There are different kinds of security guards. There are the ex-federal people who along with the IT people provide overall and comprehensive security for both the key executives and the physical plant. And then there are the guys who file in off the street who have no real experience. You get them by the dozens, and in this tough economy you get them by the droves. People need a job, after all.
These are the guys the employer pays somewhat above minimum wage to keep an eye on things. Or these are the outsourced security, provided by a local vendor. Same basic things. Movies are made with these guys as main characters. Paul Blart, Mall Cop, with Kevin James, and Observe and Report, with Seth Rogen, are the first that come to mind. They are comedies, or romantic comedies, where the poor shlub of a uniformed security cop rises above his mundane chores to solve a big case and win the girl he has been pitifully pining for.
But all jokes aside, these are the guys who can rob you silly. These are the guys who either pilfer themselves or allow entry to a team of pilferers who with the security guard on their side can work the place to their heart’s content. The nice term is the “inside job.” But there is more than just the inside job. There is the issue of who initiates the robbery.
Did your security guard talk to the robbers, or did the robbers approach him, coercing him through one of his weaknesses? The obvious one is that your guard is behind on his bills and owes a lot of money. This can be caused by substance abuse issues, bad gambling habits, or something more sympathetic like past due medical bills. But chances are it is merely and plainly just for greed.
One such case was reported by the Pottstown Mecury. The security guard is female and was convicted of working alone and of previously working with six other women, stealing in all some $26,000 in merchandise from Nordstrom’s King of Prussia, Pa store. She was viewed by surveillance cameras loading merchandise into her car . The woman was sentenced to anywhere from three to twenty-two months and order to pay back her former employer, Nordstrom’s, about four thousand in restitution.
There have been numerous reports that employee theft has been up due to the downtown in the economy. When hiring anyone, even someone who is receiving nominal wages, be sure to run a comprehensive background check. It is not a matter of the position that someone holds in your company that should trigger the number of background checks as part of your pre-employment screening program. It is determining where you are vulnerable from their employ and the different ways they can hurt you.
Criminal records should surely one of the background checks you conduct. But I would also recommend the Motor Vehicle Driving Record, or MVR, as it will help determine character and substance abuse issues. It is inexpensive and will reveal more than someone’s driving performance.
Just remember that with background checks trying to cut corners and running them on the cheap can turn out to be a most expensive proposition. Check them out before you hire.
