So I am on this new place after I and about a hundred plus other got sacked. The new place is very close to my house so I’ll be saving oodles in gas plus wear and tear on the vehicle (10 miles daily versus 50 at the old place) and I can use the saved traveling time for personal use. I am working 11 pm to 7 am in a HUGE empty place with less than stellar fellow Security Officers that fit the Hollywood profile of the Security Guard from a cheap movie. To be fair, almost everybody in all shifts look the part and it is kinda scary.
Bad news, this place has a great cash flow which is about to increase soon, it is located at the border of one of the worst Miami neighborhoods and it is a Gun Free Zone. So what else is new? During the interview I made a point in letting them know I was a firearms instructor and a competitive shooter so it wouldn’t be a surprise later. The interviewer was quick to point out that no guns were allowed on property for everybody’s safety to which I made the appropriate agreement noises and assured him I would follow the rules which I do. It was funny to see his face get tight at the announcement and then trying to be cool about it. You can always tell a Non-Gun person trying to appease you and sound professional when they are about to crap their pants at the thought of possibly having an armed redneck in front of them. The fact that I am a spic, I look like one and sound like one seems to disappear and I suddenly become whiter than Clorox and develop a heavy Southern twang after I mention guns.
Oh well. I am following Florida’s law to a tee. That is a consolation.
I’ve always been baffled by security guard positions who aren’t allowed to carry a gun. How effectively can you guard something with a flashlight? If you have a radio, you could summon other guys with flashlights. But what disaster do they expect you to stop?
I’m not ragging on you, just the employers who feel unsafe because bad men with guns are out there and they might come in here and kill everyone, so we need someone to protect us and make us safe from the bad men with guns. But our guardians can’t have guns because its too dangerous.
Maybe they just aren’t willing to pay for people who actually have taken the time and money to make themselves competent with a firearm. So then why hire someone in the first place? I’m sure you’ve had these same thoughts.
The short answer is: It scares the sheep including those in management. One company that makes training materials for Security Officers is the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute deeply agrees with that and makes it a key point in their training. I had a chance to read their training material for Security Supervisor and they state clearly that Security shouldn’t be armed because is counterproductive, it makes people think “Well why would they need to be armed if the place is as safe as they say?” Also, they are afraid of the mythical Officer Going Postal and shooting everybody and the survivors suing the hell out of the company. Never forget that most companies that have Security do so for legal purposes and not because they are worried about the safety of their people, guests, visitors or even themselves. In case something happens, they can prove in court that they took “reasonable” actions to “prevent” an incident from happening but shit happens anyway.