Seattle-area job questions

[LPGuy]

I'm wondering if there is anyone here from the Seattle area that can tell me anything about the following companies:

Whatcom Security Agency
Western Washington Merchant Patrol, Inc.
Interstate Protective Security Services, Inc.

I'm interested in typical hourly salaries, if anyone has any good/bad experiences with them, etc.

I currently have a very good job in retail loss prevention but I'm interested in working in armed security (and making a little more money) until I finally get hired as a police officer. If anyone knows any large corporations in the Seattle area that have their own in-house armed security (such as Boeing), please let me know!

Thanks!

[N. A. Corbier]

I KNOW that Lawson can tell you about WWMP. Do a search for the name on the forums, its pure comedy.

[wackenhut hickey]

Give paragon a call they are in need of peopleright now they are are armed and start out at 16.69hr

[Lawson]

I dont know about the other two... But Like NA said, I can talk your ear off about the WWMP... but in a nutshell, bad choice. If you want details, feel free to let me know!

[FDG06]

LPGuy,
I know that WWMP has a great catch line about the services they provide: K9, Narcotics, Special Ops..lol) yet they advertise a starting pay of $8-$9 hr. Cant speak for the companies operations, the pay steered me away, I can make more at Home Depot pushing carts..
I know IPSS is paying better, but it is a joke of an operation when you get down to it (Trina is VERY Unprofessional in her dealings with applicants), they hire out on armed & unarmed gigs or what ever. If your looking to cut your teeth, might not be a bad start with better then entry level pay till something "good" comes along, but I woudlnt look for anything beyond that and you can probably do better with them not on your resume. My 2 cents.
Yoda

[LPGuy]

Thanks for the info, everyone!

Is this the correct Website for Paragon? http://www.parasys.com/

They do some government contracts, right?

[wackenhut hickey]

Thanks for the info, everyone!

Is this the correct Website for Paragon? http://www.parasys.com/

They do some government contracts, right?

That is the website. And to my knowledge all the they do is government contracts.

http://www.trissecurity.com/?p=paragon

A little bit more info on paragon.

[Lawson]

LPGuy,
I know that WWMP has a great catch line about the services they provide: K9, Narcotics, Special Ops..lol) yet they advertise a starting pay of $8-$9 hr. Cant speak for the companies operations, the pay steered me away, I can make more at Home Depot pushing carts..
I know IPSS is paying better, but it is a joke of an operation when you get down to it (Trina is VERY Unprofessional in her dealings with applicants), they hire out on armed & unarmed gigs or what ever. If your looking to cut your teeth, might not be a bad start with better then entry level pay till something "good" comes along, but I woudlnt look for anything beyond that and you can probably do better with them not on your resume. My 2 cents.
Yoda

The WWMP to me, was a joke of an operation. I went in there and interviewed on July 11th 2003 (my 18th birthday) and was in uniform and on duty July 12th 2003 without any formal training from the company. They just handed me a temporary guard card and a sheet with directions to the site.

I also saw it rather unprofessional that the security company was ran out of a house.

When I worked a port site, they had me in an older model GMC Jimmy which a bunch of the port residents saw as a real joke.

I had a trespasser detained once at 0300 and while I was talking with him I had another S/O come over whose site was also on the port, about 100feet ( He was still probably still on his site) from where my contact was. Once the Co. found out, they proceeded to tell me that I should have contacted someone else for cover, even though most the road officers were at least 20 miles away in another county.

When we had some legal issues come up, they advised me they were not liable whatsoever for anything I did on duty and they will not be providing me any sort of legal aid, even though they only gave me 20 hours a week at 7.50 an hour.

During my entire time there (about 3 months) I never once saw a K-9.

This company was a complete waste of my time.

[LPGuy]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

After some research and the additional insight that you all added, I think I'll look primarily at in-house security departments rather than contract security companies. I worked unarmed uniformed security for a while as well and had some less-than-pleasant experiences with the company...

[FDG06]

LP Guy,
I wish you luck on your search for a good Co., your far from alone. I am former DOD & GSA Federal Protective officer & cant catch a break in this section of the protection industry in the western Wa. area for anything. I am trying to slow down a bit in life, my hi-speed days mostly behind me.
Those sec co's that would hire me if I stripped my res down to pre-college days, I wont work for, like the two previously mentioned Co.'s. and a few others like Loomis Fargo (Tacoma,WA. location is also ran out of a house & a garage 2 blocks from the house..what the H#!! is that about..??!!)
Alot of what I am finding, is you need to look at the Co's ownership/excecutives, I've found that many were never Mil/Leo/Sec, but got into the biz purely for the $$ after thier dry cleaning biz went belly up (jk). These types have NO clue, I dont care how many college degrees one may have in biz management, if you havent done street time in some fashion, your clueless in how or what you ask others to do in that same role, or being able to lead, support & task others in this field effectively.
If you search Co's out this way, that can reduce your pool of perspectives to a narrow group of Co's with good leadership that might work for you.
Corporate level in house Sec depts seem to be a good bet & are often lead/staffed by former officers of some sort & usually pay better, thats were I am looking latley anyway..
Good luck!
Yoda

[hisownhero]

I've got a quick Seattle area job question as well if anyone might know the answer to. Does anyone know what company has armed guards around Seattle that wear grey pants with an all black shirt?

[OccamsRazor]

I've got a quick Seattle area job question as well if anyone might know the answer to. Does anyone know what company has armed guards around Seattle that wear grey pants with an all black shirt?

Securitas federal guards.

[Just_Some_Guy]

In the same Seattle area, can someone tell me about these companies?:

Star Protection Agency
Northwest Security Services
Puget Sound Security
ACSS
And in-house for Bellevue Square, Seattle Public Library, and any school campus security

[Lawson]

Star will hire just about anyone it seems. We fired someone for Sexual Harassment and Star picked them up as a site supervisor

Northwest seems to have its ups and downs. Lots of sites, but they seem to be very warm-body. When we took over a site from NW when I was with TWC we took in a few incumbents, most of which I was particularly unhappy with. They seemed to be VERY observe/report only.

Not to sure about ACSS...

Puget Sound Security seems to have their stuff together, though I dont know much about them.

I looked into A Lutheran College in Seattle, Security really seemed to be proactive and squared away. I was not hired, but I wouldnt mind working there. Pay was pretty decent if I remember correctly.

[Book Cop]

In the same Seattle area, can someone tell me about these companies?:

Star Protection Agency
Northwest Security Services
Puget Sound Security
ACSS
And in-house for Bellevue Square, Seattle Public Library, and any school campus security

Hello, I like the Seattle Public Library for reasons beyond that I'm paid as that City department's security manager... Our security officer job description is posted on SPL.org. No opening currently with only a staff of only 10. -Regards