thier area of operation?

After reading the statute, (4) allows them to create a "seaport law enforcement agency" seperate from any other agency. Think Port Authority Police. The seaport security officers may then be part of the, for giggles, "Port of Tampa Police Department." (5) is where it gets really weird. A "sworn state-certified seaport security officer" has the same arrest authority as a seaport police officer for traffic laws. I think this was so that a security officer could issue citations, but that also means they can make arrests for traffic code like DUI, etc.

The problem is that a "sworn state-certified" ... "security officer" is illegal under FSS 493, which specifically states a security officer has no official authority. How will these "sworn..." "security officers" arrest for infractions when FSS 493 prohibits activities which convey official authority, or the use of blue light.

Either they screwed up and meant "police officer," which is kinda strange since it survived 4 rewrites in the senate, the house, and Jeb Bush... Or Florida just decided to duplicate DOACS under FDLE for seaports, create huge licensing requirements, and a quazi-police agency in the name of keeping costs down.