Who's in charge anyway??

[Chucky]

In the last 2 companies I have worked for the company that hires us has appointed some of their people to micro manage us. The first one was managed by one of our guys that went from contract security to join the company in the safety dept. That job was unarmed and pretty safe. The guy from the company did everything by clock work. If anyone wanted to B+E into one of the buildings then all he had to do was watch us for a couple days and know the routine.

At my present job I work for a 30 something females dept. Then there is another 40 something female that over sees the whole operation. These 2 will not let the other get or give an inch over the other. Due to Federal implications it is determined that I will post as requested by the younger one. She feels that any where within 20 feet of the dept door is what makes her boat float.

I am not at all comfortable with this as if any one wanted to get in then they know where I will be at all times. It is my feeling that I should be allowed to roam around the immediate area. As it stands all someone has to do is come out of a blind spot and turn me into Sponge Bob before I can react. I expressed my concerns with their 26 year district loss supervisor and all he could do was give me a 500 word vocal essay and a pat on the back for doing a good job WTF!!!
Nothing changed!!

Now to the point (Bout time hey) We are supposed to be the security experts and the folks that hire us should tell us what they want guarded and let us use our skills as we know how. And do it in the safest and most effective way. What the hell do these cat fighting little yuppies know about security?? And at my expense. Any thoughts?

[Mr. Security]

I feel for you.

Welcome to contract security, a job where you have lots of chiefs and no Indians, except for the guard. Chief List:

- Site Supervisor
- Asst. Site Supervisor
- Account Manager
- Client's Safety Officer
- Anyone else who thinks they should be the boss too.

[HotelSecurity]

Exactly why I like In-House over contract. Many times, even years ago when I did not know everything , when I would ask Management how they wanted something done, they would tell me,"you are the professional, do it the way you want to".

[N. A. Corbier]

It sounds like you were contracted for a static guard post, at the front door. Congratulations, you are now a static target. It sounds like you're less there to protect things, and more there for deterrent value, so that everyone on the floor can see you and "know they're safe."

Since this is a federal contract, are you able to ask your counterpart in FPS about this? If FPS says "You're a static guard post," then you are one. If FPS notes that its not useful, they should be able to override the department head.

[Bill Warnock]

Chucky, if you can make subtle suggestions to whomever. Keep book on what you do and the conduct of those airhead supervisors.
I am in agreement with Nathan, you have a bullseye painted on you. With your military training, and unless the first round gets you, you can react and save yourself and perhaps other innocents.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[Chucky]

When people ask me what I do I sometimes tell them that I am a Scare Crow. Which is the way I sometimes feel. I guess as long as the checks clear I am ahead of the game.

[Chucky]

My basic beef is that we all are Security people being told how to do our jobs by client puppets that scream when they see a mouse. If I could fix my TV I wouldn't hire a TV repair man and tell him how to do it.

[N. A. Corbier]

Smiles I don't have that problem, my clients leave their security needs to me at my discretion

Marchetti also doesn't have FPS contracts, where everything is decided in Washington DC.

[ValleyOne]

In the last 2 companies I have worked for the company that hires us has appointed some of their people to micro manage us.

I think this is the root of the problem. With micro management there are way too many people running around trying to do a few things at once; keep tabs on everyone else, crakc the whip whenever they can, make themselves look good to their superiors while (most times) making their peons look bad, especially someone else's peons.

At my present job I work for a 30 something females dept. Then there is another 40 something female that over sees the whole operation. These 2 will not let the other get or give an inch over the other. Due to Federal implications it is determined that I will post as requested by the younger one. She feels that any where within 20 feet of the dept door is what makes her boat float.

Right back to the micro management issue. I feel you NEED to find a way to let her know that you KNOW how to do your job-protect them. I have a friend that is at times well brash. In a situation like this he would find something that both of the females you desribe do in thier jobs and then tell them how to do it differently. When they throw up a fuss and say, "Don't tell me how to do my job!" he would simply say; "Annoying isn't it? I will make you a deal, you don't tell me how to do mine and I won't tell you how to do yours. Deal?" I have to say as harsh as it sounds his success rate is pretty impressive.

Or you could play along with their little song and dance and when something security related goes awry simply point out that you are here for THEIR protection and not to be used as a pawn in their power struggle. For one you don't care who wins so long as both of them are safe. Then let them know, I suggest politely, that had your hands not been tied you could have prevented this (hypothetical) situation from happening if you had been allowed more lattitude in the performance of your duties.

I am not at all comfortable with this as if any one wanted to get in then they know where I will be at all times. It is my feeling that I should be allowed to roam around the immediate area. As it stands all someone has to do is come out of a blind spot and turn me into Sponge Bob before I can react. I expressed my concerns with their 26 year district loss supervisor and all he could do was give me a 500 word vocal essay and a pat on the back for doing a good job WTF!!!
Nothing changed!!

I am afraid nothing will as long the two Sheena's are squaring off in the power struggle. Sounds like the Dist. Loss Super. was being as political as he could be and not even come anywhere near it. (side stepping)

Now to the point (Bout time hey) We are supposed to be the security experts and the folks that hire us should tell us what they want guarded and let us use our skills as we know how. And do it in the safest and most effective way. What the hell do these cat fighting little yuppies know about security?? And at my expense. Any thoughts?

It sounds to me like others know of your post more than I, perhaps a PM will cure that and I could think of more (perhaps better) advise? I gather your at some type of standing access control point. Watching an interior door perhaps?

[LPGuy]

I did uniformed contract security for a brief while in the past. I had a similiar situation occur. I worked the graveyard shift alone at an extremely large, three floor office building owned by a large insurance corporation. For the most part, I did patrols and monitored the CCTV.

The company decided that the graveyard officer should open every single blind in the entire building so that they were open when the employees arrived. It was an almost two-hour process to do so.

I very politely e-mailed the in-house loss prevention department and explained how those two hours of opening blinds caused a gap in security. I was unavailable to patrol the grounds, watch CCTV, answer the phone, etc. I suggested that perhaps the housekeeping staff could open the blinds, or even (*gasp*) the employees could open their own blinds when they arrived at their desks in the mornings.

The LP team wrote me back and said "Yes, we're aware of that. Keep opening the blinds." They forwarded my e-mail to the building manager. He grew extremely upset and wrote an e-mail back to me basically saying, "How dare you, a contract guard that WE hired, tell us how you should be doing your job? WE hired you and WE will tell you what you're going to do." He then called the account manager and I was removed from the site.

I left his blinds closed that morning, left the company, and now am employed by the state in a very professional security position. I'll never go back... lol.

[Chucky]

LPGUY You have hit it on the head. The guy before me was replaced by the younger supervisor. She called my boss and told him that she wanted him replaced as he was becoming to familiar. Without further explanation. From what I hear he was a very well liked guy that did the post for about 3 years. And yes you were right on about the job description. The LP person is a don't rock the boat kind of guy and has an eye on the prize. (Retirement)
My boss is well aware of the situation and is a do what ever to keep the contract kind of guy.

I started this thread only because I think most of us can relate to the problem. I make good money and would watch a monkey pick lice out of his friends fur all day if they wanted. Just don't tell me how to do it!

[HotelSecurity]

I did uniformed contract security for a brief while in the past. I had a similiar situation occur. I worked the graveyard shift alone at an extremely large, three floor office building owned by a large insurance corporation. For the most part, I did patrols and monitored the CCTV.

The company decided that the graveyard officer should open every single blind in the entire building so that they were open when the employees arrived. It was an almost two-hour process to do so.

I very politely e-mailed the in-house loss prevention department and explained how those two hours of opening blinds caused a gap in security. I was unavailable to patrol the grounds, watch CCTV, answer the phone, etc. I suggested that perhaps the housekeeping staff could open the blinds, or even (*gasp*) the employees could open their own blinds when they arrived at their desks in the mornings.

The LP team wrote me back and said "Yes, we're aware of that. Keep opening the blinds." They forwarded my e-mail to the building manager. He grew extremely upset and wrote an e-mail back to me basically saying, "How dare you, a contract guard that WE hired, tell us how you should be doing your job? WE hired you and WE will tell you what you're going to do." He then called the account manager and I was removed from the site.

I left his blinds closed that morning, left the company, and now am employed by the state in a very professional security position. I'll never go back... lol.

You were lucky that you could leave & find another job. Some of us are stuck. With 25 years senority at my hotel & with more & more hotel cutting daytime & afternoon security shifts, I can't just up & leave. With us it is not just something like opening blinds. Over the years overnight hotel staff has been cut (Bellboys, Doormen, Housemen). Guess who has to pick up the slack? Then with every hotel chain trying to provide more service than the other there are the added duties of picking up the breakfast cards hanging on the doorknobs, delivering newspapers door to door, delivering the express check-out folios even as bad as taking guests to & from the airport in the shuttle bus. The picking up the breakfast cards & delivering the folios can actually be usefull in that the force the officer to move around the hotel, The other things take away from our security functions.

[LPGuy]

You were lucky that you could leave & find another job. Some of us are stuck. With 25 years senority at my hotel & with more & more hotel cutting daytime & afternoon security shifts, I can't just up & leave. With us it is not just something like opening blinds. Over the years overnight hotel staff has been cut (Bellboys, Doormen, Housemen). Guess who has to pick up the slack? Then with every hotel chain trying to provide more service than the other there are the added duties of picking up the breakfast cards hanging on the doorknobs, delivering newspapers door to door, delivering the express check-out folios even as bad as taking guests to & from the airport in the shuttle bus. The picking up the breakfast cards & delivering the folios can actually be usefull in that the force the officer to move around the hotel, The other things take away from our security functions.

I eventually learned that such is life when you work security for a business. The sales or business personnel expect you to "help the business" by doing menial tasks such as these... Unless, of course, you work for a business that is involved in highly sensitive or classified work, such as Boeing Security. I would guess Boeing has enough common sense to have their security officers do security work, not taking out the trash and mopping floors.

I now work for the state in a uniformed security position, and they make it extremely clear that I'm not required to do any work that other employees are responsible for. Unless I'm in a generous mood, they're perfectly fine with me telling the non-security people, "Sorry, that's not my job."

[OccamsRazor]

I now work for the state in a uniformed security position, and they make it extremely clear that I'm not required to do any work that other employees are responsible for. Unless I'm in a generous mood, they're perfectly fine with me telling the non-security people, "Sorry, that's not my job."

Check your PM.

[FireEMSPolice]

Exactly why I like In-House over contract. Many times, even years ago when I did not know everything , when I would ask Management how they wanted something done, they would tell me,"you are the professional, do it the way you want to".

Lucky you! I am in-house and the company appoints people to oversee us, including the Security Manager (where I feel decisions should end), who have no business doing security anything or have no clue about security. At present, everything is our fault.

Blub is out = Security's fault for not seeing it & reporting to maintenance
Tear in a cushion = Security's fault for not seeing it & reporting to maintenance

The people who oversee us feel maintenance can do no wrong. We try our hardest to bounce it back off of maintenance. Thats why people who know what they are doing security wise should be in charge of security.