Private Security Firms

How are security guards trained?

I was shopping at a local discount store and followed too closely by a uniformed security guard. He was obviously untrained or just trying to harass me. Trust me I don't look like the shoplifting type and nobody should be tailed around a store with 3 feet between you and the guard...creepy if you ask me. I will not go back but do they have the right to follow you so closely and annoy you by standing too close to you!

Public Comments

1. They have every right to follow you closely and annoy you. And you have every right not to go back there. There's no way to tell you how that security guard was trained....as different security guards have different levels of training. Some have zero training....some have a couple hours.....and some have been through law enforcement academies.
2. First off, there is no shoplifting type. When I used to work Loss Prevention in retail stores, I caught people as young as ten and as old as 75. Every race gender, thug, jock, business, poor, homeless. There is not type. Second, by the way you described him, if he was "following you" yes he is doing a bad job. Third, ask him if he needs something. He may not actually be following you. He may not even realize he was that close. If however you feel that he is harassing you, then speak to the manager. Chance are he wont admit he was following you. But to answer your question, Security Guards are trained by there company and are regulated by a state agency. If he was a unformed security officer, he has a certification though the standards are low.
3. I took the security guard training course, and thanks to the fact that my mother and father are in law enforcement I was able to get a job as a police officer.
4. Sometimes store security will make themselves obvious if you appear to be suspicious or they suspect you of possibly taking something, but they don't have enough evidence to stop you. Or if it was harassment, call the police and tell them some weirdo is harassing you. Tell the cops you feared for your safety because the way he was looking at you made you think he was going to try to rape you. Then tell the store (his bosses) the same thing. This will get him fired.