Complaint Review: Securitas Security Services

I WORKED WITH COTRACT SECURITY AND I ONLY GOT UP TO $12.00 AN HR WITH NO BENIFITS. NOW I WORK IN IN-HOUSE SECURITY WITH $20.00 AN HR WITH DAYS OFF AND FULL MEDICAL. AND I DO LESS WORK AND GET RESPECT. CONTRACT SECURITY COMPANIES WILL HIRE ANY ONE THAT IS ALIVE.

I have worked for several security companies in the past, and most of the comments are right about how employees are low paid and mistreated.

However, I don't think it is fair to lump all security companies into the same category.

I own a private security company, and I am proud of my almost zero turnover, and the fact that we have strict on site policies with weekly site inspections and monthly meetings with our clients. We also pride ourselves on making our employees as safe as we can, and standing behind them when the client is not happy in the way they handled an incident, whether they are right or wrong. If they are wrong, that is an in-house issue which is dealt with that way.

We also pride ourselves on our training. Most companies as described in the firearm issue have poor training policies and allow those that are not qualified to carry firearms do so. We have enlisted the help of our local police department in the selection process of our firearms qualified officers and if they say no, that is the final answer. The process consists of an oral board with 3 members of the department, the classroom, the range and on going training with some of it being completed with them.

I just wanted to defend the few companies that do take pride in their business and their employees. Some of us do realize that the employee is our biggest asset, and that old time hiring and wage practices are no good anymore.

Thank you for reading and giving me the time to defend the few good companies left.

I have a relative who got sick and tired of privace security contractors taking all the money and leaving their employees with next to nothing.


So he applied to a truck driving company and had no trouble in getting hired. He had a perfect driving record after all and he is doing a public service by helping transport badly needed supplies to people all over the country!


He is serving his country in his own way just like thousands of truck drivers are doing every day! They deserve the money they get and they should get more --because of all the hazardous conditions and incredibly stupid motorists they encounter while driving.

And I dislike truck drivers?

I think you got it wrong.

Truck driving seems to be one of the ONLY industries with enough integrity to not believe a lying private security company who tried to smear him with a false job reference from hell! As a result, the trucking industry got a GREAT, honest employee who has already delivered the goods for them safely and on time for them after thousands of miles OTR! He is grateful for his job, happier than I have ever seen him and he makes more money than he has ever made before in his life! He's been there for a while too.

I hope that other employers will realize that PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES LIE ABOUT FORMER EMPLOYEES ( especially ones who have caught them doing things that are questionable and resigned in disgust) and I hope that people who want to be in the private security industry will take this to heart and NOT WORK THERE!

I seem to notice a negative opinion in your rebuttal directed against truck drivers. Why would you state that the only job you could get would be as a truck driver upon leaving the security "profession"? I was a security officer after high school, and later when I was a Deputy Sheriff in Oklahoma, I work security jobs to supplement my oftentimes meager paycheck. When I became tired of LE, I became an OTR (over-the-road) truck driver.

On my travels across the country, I met drivers from various walks of life. I will not deny that there are some "questionable" people in the field. These are present in ALL professions. The overwhelming majority of drivers I met were very professional.

You have to be to drive a 40 ton vehicle in ALL weather conditions at ALL times of day sometimes 600-700 miles a day. All the while keeping track of various state and local laws, road condtions, mechanical concerns. Also you have to worry about your truck being stolen with you inside it, or being shot or stabbed for the load in the trailer.

I met a lot of drivers that came to be drivers because they WANTED to, not because it was all they could do. I have met doctors, lawyers, IT people, chemists, people from ALL professions that have turned to trucking to find a job where there is no one looking over your shoulder all the time. A job where you can see the country, and be paid fairly well. I went from 27,000/yr as a deputy to over 43,000 my first year. In my last year, I made 57,000 between Jan and October.

My year was cut short by a deployment with the Army National Guard, where I remain for the next couple months. When I return home in December, I will likely take a job as a local driver in Tulsa, while I finish my degree. I know of no other job in which a H.S. dropout (dropped out to work full time. Had a 4.0GPA at the time) can make 60,000 in the second year (legally).

Lastly, EVERY single thing you own was in a truck at one time or another. Most items average no less than 5 or 6 movements before being available at the retail level. (I.E... 1) Raw material.. 2)initial processing 3)shipment to component manufacturer 4) shipment of parts to assembly location 5)Shipment of final product to distribution point 6)Shipment to retail location.)

When you go to work for a contract security company, you really try your best --at first.

You go through cans of spray starch and shine your boots like mirrors and iron your uniform every time you think about it because you want to look sharp and you want to look professional.

And then you find out that most of the time, your paychecks will be shorted ( that's why you need to check them--also call Social Security Administration and make SURE that they are taking your social security payments out of your check and depositing them with Social Security--surprise, they don't have to and you have up to five years after leaving to make sure they have paid in what they took out --otherwise, they can KEEP it and you are going to need it when you get to be my age!).

You will also find out that NOBODY has any respect for you since you aren't being paid very much. If it is an armed post, somebody thought that the security might have to USE those guns they give you or you, yourself, have. Is that low money worth your life? THINK HARD ABOUT THAT.

Securitas used to be Burns, Pinkerton, American Protective Services and a lot of other companies whose dishonest employee and client practices made them almost go out of business and so they started looking for a buyer so they could unload their problems. Securitas is based in Denmark or Sweden just like the outfit that bought Wackenhut's guard division.Security companies that are not based in the US but can issue firearms to employees who don't have to be US citizens bothers the hell out of me!

I am NOT saying that Securitas is dishonest and cheats their employees and lies to them as bad as Burns did. I worked for Burns, I worked for AMERICAN PROTECTIVE and did NOT want to work for PINKERTON --EVER! I HAVE NOT WORKED FOR SECURITAS AND DO NOT EVER WANT TO WORK FOR SECURITAS ( or any other private contract security rip-off outfit again EVER as they are SEXIST, RACIST and violate ALL of EEOC policies and federal hiring laws!) Some of the worst people in the contract security industry I know were managers and executives and supervisors with American Protective Services, Burns and the others that Securitas assimulated and at least one of the higher ups for Burns who did these kinds of things is with Securitas in Texas now. I feel reasonably sure as long as the money comes in, Securitas, being located overseas, is NOT going to care about some stupid guards any more than Burns, Pinkerton, etc. cared about guards.

And when you realize that nobody cares about your job performance and the client doesn't give a rat about what security officers go out there and you are just a lower insurance premium to them and that's it, then why should you care? I have seen officers at country clubs try and stop rich drunk drivers from getting in their vehicles and enforcing rule and then getting fire because the yuppie psychopaths believe that rules are for everyone except them!

The worst is when the guards get bored and trying to back stab each other when they really should be trying to UNIONIZE and get better pay and benefits. The turnover is so high that nothing much gets done about organizing. Most people have to feed themselves and their families and you just can't do that on private contract security guard pay. ( Even with certain managers skimming their paychecks and stealing from their overtime pay and bonuses because they are financing TWO lifestyles!)

If you want to wear a uniform and carry a weapon and get REAL RESPECT, BE A REAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER! Get out of security because it will only get worse as you get older. If you stay in it too long, you will not be able to get any other type of job except maybe truck driving!)

Otherwise, you are going to have sleeping on duty,idiots pulling guns out ( hopefully and only shooting themselves). Contract Security is not considered a real job and you get no real benefits or respect. All you get is the blame if something goes wrong and you aren't smart enough to pass the buck to your higher ups....

Brought back a lot of memories, though, reading this report.

I hope that EVERYBODY who is going to consider getting Securitas as their security company realizes that all the money they pay IS GOING TO GO TO A COMPANY OVERSEAS AND NOT IN THE USA!

Before you leave and tell anybody, get a videotape of all of the fun and games, officers cleeping, modified golfcarts races, some choice remarks about how these people see their jobs --hell, hide the camera and just record their voices if necessart and ask them what they think about their jobs and the client.

THEN PUT IN ONLINE! Make sure you get a clsoeup of the security company arm patch or other identifying images when you do.

THEN you will have something to work with.
Do it anonymously though...

Contract security is almost the worst thing you could be. It's one step above being homeless which is what will happen to you if you ever get hurt on the job and they have no hospitalization or workman's comp. It happened to me and now I am having to go back and retrain for a REAL job.
Get out before it is too late. Get out because it could happen to you.