The view of security guards in popular culture is not always a positive one. They are often portrayed as over weight, lazy and even sleeping while on duty. The reality, though is much different.
Security Guards: A Dangerous Profession
While many security guards might have quiet postings, many more put their lives at risk everyday guarding people and property. The following news stories from the last five weeks illustrate just how dangerous the job of a security guard can be.
December 31, 2017
Two Las Vegas security guards were shot and killed after responding to a disturbance in one of the rooms at Arizona Charlie’s Casino.
January 21, 2018
After a retail theft at a Kmart store, a Rockford, Illinois security guard was seriously injured. The robbery suspect carjacked the guard’s vehicle, dragging him before the guard fell away.
January 26, 2018
An ex-soldier was sentenced to life in prison after he shot and killed 56-year-old Scott Von Lanken, a Denver transit security guard.
February 4, 2018
49-year-old Shawn Patilla was fatally shot while working at a Columbus, Ohio bar as a security guard. When police arrived, Patilla was lying on the floor still alive. He later died at a nearby hospital.
A Very Stressful Job
Security guards perform a mix of tasks and often find themselves in stressful situations. You can find guards working in bars and clubs trying to keep the peace. When a fight breaks out, it is the security guard that must break it up and protect others.
You will also see guards working at retail stores observing shoppers and looking for thieves.
Guards work at sporting events and concerts to help control crowds, and they protect employees at businesses, as well.
They can also be on the receiving end of harsh comments from the public, like those Joseph Hernandez dealt with while he was working a conference in California last June.
NBCNews.com reported that after dealing with a separate physical altercation, Hernandez was asked to guard a door temporarily and keep conference goers from entering. That’s when an attendee who wanted in the room began to verbally assault him. “You’re blue collar as f*ck,” the attendee said, “You should kill yourself.” To his credit, Hernandez stood there and took the abuse quietly and did not make a difficult situation worse.
The Bottom Line
Today’s security guards are working in an angry world that seems to get angrier everyday. They deal with more assaults, both verbal and physical, than ever before. Based on the news stories above, it is accurate to say that guards risk their lives when they go to work.
The next time you see a security guard, you don’t have to thank that person or say anything special. But a smile and a “Hello” would certainly mean a lot.
If you have questions about protecting your employees and business, call American Security Force today at 855-722-8585.
