What's your job title?

[BoyInBlue]

What is the title of an entry-level uniformed position at your company?

Votes are public.

[OMG_Ihatethisjob]

From a guard company's perspective (in California), we're called "Security Officer" to give us a sense of pride for our job. In some states, the title "Officer" is synonymous with LEO. In those states, security companies must use the word "Guard" and not "Officer."

From the general public's perspective, most call us "Guards" if we rate positively in their mind; or "M**F** rent-a-cop, ***dumb-guard " if we rate negatively in their mind.

I've noticed in-house security for LA and Orange Counties use the term "Public Safety Officer" to distinguish themselves from "Security Officers." I've spoken to one working at the Santa Ana Court house, and he said the term "Security Officer" meant "guard company," which is why they elected to adopt "Public Safety Officer" as their title.

[Lawson]

We are guards, though I want to change the title to Public Safety Officer.

[sgtnewby]

Our "title" according to Hennepin County and state statute is "Medical Center Protection Officer."

[OccamsRazor]

Internally, Officer. When dealing with the client, or anything to do with the client, Guard.

[davis002]

Internally, Officer. When dealing with the client, or anything to do with the client, Guard.

Why is that?

[HotelSecurity]

We work plainclothed but with a visable badge or nametag. I hire Security Officers. French is the offical language of Quebec & to Police & most others we are Agents de Sécurité or the term I hate in both languages: Gardien (Watchman).

[OccamsRazor]

Why is that?

Because, within the Federal Government hierarchy, a 'Security Guard' and a 'Security Officer' are two entirely different animals.

A 'Guard' protects stuff, and an 'Officer' writes the policies that tell that guard what to protect.

In a nutshell.

[wisecure]

At the hospital I work at, this was a question in the interview.....

"To you, What is the difference between a security gaurd adn a security officer?"

The explination they gave me was that a "gaurd" carries a stereotypical patrol and monitor etc. Usually contracted out etc.

An "officer" at our hospital at least, does the tasks of a gaurd yes, but is also required to work hand in hand with law enforcment. I.e. Aid in going "hands on" with a Pt. resisting etc. Go Hands on ourselves etc. There is more responsibility, respect etc. with the title and position of "officer".

At least this is the feeling of my supervisor. We are Hospital employees, and thank god cause the pay/benefits are WAY better.

[CorpSec]

You don't by chance ask potential hires if they can spell guard do you?

[Nauticus]

I'm a protective services specialist. Fancy name for a bodyguard.

[wisecure]

You don't by chance ask potential hires if they can spell guard do you?

No we dont. Feel better? We get "a" and "u" mixed up but thankfully we can spell "ANAL"....

[JSam21]

Right now we are Security Officers but we are changing to Public Safety Officers.

[darkenna]

I'm a protective services specialist. Fancy name for a bodyguard.

Heh. A friend of mine who used to work in that biz used to rant about the term "bodyguard". She said, "It calls to mind the image of a 6'4 muscle-brained mook named Bruno... which is about as far from me as you can get." (She was 5'6, petite-framed, and anything but muscle-brained, in a rather scary manner.) She always used "executive protection specialist".

I'm not uniformed, nor are any of my people. We're all plain-clothed (and on rare occasions, undercover) operatives. Mine is "Multi-Unit Loss Prevention Supervisor", my people are all "Loss Prevention Officers".

[HotelSecurity]

I do not think that Public Safety Officer is correct for most of us since we usually work for private interests, not the public. Maybe Private Safety Officers?