July 1, 2015, 10:17 PM
On today’s episode, we’re joined by special guest Rick Sanchez from Full Armor Worldwide. Rick has 10 years of experience in the security industry with a business and marketing background, so he understands the ins and outs of both the operation and the back office side of things.
Rick shares with us some stories of times that he’s been taken by surprise in the industry, either by customers, residents, or his own guards.
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When A Resident Approaches With A Machete
One time, Rick subbed in on patrol for a sick officer. He was patrolling an apartment complex on the west side of Chicago when he received a call about a domestic disturbance in one of the units. As he approached, a fairly intimidating woman started coming his way.
“I’m 5’11”, 200,” says Rick, “She was six foot plus, I’m guessing 6’3”, and I wouldn’t even want to guess the weight.”
After noticing her size, Rick noticed two other significant details. Her husband was chasing her, and she was holding a fairly large machete! He pulled out his weapon (one of the few times he’s ever done that on duty), and she pretty quickly turned around and dropped the machete.
By reacting quickly and decisively, but not escalating things even further, Rick was able to defuse a potentially dangerous situation and resolve the problem without violence. Once things had calmed down, he called the police and was able to go back about his duties.
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What's the Biggest Headache An Officer Can Cause?
Officers might not make you fear for your life, but they can cause as much stress as residents when they don’t do their jobs well. Rick recalls numerous times officers have given him a headache by taking a late lunch, claiming they were stuck in traffic, or just generally not being where they’re supposed to be.
Just a couple weeks ago, he had an officer call in sick, only to see her on the local news later that day, face painted up and screaming in the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade.
He goes on to lament an issue that everyone in the security industry is familiar with: the high rate of turnover, and the costs associated with firing underperforming guards and hiring new ones.
“It costs me a lot of money to hire and fire somebody, and then do the background checks and do the drug tests, it adds up. I’m spending almost a full years’ worth of salary when I bring somebody in, even if they’re only in with me for 60-90 days,” says Rick.
I then share my own story of creative officer excuses. I once hired an officer who lived in the building of one my contracts, and who I assigned to work at another property just down the road. He had a sketchy employment history, but I wanted to give him a chance.
On just the second night, I show up to the property where he lives (when he’s supposed to be working at the other property), and I find him in his boxers and a tank top, asking one of the guards to warn him if I show up. I walk up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder. He turns around, and instantly drops to the ground screaming “Diarrhea!”
We love hearing and sharing these funny stories, and we know just about everyone in the industry has a few. While they are fun to recount looking back, they’re a big headache when they happen, which is why our guard management tool helps you keep track of where each security guard is at all times.
