The Work of the Security Guard

If you take a job as a security guard, for whatever amount of pay, then you are agreeing to be a security guard [“Security Guards Needed, but Low Pay a Problem,” Sept. 29]. That means that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to secure your place of work.

If they don’t want to risk their lives being a security guard, then they shouldn’t take the job.

As a teacher, I know that if someone comes onto my campus and starts attacking the students, then I need to put myself between the attacker and the students.

It isn’t exactly part of my job description, but I know that this is what I should do because my job includes the fact that I am responsible for my students.

Susan Sherman

Covina

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It has become fashionable to denigrate private security officers, but also a little baffling. The highly paid FBI and the equally respected CIA missed all the signals leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but the airport security officer gets the blame.

Our family firm, a private security company, employs more than 500 security officers. Over the last 32 years, I have seen and employed thousands. In my experience, they mirror society as a whole: There have been excellent officers and others we have had to prosecute.

Yes, airport security needs to be enhanced. Any number of schemes seems workable. It can be done without demonizing the security guards.

Raymond G. Boyd

Somis

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Given the circumstances, the demand for security is at an all-time high. It is not that security work is not respected as a profession, it is simply underpaid.

I agree, recruiting the thousands of qualified personnel needed to keep Americans safe will be hopeless when barely paid $10 an hour. Hence, corporations have little choice but to pay their security higher wages.

And if they do not, hold their CEOs accountable! I’m tired of hearing about the poorly paid airline security when the airline CEOs make millions. These CEOs have duties and obligations to many for which they are not being held accountable.

Jan Marshall

Albuquerque