I Quit

[mike booth Member Find all posts View Profile Close mike booth]

I've been doing plain clothes security for the last three years. It was pretty cush. The pay was so so, but OT was good. It was long hours, 84 hour weeks, with every other week off, also nice. Most of it was grounds patrol and control room with enough driving to break it up.

Here's the kicker, all of a sudden I can make more working uniformed, armed security now. The high end work here is approaching $15 an hour. With a little regular OT I can make more than I got at my old post. I should have left sooner!

[talon Member Find all posts View Profile Close talon]

I've been doing plain clothes security for the last three years. It was pretty cush. The pay was so so, but OT was good. It was long hours, 84 hour weeks, with every other week off, also nice. Most of it was grounds patrol and control room with enough driving to break it up.

Here's the kicker, all of a sudden I can make more working uniformed, armed security now. The high end work here is approaching $15 an hour. With a little regular OT I can make more than I got at my old post. I should have left sooner!

Good luck with your new endeavor...at the end of the day...Its All About the Benjamins.

[Eric Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eric]

Sometimes it is "greener" on the other side of the fence.
Good luck.

[HotelSecurity Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close HotelSecurity]

Sometimes it is "greener" on the other side of the fence.
Good luck.

Isn't browner better? (Inside Canadian joke!)

[N. A. Corbier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close N. A. Corbier]

I've been doing plain clothes security for the last three years. It was pretty cush. The pay was so so, but OT was good. It was long hours, 84 hour weeks, with every other week off, also nice. Most of it was grounds patrol and control room with enough driving to break it up.

Here's the kicker, all of a sudden I can make more working uniformed, armed security now. The high end work here is approaching $15 an hour. With a little regular OT I can make more than I got at my old post. I should have left sooner!

It depends on who you're working for, and where in Florida. There are still armed guys making 8 an hour in St. Pete.

[Andy Taylor Member Find all posts View Profile Close Andy Taylor]

Isn't browner better? (Inside Canadian joke!)

[security steve Member Find all posts View Profile Close security steve]

In Washington DC, you will make around $25/hr armed with plenty of opportunity for OT. Plus, the longer you stay with the company, you will receive incentive checks ($500 for 6 months, $1000 for 12, and $1500 every year after that).

At least with my company, the shifts stay the same (7a-3p, 3p-11p, 11p-7a) and the shift nobody wants (which I have no clue why) is the 7a-3p shift. I grab those in a heartbeat because I can have my nights off and eat dinner at home.

The only "bad" thing is that when the terror level rises, they run you mandatory 6 days a week so you are forced overtime even if you don't want it.

[N. A. Corbier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close N. A. Corbier]

In Washington DC, you will make around $25/hr armed with plenty of opportunity for OT. Plus, the longer you stay with the company, you will receive incentive checks ($500 for 6 months, $1000 for 12, and $1500 every year after that).

At least with my company, the shifts stay the same (7a-3p, 3p-11p, 11p-7a) and the shift nobody wants (which I have no clue why) is the 7a-3p shift. I grab those in a heartbeat because I can have my nights off and eat dinner at home.

The only "bad" thing is that when the terror level rises, they run you mandatory 6 days a week so you are forced overtime even if you don't want it.

For working in DC armed, aren't you a special law enforcement officer? This would explain the huge pay increase. Being required by statute to enforce laws, having the added liability, etc... Even if your company says, "Observe and Report," you are still a Washington DC Special Police Officer, and still have the liability of "failure to act."

[Miguel Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Miguel]

I've been doing plain clothes security for the last three years. It was pretty cush. The pay was so so, but OT was good. It was long hours, 84 hour weeks, with every other week off, also nice. Most of it was grounds patrol and control room with enough driving to break it up.

Here's the kicker, all of a sudden I can make more working uniformed, armed security now. The high end work here is approaching $15 an hour. With a little regular OT I can make more than I got at my old post. I should have left sooner!

84 hours a week?

Good luck. I hope you don´t work so much hours, that´s not good for anyone´s health.

[security steve Member Find all posts View Profile Close security steve]

For working in DC armed, aren't you a special law enforcement officer? This would explain the huge pay increase. Being required by statute to enforce laws, having the added liability, etc... Even if your company says, "Observe and Report," you are still a Washington DC Special Police Officer, and still have the liability of "failure to act."

You are correct, but only while on duty and on our job site. The city requires us to be SPO's.

[N. A. Corbier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close N. A. Corbier]

You are correct, but only while on duty and on our job site. The city requires us to be SPO's.

Yes, but you are still a law enforcement officer. While the local cops and your company try to downplay this, it still means that you're paid consumate to your title.

[Bill Warnock Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bill Warnock]

84 hours a week?

Good luck. I hope you don´t work so much hours, that´s not good for anyone´s health.

Miguel 84 hours normally means you work 12 hour shifts.
While in the Air Force that was standard fair.
As a civilian government service it can be just as bad. As a security specialist with the US Marshals Service, my partner routinely put in 90 hour weeks. We could always walk away as a civilian. The money was good and often we were only paid for 40 hours, but our leadership tried to always see we were paid for the extra hours. Back then anyone GS-12 or better did not receive overtime pay. That was the way the law was written.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[Mr. Security Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mr. Security]

Don't be a stranger.

Drop in and let us know how the new job is going when you have a moment.

[james2go30 Member Find all posts View Profile Close james2go30]

damn

It depends on who you're working for, and where in Florida. There are still armed guys making 8 an hour in St. Pete.

poor dudes in st.pete. I make 9 an hour and I ain't an armed guard...ok 9 still sucks lol...but I get OT...which ain't always great sometimes.

[mike booth Member Find all posts View Profile Close mike booth]

Thanks for all the support guys. I just did four days of training. I'm working for Westmoreland Security, a minority owned business that subcontracts under Wackenhut. I'm going to be working a Florida Tri Rail platform at the north end of the line. It's nice, open air, under a canopy, light, steady traffic, good police response and supervisor support.

A couple of weeks to settle in and I intend to get the training needed to ride the trains. There is a lot of OT. I suspect they are allocating extra resources to this project too, demonstrating they can do it right, against the day when security in Florida may get increased authority at other locations, like ports.

I still have a few days to finish up at my old post now. I'm going to miss it, but the money is better working armed security right now. They are actually having trouble finding someone to replace me. Go figure.