Many in-house guards unregulated

[davis002]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/4846393.html

"They wear uniforms, guard some of the country's largest corporations and sometimes carry weapons. But so-called in-house private security guards escape even the minor regulatory oversight some states impose on contract guards.

Thousands of these guards — also known as proprietary guards — aren't regulated at all, with no mandatory training or background checks, state officials and industry experts say.

In Florida, stores lobbied successfully to remove in-house guards from regulation. Florida licenses only armed in-house guards. Connecticut, Georgia and Michigan also exempt unarmed guards from regulation. Illinois and North Carolina require only that companies notify the state that they employ unarmed in-house guards."

[sgtnewby]

HCMC runs us through the ringer before they'll hire us and we're unarmed...

[Lawson]

I dont think Washington State regulates proprietary guards at all. As a proprietary guard I have done no background checks or anything. I dont even think the State Regulates Armed proprietary guards.

[Andy Taylor]

Here in California, armed in-house guards must meet the same requirments as armed contract guards. Unarmed in-house guards must still pass the backgtround check, but not the mandatory training that is required of unarmed contract guards.

[Eric]

In House staff should meet the same checks as other company employees.
I would think that resumes would be verified as well, something that Contract Staff may not be going through for a client.

[acrand]

I dont think Washington State regulates proprietary guards at all. As a proprietary guard I have done no background checks or anything. I dont even think the State Regulates Armed proprietary guards.

Correct. Washington State does not regulate in-house security at all.

[LPGuy]

Correct. Washington State does not regulate in-house security at all.

I've worked in-house for two employers now, and fortunately they both have done good background checks. The first (loss prevention) had a company background investigator who ran backgrounds on all new hires, and the second (public school district) obviously fingerprinted me as well.

[N. A. Corbier]

In House staff should meet the same checks as other company employees.
I would think that resumes would be verified as well, something that Contract Staff may not be going through for a client.

Most security regulation isn't about verifying resumes. Its about two things:

1. We will prevent you (the contract employer) from hiring felons, because we know you will if you can.

2. We will prevent you (the contract employer) from violating "the trust of the people of the state of ____________), by providing substandard services, because we know that you will.

[LPGuy]

But so-called in-house private security guards escape even the minor regulatory oversight some states impose on contract guards.

I'd guess that the real reason that there is little or no state regulation for in-house security is because many companies, when hiring people to work for the company itself, are going to do their own background investigations and training because they want to hire someone they trust. However, if you're using a contract company, it's good to know that the state has regulated the contract services to make sure that the contract company doesn't try to cut costs by not conducting background checks.

Thousands of these guards — also known as proprietary guards — aren't regulated at all, with no mandatory training or background checks, state officials and industry experts say.

I'm not sure of the exact statistics on this, but I'd guess this quote is misleading--thousands of guards probably aren't regulated by the state, with no state training or state background checks, but I'm sure that their own companies do all of the above. I'm confident that if Wal-Mart finds it prudent to conduct background checks on their door greeters, then most companies are probably also doing background checks on their security officers, who hold so much more responsibility.

[GCMC Security]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/4846393.html

Michigan also exempt unarmed guards from regulation

Michigan doesn't regulate any Security except for the Act 330 officers. Anyone can carry a gun there. I remember having a kid show up at an account I worked FTO at. He had turned 21 a week before, bought a pistol and begged for an armed account. I sent him home within an hour. Kid disgusted me, asking me stupid crap, pulling his weapon out, acting like a complete dee-da-dee.

[CorpSec]

HCMC runs us through the ringer before they'll hire us and we're unarmed...

HCMC is a pretty good operation from what I can tell. I bet you guys stay very, very busy with some pretty major calls. For people outside of the twin cities, HCMC is the county general hospital in Minneapolis. It is huge with buildings everywhere. They get the worst of the worst and lots of them.

They are the only security gig that I know around here that has their officers in the local corrections public employees retirement association. They do run their officers through the ringer before hiring them.

They pay isn't bad, but from what I understand, could be a heck of a lot better.

Do they allow tasers yet?

[sgtnewby]

HCMC is a pretty good operation from what I can tell. I bet you guys stay very, very busy with some pretty major calls. For people outside of the twin cities, HCMC is the county general hospital in Minneapolis. It is huge with buildings everywhere. They get the worst of the worst and lots of them.

They are the only security gig that I know around here that has their officers in the local corrections public employees retirement association. They do run their officers through the ringer before hiring them.

They pay isn't bad, but from what I understand, could be a heck of a lot better.

Do they allow tasers yet?

Officers top out at about $22.10 per hour, with cost of living increases ongoing. With an extra $1 per hour for overnights, $0.90 per hour weekends, and $0.90 per hour for trainers/F.T.O.'s while training. With the night differential I'm at $21.32, on weekends $22.22, training on a weekend $23.12, and training at night, on a weekend, on overtime $33.28. I can't complain!

Correctional P.E.R.A.

Health and dental insurance.

5 years or less recieve 4 hours of vacation time and 4 hours of sick time every 12 days. Every 5 years that you're here, that goes up a little. Holidays that you work, you automaticly get 8 hours of "differred holiday" pay, which is basicly vacation time, plus time and a half.

Innitial issue is 3 pairs of pants, 6 shirts (any combo)
trouser belt and duty belt with all equipment (ASP/holder any length, 4 oz. OC/holder, 1 set of cuffs and any case (can carry more sets), radio holder, any flashlight/holder, 2 silent key holders, belt keepers, jacket, 2 badges, "GatorHawk" balistic vest, shoulder mic for 800 Mghz radio (we are county after all) and $90.00 toward boots. The first January that you work, you start getting annual uniform allowance of $425.00.

We are currently working on Tasers, "securing the funding" as I have been told by the higher ups, but I guess they have been authorized, I just don't know when we'll start with the cetification. They have already sent 2 supervisors for their instructor cert., so it's just a matter of getting the moola supposedly... Not too sure.

We are also working on K-9, which administration has authorized for a hospital k-9 team from Michigan to drive down here, put them up in a hotel for a week, and activly work the dog with me for the week to guage peoples perceptions and reactions, and also for demonstrations so they have a better understanding of how dogs are used in hospitals. Not too sure when this will happen either.

They also, have a lobbiest working on legislation to convert us into a lisenced PD, not sure if that will fly, but very benneficial if it does go through, takes a few years to accomplish I guess.

We stay pretty busy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[CorpSec]

In my opinion, the money should be better, although that isn't bad at all! I have officers making more than that top rate after only 5 years on the job, and the job isn't anywhere near as involved or demanding.

What is Supervisor pay like there? I remember seeing an ad for the government center and it was something like $47k I think.

[sgtnewby]

In my opinion, the money should be better, although that isn't bad at all! I have officers making more than that top rate after only 5 years on the job, and the job isn't anywhere near as involved or demanding.

What is Supervisor pay like there? I remember seeing an ad for the government center and it was something like $47k I think.

The Government Center is completely sepparate from us, I cleared 45K last year with not much overtime. Our supervisors, I think, are at about $27 to $29 per hour (broken down, they're salaried). Who do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?

[CorpSec]

That isn't bad for supervisors assuming that they don't have to do too much OT. The supervisor pay here is the same, but I remain OT eligible, so at an OT rate of over $40 an hour, I can really do quite well. I am the training supervisor so OT is usually pretty plentiful

With profit sharing I was able to clear $70,000 last year and still have time to work a little BS part time gig and pad the coffers even more.

It is nice that some security gigs actually pay a living wage. Of course, like you, I paid my dues to get where I am at today. My Company doesn't hire just anyone and we get a ton of applicants for every position. We run them through an almost police job like background, including a day long psychological/ skils assessment that only about 50% of officers pass. And they don't get to that stage until after at least 3 interviews and a background.