security guard

tow truck driver

security officer

patrol officer

telemarketer

Security-Guards-of-America,-Inc

I have been working for this company for about a month now.
and I have learned very quickly that you can rise to the top with ease, or sink to the bottom in less than 3 months.

*
Environment and Structure:
In my opinion, from what I can see the structure of this company has been solid. The employees feel like brothers and sisters. The management 'wants' you to have great success. I could tell you that if you ever had a question you would be answered within minutes. These people care about your success and they care about their company. 

**
Desire To Advance:
Here's how I look at it; When the company gives you a shift there are two ways of handling said shift. You can do as they ask of you and show up, do the bare minimum, take frequent breaks, play with your phone. 

Or you can become your own boss, Be respectful, responsible, take that extra 5 minutes at the end of the shift to send in a SITREP even if it's not mandatory. Show that you are trying to be active in your company. And the sky is the limit.

When you call Dispatch There is a small list of employees. You 'WILL" be remembered, So just do your job. Leave a good impression and be respectful. The team will get to know you and rely on your dependability. And therefore you will be given options to advance.


***
Brothers In Arms Mentality:
This company is small, They are rebuilding from some hard times. Not every company is perfect. But if you can get around to putting in your time to everyone, You'll learn that this company can truly become your own. Take pride in the Phoenix Protective Corp Title. I have met and become friends with multiple other employees around the Washington Area. It's an amazing feeling to know that you can depend on these others to help you out when you need it. You swim together or sink alone in this company.

****
Wages:
Before I do go into wages I want to say that this company is still rebuilding. That being said the wages are not terrible. Between 13-15 an hour starting as a loss prevention officer isn't terrible. I believe these shifts were made to be the bottom of the company to help people with no background find their beginning experience in the security field. That being said there are some things they could do better. While the wages are at average, the traveling might be what kills you, So be strategic about where you live before you decide to join up. Living in areas like Seattle or Auburn are proving to be great for having constant hours open. If you live further away expect a decent drive without much compensation.

On this note, because the company is new I firmly believe the better the employees do, the more jobs will open in the company, and therefore the more shifts nearby to your home will become avalible.

*****
Training:
I believe personally that training is something the company needs to look into handling better. Not because of the lack of skill that goes into the training sessions, but rather because of how they are set up. The company has a trade off, You forego your paid training for free certifications ((normally costing triple of what you'd make that shift anyhow,)) that you can take with you and keep around in the event you ever chose to take this career further in life through a different company.

On top of this, Typically your first day on the job is without training, This is because of a necessity of employees. So you may find that the second you sign the paperwork to join PPC, that you'll wind up working that very same night or next morning without any heads up on how to do your job.

((The solution is very simply))
As I discussed earlier in this review, you can either go the extra mile or drown. All of your questions can be answered by either...

Reading your manual - 
Calling your supervisor -
Using common sense - 
Asking the building manager - 

And it's not like the company doesn't understand this problem either. 
But there is a 4/5 chance that you were hired on as an LPO.
When you are a Loss Prevention Officer your job doesn't require a class in self-defense, The majority of your job is simply being a presence to deter criminal activity. And there are rules in place that most of the time stop you from engaging a thief in the first place. As annoying as this may come across to new employees, this is simply the legal reality to security officer jobs in most companies.

When your management staff notices your success through your shifts they will open your options to advance to level 2 and level 3 sites. As these sites come you will be properly trained and given certifications that hold high value with or without the company.

******
Scheduling:
This part is a bit more difficult. You may be assigned to one or even two locations permanently, or you may be a freelancer employee. Both have their perks and merits. 
With Freelancers, you can treat this job as your own career in security. Work on the days you want to work, Have days off when you want them off. Of course, by not being respectful to the staff/not showing up for shifts you scheduled yourself for, You are going to have a hard time in this company. You get what you put in.

Or you could be one of those scheduled employees. maybe still part time or maybe a full-time site! They are out there and open for the grabs if you can handle them. and then work your days around them, And if it's not enough you can always snag other free shifts!

********
Equipment:
They provide you with the uniforms and the basics. Company logos and badges based on your performance.
When it comes to higher level gear they want you to obtain your own stuff. I couldn't give you an example or rhyme or reason to why this is, There are pros and cons to owning your own gear. It's not normal but it's not bad, I don't mind getting to own my own gear and knowing I can trust what I've put my time and money into.
If you are expecting to join and be given thousands of dollars in equipment for being a special snowflake, well the truth is they probably just can't afford to staff all of their guards yet.
If you can swallow this reality and are ok with building your own locker of personal protection gear like I am then this won't be a big hit. To others, it might mean the world.
Either way, it's something to consider before applying.

*********
Overall:
- Be your own Boss.
- Be your own success or downfall.
- Lots of hours! Will never need a second job!
- Professional environment.
- A good stepping stone for moving into the security field.
- Management that wants to help you.
- Average pay.
- Buy your own gear.
- Be independent.
- Lots of cool certifications.

((P.S. If you get the job
 - Read the manual.))

**********
Things I Would Like To See Change:

 - Compensation for driving anything over 50 mile round trips.

 - Cheap starter gear for new employees that have yet to be able to obtain their own equipment.

The pay at the account is good, but you should be prepared to suffer. I stay there as long as I did because I genuinely liked the work we did, I love the opportunity to help the people that we could, and I was attracted to the family like environment that existed between myself and the other street level officers.

The hardest part of working there was working for Allied. Some of the biggest problems I saw are that you will have managers who have never worked a specific site passing down mandates that because of the conditions at that site are unworkable, or just don't make sense. For example " If someone is harassing you or making threats rather than arguing with them or immediately calling the police, just walk away" The problem with that is since we work on a public property, short of leaving the property without authorization there is nowhere that I can go where this person cannot follow me.

Contrary to claims there is a definite "old boys club". Rather than promotions being made based on competence, they are made based upon personal affiliations. If you are not well liked by the promotion board members, it will be exceedingly difficult for you to see upwards mobility. 

I still occasionally receive employee emails from Allied Universal. A recent one talked about their mental health support benefits for employees. I think it was called the life assistance program. If such a program now exists, that's fantastic, but during the time that I worked for Allied either that did not exist or it was not well advertised. Quite to the contrary, I was advised by multiple co-workers and supervisors that if it ever came to light that I had PTSD, I would be fired because that represents a considerable liability for a person in an armed guard position. And when it did become public knowledge that I suffered PTSD, I was subsequently fired. If Allied has turned over a new leaf, so to speak, that's great, but it doesn't change what happened. While I worked for Allied because of the position I was in, I was first responder to numerous violent events to include assaults with deadly weapons and several suicides. I was never offered any kind of mental health support. The expectation at the time was that you do your report before you leave and show up for your next shift as normal, and I did. If you wanted time off because you saw something traumatic that would be unpaid and unexcused time off. If it came to light that you were having mental health issues for an extended period because of something traumatic you observed, you may be let go.

One of the single most stressing factors is allied's time off policy. For the most part you only have two types of leave, family emergency and your annual leave. If you are sick and cannot work that is unpaid time off. If you do not notify your supervisor at least 24 hours ahead of time, that is both on paid and unexcused time off. Unexcused time off stays on your record for 90 days and is used as grounds to deny you a promotion. If you rack up 5 days of unexcused time off in a 90 day you will be fired. This policy encourages employees to come into work when they are sick. Coming into work when you are sick is a bit of an issue for public transit employees, because we are working in close quarters with everyone on a transit vehicle. Allied actually maintained this policy through most of the COVID pandemic and only changed because our state passed a law mandating paid sick leave for COVID. 

The other negative thing, and this doesn't apply to everyone, but in little and very specific ways, allied would punish you for being in the national guard. Occasionally being absent from work due to a drill weekend was not an issue, the problem came in when I was absent from work for longer durations because of military duties. Twice I went away for annual training and I came back to find out that the company had conducted a shift bid, and since I wasn't present for the bid they just handed me the leftover shift but nobody else wanted. On one occasion I went to a military school for 8 weeks and when I returned I found out that management had given my shift to somebody else. Because my shift was occupied I was shifted to again the shift that nobody else wanted. When I complained my only recourse was take the shift or leave the company. I had to go through USERRA to get my shift back. 

Working allied universals Denver Transit account, you will work on the Colorado RTD system. You will contact hundreds of people on a daily basis and have an opportunity to have an effect on their lives. In many ways the job is what you make of it. I mean you will contact hundreds of people on a daily basis, those could be positive interactions or negative ones. And of course of your duties you will coordinate emergency medical assistance for person's suffering any number of medical issues. You're expected to be able to deescalate a person suffering a mental health crisis. You will intervene on persons, suffering, drug overdose. You're expected to assist the homeless. You are expected to be an expert in the operation of the transit system and fair enforcement. On a daily basis, you will have so many opportunities to make someone else's life better. 

I did make multiple ethics complaints over the years through the employee hotline. It usually takes three to six months to get a response from the ethics team. Every complaint that I made or heard from another employee making were closed without further investigation. As far as I could tell if you had a problem with a supervisor, you're only recourse was to go to the regional office and make it complaint in person. 

I was a Shift Supervisor for this company through-out 2019.
Rather giving an over-all review, let me share things that you'll experience assuming your employment at this company, along with first-hand examples;

1. Company Politics 1:
Company politics play a MAJOR role with your standing within the company, and advancement. Far greater here than any other company I've worked for. If a higher ranking officer doesn't like you, it won't be hard for them to write you up for the smallest, mindless things that are not even job related, such as a very small stain on your shirt, or your shirt not being ironed "enough to their liking". However company politics works within the benefit of others as well such as over-looking major policies being broken to save people they like.

2. You will get fired if they don't like you:
If a higher-up wants you gone for not liking you, they will make it happen. The way this company fires people is not by one's actions. They will set you up in situations where you cannot avoid being written up. They will schedule you to stay at a certain post, then when you stay at said post through-out your shift, the next day they will call you before coming in asking why you "felt like you didn't have to do anything", and proceed to terminate you. (Unfortunately I was the victim in this one).

3. Managerial Corruption:
It was admitted by my Assistant Director, that an officer they wanted to fire but had no justifiable reason to, was given a major (multiple) promotion they were clearly not ready for, so that they would screw up up, and get themselves terminated. My assistant director was quoted saying "giving them their own rope to hang themselves with, essentially-", when i asked about it, also stating "it's more or less a business play, yeah-"

4. Company Politics 2:
I had an officer on my shift who completely left property and abandon the site for the last 4 hours of his shift, without telling anybody, and took security items with him, including keys to unlock every door at the site. A very detailed report was made to the assistant director the same day. In this company, post/site abandonment is mandatory termination. Weeks later and still not a single write-up on him. (Again, company politics at play).

5. False Advancement:
They will lie to your face directly just to get you to work hard until they can cut you off. I was told face-to-face that I was next in line for an upcoming promotion to Lt. the next week, and was asked to pick up a few extra work assignments that were above my pay-grade. Come the next week, they brought someone in from another site to take the promotion to Lt. I was told was mine. Once they did this, my usefulness to them was over, and I was immediately let go. The new Lt. never had attended our site before, couldn't work any of our cameras, and didn't secure the site at closing time, which resulted in a burglary on their first night. in my 9 months as a Supervisor, there was never a recorded burglary.

6. Harassment & discrimination:
Before being terminated from the company, I brought up an issue to management regarding uniform policy. It was detailed and lengthy, but 90% of it was regarded, as I received an email response from my assistant director explicitly telling me how much work he has, how many pills he takes every night & how much he drinks to deal with the job, then told me 'Even if you're right, it doesn't matter, because this is a paramilitary organization and you follow orders no matter what they are. if you don't like it than I suggest you find a new career path'. A few minutes later he sent another email telling me to purchase a book on amazon titled 'A guide for success for the defiant, dangerous, and different'. An absolutely disrespectful way to speak to your employees. I made sure to save these emails.

7. Your Safety:
My site was an unarmed site. However that being said we deal with similar issues that police would. We are put into situations where we are expected to approach and "kindly ask" armed people to disarm themselves. Sometimes they are understanding, others not so much. Once we've even had someone put a bullet into the chamber of their firearm right in front of us after we told them firearms aren't allowed on property, and stated "what are you gonna do about ?" I've personally even witnessed a gang-related shooting against a minor on our site, where it even hit State news outlets for over a week. This job will emphasize that your safety is a concern, but once it comes down to it, it's the very last thing they expect from you. Duties first.

There's a VERY defined reason why this company consistently maintains an 87%+ turnover rate. I wouldn't be able to say this job is suited for anybody. You put your well-being, an even life in danger here, for only $10.00 an hour (starting).
Do. Not. Work. Here. No matter how desperate you are for income.

NOTE: This review is based on experience at a single site, and is only an opinion related to my experience at this particular site. This does not speak for the whole company, as I have not experienced any other sites.

I first came into this position looking to make a difference. However, I quickly learned that trying to be anything but a scapegoat here was next to impossible. Most people here keep their heads down and try to stay out of the way as they do their jobs. It was not what I expected.

A typical day at work for me starts at 10:30pm. I get in and immediately set about cleaning up everything the previous shift hasn't done, such as securing equipment properly, and making sure all doors are locked and cameras are on run patterns. From there, I monitor cameras, making sure nothing that violates the client's policy is happening. I make routine and random patrols, both inside and outside the building I'm assigned to. There are supposed to be two security officers here at night, yet I was solo for three days a week for two months in a row, and I've been solo five days a week for an entire month. Added to this is that neither the company nor the client provide any kind of protective gear. 

This job has consisted of constantly identifying things that were breaking down or not working and having them ignored when they are brought up. The supervisors who have been here since the conversion from in-house security to AlliedBarton are obviously fatigued due to the politics and red tape present everywhere. The only people who actually take an interest in trying to improve morale and conditions are those who are new to the site. Management is completely distrustful, and is more interested in watching their security officers than watching the actual site. New security cameras keep appearing in areas that officers use, such as the CCTV room, equipment room, and security office, while other cameras for the site that are broken go neglected. "Yearly" performance reviews happen 8 months late, and many of us are told we are recommended for advancement and raises. Many of us have been told that several times, and have worked 3 and 4 years full time with no raises. Benefits are horrendous, with $2,000 to $3000 deductibles. One co-worker of mine was actually written up because he missed work due to a family emergency that involved his 6 year old son, and he had notified the supervisors when the situation came up. An assistant to the Account Manager was allowed to trash talk us and push her weight around, and later moved to a different site, promoted, and given a raise. This company needs help.

My co-workers are amazing people. They each have their quirks, like any person does, but we make a great team when we all work together. The supervisors for the most part try to take our concerns to heart, but their hands are constantly tied by what the higher-ups deem is important/ not important.

The hardest part of this job is noticing the things that need attention, and watching the place fall apart because no one is listening. I have been here less than 2 years, and I'm already Lincoln-3; I am the 3rd most senior officer on the staff. When your security force has a higher turnover rate than your JANITORIAL STAFF, you need to rethink what you're doing and how you're treating your people. I was offered a Supervisor position and politely declined. I see what the supervisors go through. No, thank you.

The greatest part of this job is easily the guest assistance. People can't start their cars, we can jump start them. People need escorts to their vehicles because it's dark outside, we can walk them or drive them there. People can't find their children, we find them and reunite the family. People get injured on property, we're right there with first aid, doing everything we can to make the person more comfortable or feel better. People get attacked, we're right there defending them. It's this part that has kept me here the longest- the ability to make a difference in the lives of those I come into contact with.

BOTTOM LINE: This position at this particular site is one of unimaginable frustration. I have not experienced any other AlliedBarton sites, so I can't speak for the company as a whole, but this particular site is grossly mismanaged, and employees are harrowed and abused. There is a reason I hide out on the night shift.

Before I was hired here, I was informed during my interview two things that made the job perfect for me.
 I could do my school work (which I stated multiple times  was 100% virtual) and a consistent schedule. I agreed to the job and started right away! Training was and is a breeze as long as you pay attention and my boss let me know that first week she’d work with me since the transition, due to personal reasons as well, would be rocky.

So to the job:
The job isn’t difficult! Keep a watchful eye (which I loved doing, monitoring on the cameras, even on slow days ), greet everyone, check items, and be a decent human being.
• The first three days of training were okay until my trainer and I could not see my schedule on their app, nor log into anything, so laced with confusion they told me to contact my boss and “agent” to see how I could see my full schedule (pretty much who’d respond first) while we took a mini break. I was suddenly written up for using my cellular phone for work instead of being helped in figuring out when a next week shift was like to plan ahead.
• The phone wasn’t /really/ the issue until I was told many coworkers supposedly fall asleep there, play video games and are on their phones nearly the entire shift by coworkers you’re supposed to be watching…but that scratched our first agreement of doing school work during work..(only if you can multi task of course.)
• Secondly, Things are very confusing…. My trainer and other coworkers informed me, I could use the restroom. Make it quick and come right back, I chose to ask my boss about it and they want you to do a full 8 or 12 shift without a restroom break,or to call and have someone replace you momentarily. After holding going to the restroom for 6 hours…I called for someone to swap and no one came. I was just told by the gate/security guard employee to just go because that’s what you’re suppose to do since they can never really swap.
I also was informed and told to go by other employees too.
Odd…

• Finally, Transitioning with this job is difficult if you have any sort of emergency or secondary life in a way.
I work two jobs,I was moving to one (this job) and I informed my boss during the interview the week would be rocky and she agreed to work with me best she could. Unfortunately my second job made an emergency shift of some sort and I could not miss it. (Apparently our big big boss was coming to the store…I was promoted so I’m glad I went..) while also having a medication appointment right after. (I miss this appointment,I don’t get my medicines.). So I contacted my boss via phone, and not on the clock, to let her know it’s a one time situation and what was going on. She agreed to let me skip the single day and a friend of mine was right next to me while she was on speaker confirming I didn’t have to come in and she’d help me find cover.
The day before, I noticed she left my message on read and sent another text to sort of-nudge her? Just making sure she knew.  She suddenly changed her mind and said I required approval and backtracked on the agreement. Stating “You’re stuck working it.”

• Once departing,I won’t name who. But many people including the people I was supposed to be monitoring informed me the boss is notorious for being inconsistent and a high turnover. Which I found odd since I was never told but kept going anyway.

I truly did love this job and the people I worked with and interacted with daily.
Of course you’re gonna have some bad apples.. I’m very active and communicative and if I could go back, honestly I definitely would.
 Unfortunately she said I just never showed up to the shift and informed no one which was a lie but sadly I was told I am not eligible for rehire and I was and still am genuinely heartbroken about it. 
I definitely recommend having a paper trail with communication,A backup job plan, and make sure you have no emergencies and you’re willing to sacrifice your personal life.
If you’re able to do that, you should be golden!!!

Good luck!!

I have had the opportunity to work for Allied Universal for a little over 11 years now from Security Professional to my current middle management position. A typical work day can be very dynamic, challenging and will keep you on your toes, but the clients that I get to work with are, for the most part, great. 

In the past few years, I feel that my knowledge base of the security industry as well as systems has flourished and I can be leaned upon as an SME in the industry. While I have focused on operations throughout my entire career, I can say that I have been challenged to constantly learn new skills, from programs, understanding data and shaping various security programs to be industry leading. This is not to say that I have not had help from great leaders along the way. 

What I have found through the years is that the management that has come from the legacy Allied Barton company have been the ones to focus on the workforce, their directs and have taken a focus in the success of their team; something that I have not experienced with other managers coming from other legacy companies. 

Culture in the organization is always developing and we are on the path to being the best in the business; however, I do believe that the organization is losing sight on it's people and focusing on chasing technology down the wrong path. Currently, we have so many systems and programs that I would say are fundamentally good at their core, but they lack proper execution. We are beginning to focus on the use of AI, but the AI that is being used seems to be written on rules and not algorithms that seek to help. Currently, this is causing technology to become a hinderance to operations; however, the directive from company leadership is that we need to embrace it regardless of flaws. 

Understanding that AI is intended to enhance our ability to run a smooth and efficient operation, the opposite is felt at larger Account Managed locations. I believe the company is behind the ball when it comes to the use of AI and will find that while profits will soar due to efficiencies in scheduling and the ability to reduce management headcount, the connection with the field will diminish. This will damage the foundation that our company operates on (the people) and will have an adverse effect in the future. 

Workplace culture is fine though employee recognition is lacking. When trying to recognize the workforce, most will be denied some form of compensation if it is over $25. 

I believe most of the dissatisfaction within the organization (not just from me) stems from the lack of benefits that the company offers the employees during open enrollment. I have seen most of the plans change year over year to localized healthcare companies instead of pairing with one nationally to get a better deal on coverage. Medical deductibles and max out of pockets are competitive, but premiums are insane. To cover a family of 4 (average American family size), premiums will run you between $1,400-$1,750/mo without going to a high deductible plan. For one of the largest organizations in the US, you would expect there to be a better negotiation on premiums for employees and their families. While I will admit that I have a decent salary, I see about 53% of it go to healthcare premiums and taxes. 

There is also a not so known rule in the organization that if you move positions, lateral, promotion or otherwise, you are capped at a 20% increase over your previous salary. While this seems like a lot, this is not when taking a promotion on an under paid role. Unfortunately, I have had someone on my team come into an equal role, overseeing less hours per week, with 1/2 the experience , be provided a salary that is $20K+ more than mine. This stems from the 20% organizational pay cap rule that had been implemented by the former CAO. 

Best part of the position would be the people. Having a competent team with a diverse background has been the reason I have stayed with the organization as long as I have. 

First, understand that when I rated management with 5 stars, that was with 1st tier, immediate office management. In my opinion, those two do an immaculate job, given what they have to work with, given the expectations. They are a two woman team (with "boots on ground") experience, running a 3 person (minimum) operation, in a grossly inadequate space. They are understaffed, ill equipped, and that's just fine with upper (corporate) management.
     A typical day at work can genuinely summed up as mundane, but anyone with genuine security experience will tell you that that is the "nature of the beast." We are there for the exception to that status-quo.
I can only speak to the environment I was working. Beyond L&I, expect NO recourse. You or a customer must be literally attacked before you can directly intervene. Mind you, you WILL NOT carry a side-arm regardless of your qualifications or experience. That includes stun guns, pepper spray, batons, tasers, cuffs or even a timely response from P.D. (location withheld) via "crime check."  As much to the client as well as company, the "civil rights" of the mental, addicted, dis-enfranchised DOES INDEED MEAN MORE than the civil rights of the retail store (Name withheld), the clients goods, their customers, the employees of that store, their vehicles that brought them there, etc. All that responsibility / consideration for $13 an hour. Does you very little good when you get shanked by a methed out pan-handler that you dared ask "What is your business on this private property that is clearly posted "NO PANHANDLING." Remember, this is the exception, but that is why you're there. As one with 18 yrs experience in security, I can live with that, but not for $13 hr. 
     The best part of this job is the comeradery of fellow guards.
     With this company, you are a pulse in a uniform. You will be expected to be a "buffer" between client and "society" , (and all that that encompasses), and God forbid something real (the exception) happens, you're on your own.
     Now, I'm sure that there are current employees, (children, nieces, nephews, siblings of corporate management / management) who will challenge this ground level assessment, safe behind steel bars, brick walls (which by the way don't work)), college pedigree credits,...  watching computer screens. In my market, we were sent one of those "security professionals" who relocated from California, fair transition.  Unfortunately, when "the exception" came into play, he (name withheld) vapor-locked. It was two military veterans (retail customers) who shut down the altercation. The "Security Professional" in question was a good hearted person, but had no business being where he was, doing what he was doing, but he was a good "pulse in a uniform."
     Dosen't matter, if he had done the job he was hired to do, he would have been fired for doing it.
     In an attempt to cut this shorter, my praise was to my immediate management. There are always nonsense discussions of where/why money goes where it goes... Owner / CEO (name withheld) should have thought about that before he went on YouTube in Vegas, and bragged, (a couple years ago) about a $5.4 bil.-ish company revenue in one year. But so many of his guards are only worth $13 per hr (as of 9/23/19), I guess that's just "what the market will bear."
     I left the company because another employer offered me $2+ an hr more to start, then laid a whole mess of us off. Having a good re pore with my immediate company manager's, an opportunity to come back to the company was available, and I accepted, was decided by corporate, above local management that I was un-rehireable because I only gave one week notice, instead of two, in a "right to work" state. This is the kind of appreciation you can expect from your corporate management in this company. God speed, good luck.

SecurAmerica hired me on the spot, as they do almost anyone who walks in their doors. There is almost no interview involved. This undoubtedly leads to reckless hiring and, inevitably, firing. Except for the fact that officers are rarely fired; if they become problematic they will just be transferred site to site, ad nauseam, until the officer quits or settles into some obscure post with no co-workers. lt doesn't take long to see that their strategy is: hire as many as possible, because half of them won't last anyway.

l was originally hired to work at the Disney College Program housing complexes in Orlando, FL, which l did faithfully and proficiently for almost 2 years. Then one day l was unceremoniously removed, for no official reason, without discussion. Management plotted my removal clandestinely for what could only personal reasons, and ever since September 2016 l have been banished to the lower pits of downtown Orlando. l went from a comfortable, visually pleasing post with co-workers l enjoyed to a gritty, dangerous, hostile environment in the various parking garages in the Orange Avenue area.

At my various posts, l and other officers deal with unacceptable conditions: 
-old and broken equipment
-worn-out uniforms issued as new
-no secure parking arrangements
-conflicting handbooks/official post rules
-convoluted or disputed authority structures
-major lack of communication with management
-infighting
-favoritism
-nepotism
-outright incompetency

...and much more. The parking garages in the city are disgusting, dangerous, dungeon-like places where all manner of waste, glass and human excrement dot the floor. Exhaust fumes and the sound of obnoxious music fill the air, and intoxicated hoboes crawl out of every crevice like belligerent human cockroaches. Indifferent police officers blow you off when you need their help. l could easily go on for hours about how officers are left out to fend for themselves and not nearly compensated for what they put up with.

During this period l have been repeatedly transferred with no explanation or warning, having my days, hours, overall schedule and life in general rearranged again and again. After 3 years of wearing the SecurAmerica uniform, l still make base pay and feel as though l am nothing to this company other than a peg with which to fill a slot. Each time l get somewhat comfortable with my work surroundings, l get the inevitable text from my boss saying l'm out of there tomorrow, for whatever mysterious reason.

lt often seems to be the least-liked, least-suited, most dysfunctional and immature officers who get moved to supervisory or captain positions. This is because even a zombie can put in more hours than his more valuable co-worker, and all the company cares about is having an officer on-site; be they rotten and useless or not. Account managers and security directors here are mostly stuffed suits, hiding behind their cell phones and computers, and never getting any more personally involved than a text or an e-mail. Depending on the post, they may stop by long enough to bother you about your uniform not being perfect, or how you need to go shave. They smile, and shake your hand, and call you 'man' like you're friends or something. But the second a client decides they don't like a hair on your head, they will conspire and your manager has already made the call to banish you before you know it.

l see that l'm nothing more than cannon fodder for SecurAmerica, and l know the only solution is to leave.

The job itself can be stressful if you are dealing with the public, or relatively stress free if you are parked at a warehouse middle of the night way out in the countryside. Depends on the site you get for how much you like the work itself. BUT the consistent details are what will bother you. 

There is a lot of bad things I can report on when it comes to the Allied managers working in the main office. But I will try my best to be nice with being succinct. Rarely, the managers will actually have your back and treat you positively. But more often than not, you cannot reach them by phone or text, and you learn that they arent really paying attention to your reports and they themselves do not follow the rules. You feel alone, and you see there is no actual back-up. Your life is on the line, and they dont really seem to care, upon scrutiny of their actions.

You are alone. They will not let you carry any kind of protection. No pepper spray, no tazer, nothing! My advice is to buy a heavy flashlight and keep it with you in case you need a makeshift baton to whack a would be aggressor! That being written, I have encountered aggressive people, with several times in situations where my life was in real jeopardy. Be wary of sites where you are in contact with the public. Things can pop off quickly and you dont have any backup. The quickest I have ever seen a cop arrive to my location was 5 minutes, with the longest time of arrival 40 minutes!!!! I repeat, you can only rely on yourself and listening to Allied Universals"rules of engagement" can get you killed. Do not place this job above your own life.

Another contention is often times the clients or the customers at your site have no idea what your role is on the site. They will expect you to be a Fireman, Policeman, Doctor, Plumber, Bouncer, Customer Service Rep, Mechanic, Janitor, etc the list goes on and they all try to get you involved in situations that you either have nothing to do with or cannot help them with it. They will disrespect you, and even call your allied managers to complain at how "lazy" you are. One thing the managers do right by you is they dont automatically listen to the bad press about you and they know (mostly) that you are only there to Observe And Report. Keep that in mind if you get a public site or a busy site.

Disrespect on a large level. From all avenues. Had clients I worked for make fun of me. Had cops laugh at me and call me useless. Had managers ignore my calls and texts when information was needed. Its Dangerous, no protection allowed on your person. The pay is not enough for how dangerous it can be. You gotta have thick skin and skill at defending yourself in a fight. If you dont, you will be depressed, and anxious at times. And you'll feel like less of a person with all this abuse.

Despite all this, I have had some good times, and met some decent people in my time with Allied Universal. Its not all bad. But this is overshadowed by how dangerous the job is and how depressing it is when you are treated with disrespect by so many people from your own managers to the clients you work for, to the rude people in public. 

I did a great job and tried my best. Some of it was rewarding but overall the job just aint worth it. If you really have to choose Allied, Go for a site that is middle of the night in the countryside...you'll be bored but itll be an easier paycheck.

Where do I even begin, there is so much wrong with this company it’s not even funny! First off let me start by saying I’m talking about Allied Security that took over SIS that handles the Apple account in the Cupertino/Bay Area. Everyone that works with Allied that handles the  Apple account  in the Bay Area were SIS employees but Apple discontinued  their services with them and so everyone switched over and became Allied employees. I’ve been here for 3 years and let me say this company is by far one of the WORST companies I have ever worked for! First of all management is completely inadequate! At our site we have about 10 watch commanders 
( part of upper management) and out of those 10 only about 3 are actually decent. The rest are totally incompetent and most of the time, useless and don’t really help with major issues. A few of them even give off the vibes of not wanting to be bothered so they just tell you anything just to get rid of you. One of the biggest problems with this company is communication! There is absolutely no communication from upper management to the specialist. Most of the times that don’t inform you of new rules that have been implemented or they don’t give specific details of what to do or not to do. If you do something wrong they just write you up for it and expect you to learn from it that way. Totally ridiculous! Their admin office and the people that work in there are a complete joke. Admin office is severely disorganized and don’t know what they’re doing half the time but yet they always manage to throw the specialist under the bus instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. For example specialists are required to take a lunch before the 6th hour and before the 11th hour if they’re working a shift that long. It’s admins  job to make sure specialist are taken care of for their lunches meaning, admin has a utility 
(A person who gives specialist’s breaks)
Come and relieve the specialist for their breaks and lunches. Well unfortunately a lot of times this doesn’t happen and the specialist has to call the admin office asking for someone to give them their lunch. Absolutely unacceptable! If the specialist doesn’t call assuming admin has them taken care of and they go past their 6th hour or 11th hour without a break the admin office will call out the specialist and say you need to call ahead and can’t assume someone is going to relive you. Sometimes the specialist will even get in trouble for that. Like I said earlier it’s ADMINS job to make sure specialist are taken care of we shouldn’t have to call anyone asking where our lunches are!  I also fell management picks on certain people. I’ve been reprimanded and written up for things I believe other people haven’t been. One time I was told I was wearing the wrong shoes and needed to switch them out, however while on post a person who I was working with was also wearing the wrong shoes and I asked him if they told to switch his shoes and he said no one said anything to him.  I could go on forever about all the things that are wrong with this company , thankfully I’m going to school learning a trade so as soon as I graduate I’m out of this miserable place! I wouldn’t advise working here; however if you do decide to work here I recommend only coming  part time working 1 or 2 days cause it’s not worth the stress. The only thing that saves this god awful place from being a total disaster is the weekly pay and the ability to choose when you want to work. If it wasn’t for that I feel like 80 percent of the employees wouldn’t be here including me. 

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