Movie/TV portrayal of private security

[wvd1979]

I just wanted to blow off some steam about a trend that irks me a lot. Does it bother anybody else that on television and in the movies, security guards are basically portrayed as clowns and morons? I cannot think of any movie or show where a security guard was portrayed in a positive light.

There are three categories of security guards in the entertainment world. There is the feeble old man who sleeps while the building gets robbed. There is the young squirrel who is so obsessed with his power that he is comical. And there is the big fat slob with a flashlight in one hand and a cheeseburger in the other.

I think that no other profession has been this degraded by the entertainment industry. Even though it is fiction, it still seems insulting at times. Any thoughts?

[N. A. Corbier]

Take a look at how cops were protrayed in the 1920s to 1940s. Before police unions started demanding the training levels you see today.

[wvd1979]

Yeah, the Keystone Cops theme. The cops were always hilarious on The Three Stooges.

[1stWatch]

What's scarier is if you look around at the folks from warm body security companies, you see the insulting stereotypes come to life.

[Tennsix]

Take a look at how cops were protrayed in the 1920s to 1940s. Before police unions started demanding the training levels you see today.

I think TV and movies generally show uniform personnel (police and security) as ignorant buffoons. In TV/movies, uniforms ALWAYS answer to a plain-clothes officer. The plainclothes officer ALWAYS knows more about everything. The question I have is? ?If all uniforms are idiots how were they appointed/promoted to an investigative position? ?

[Mr. Security]

This thread made me think of a sitcom that I saw recently called "Yes Dear." It was based on a father who wanted to take his son to work for a "shadow program," but was embarrassed because he is a s/o. One scene shows an employee driving up to the gate at work. The s/o says: "Good Morning." The employee said: "Open the gate you moron!" The s/o opens the gate and tries to say: "You have a good one" as the employee floors it.

I felt like quitting after I saw that because that's the way we get treated so many times.

[Mr. Security]

I think TV and movies generally show uniform personnel (police and security) as ignorant buffoons. In TV/movies, uniforms ALWAYS answer to a plain-clothes officer. The plainclothes officer ALWAYS knows more about everything. The question I have is? ?If all uniforms are idiots how were they appointed/promoted to an investigative position? ?

You're right. I see that on Law and Order. The detectives just bark orders at the uniform officers. In real life, I'd rather deal with some uniform officers because they can be tenacious about investigating crimes that the investigators don't want to be bothered with.

[Guest]

I do not find it to be insulting. Some movies actually portray security as elite such as Oceans Eleven and some others too. Some movies make fun of cops. To me its just water off a duck's back.

The scary thing is that some of those movies don't seem like comedies, but documentaries as they mirror real life. I have seen the old man who sleeps and the bumbling wannabe. My advice to other SOs is to stay clear of these companies and the people they hire.

Employers who: Set criteria for employments(college ed, or currently in college), First Aid/CPR cerification, background/psych, who prefer previous martial arts experience, and pay far above the minimum wage...tend to be the better outfits.

Warm Body: Companies who hire dont care, usually pay minimum wage or just above. Stay away.

[Lawson]

Watch National Security with Martin Lawerence... I think that most accurately portrays security.

[Charger]

Can't remember off the top of my head what the name of the movie was, but I remember seeing one recently where 3 young guys went into a really ritzy neighborhood (private gated community) and stole an SUV out of a garage... within a couple minutes there were multiple SECURITY patrol vehicles chasing them with lights/sirens & the whole bit... I was actually amazed that they portrayed them as being such a high-quality outfit..... Anyone else see that one who can remind me of the name?

[wisconsinite]

Movie/TV portrayal of private security

If I had a quarter for everytime Iv'e been called a Rent-a-Cop, wannabe, etc, etc, I'd be a rich man. I let it go in one ear and out the other. I don't get too pissed off about it. But, let's see at sometime in the future if those very same people get their wallet stolen or their car broken into....what will my response time be....what comes around goes around. LOL

[ACP01]

This thread made me think of a sitcom that I saw recently called "Yes Dear." It was based on a father who wanted to take his son to work for a "shadow program," but was embarrassed because he is a s/o. One scene shows an employee driving up to the gate at work. The s/o says: "Good Morning." The employee said: "Open the gate you moron!" The s/o opens the gate and tries to say: "You have a good one" as the employee floors it.

I felt like quitting after I saw that because that's the way we get treated so many times.

If someone did that to me I would double check about policy then if applicable the next time "Speedy" got to the gate his car would get a VERY thorough search both entering and leaving.
Can't be too careful in todays terrorist and corparate espionage climate.

[OccamsRazor]

Can't remember off the top of my head what the name of the movie was, but I remember seeing one recently where 3 young guys went into a really ritzy neighborhood (private gated community) and stole an SUV out of a garage... within a couple minutes there were multiple SECURITY patrol vehicles chasing them with lights/sirens & the whole bit... I was actually amazed that they portrayed them as being such a high-quality outfit..... Anyone else see that one who can remind me of the name?

That was in Gone in 60 Seconds....And they topped it off by firing shots with their revolvers at a speeding vehicle that wasn't being aimed at them...Deadly force to protect property doesn't equal high quality to me. But then again, it WAS a Nicholas Cage movie, so you take what you get.

BTW, I think it was supposed to portray something like the Bel-Air Patrol?

[OccamsRazor]

If someone did that to me I would double check about policy then if applicable the next time "Speedy" got to the gate his car would get a VERY thorough search both entering and leaving.
Can't be too careful in todays terrorist and corparate espionage climate.

I saw that episode too. I just wouldn't have opened the gate. No ID, no pass, no entry.

[Tennsix]

You're right. I see that on Law and Order. The detectives just bark orders at the uniform officers. In real life, I'd rather deal with some uniform officers because they can be tenacious about investigating crimes that the investigators don't want to be bothered with.

...and a lot of uniform officers used to be investigators. They went back to uniform for any number or reasons (promotion, burn out, reassignment, etc) SOme of the best investigators I know are not detectives. One high profile example is the Beltway sniper and Chief Charles Moose. IN that case, the media could not understand why the local PD did not yeild to the Feds (another TV/movie misconception). The Feds even said he was the best.