Saturday, September 30, 2006
Working the private security gig
I've decided that dealing in a casino 5 days a week really isn't what I want to do, so I put a transfer request in for their Security department. I secured an interview within 3 days, and pending variation of my gaming licence they'll start training me fairly soon. It's on a casual basis to start off with, so I can juggle it with the other casual security gig I'm working at a 5 star hotel and see which I prefer. Pay wise both jobs are only a couple of dollars less than the cops get, and at the 5 star hotel job I'm on the same rate as the cops when I work this weekend.
My Air Force assessment is in October, and the commissioning board is in November. If I'm successful, I'll start in early 2007. I've got my police application form to send off but the enthusiasm has gone. From speaking to a fair few officers here, the job really isn't that dissimilar, and is beset by the same obsession with bureaucracy; arbitrary paperwork and idiotic customers as the UK. Indeed in this part of Australia, police are rarely seen on patrol except on Friday and Saturday nights in the clubbing districts, as most visible patrolling is performed by private security, who observe and report and will intervene where necessary, usually handing it over to the police who will turn out from the station. Thinking about it, this situation may be because of ongoing industrial action over a pithy pay rise offered by the government.
I did my first late shift at the hotel, and it was unusually quiet for a Friday night, so I was trained up in cash auditing, patrolled a uni society ball and the hotel bars, which were pretty uneventful, and escorted a drunken woman back to her room, having been engaged that night and probably separated from her fiancee within a few hours going by the way they were carrying on! Pretty easy money.
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
My Air Force assessment is in October, and the commissioning board is in November. If I'm successful, I'll start in early 2007. I've got my police application form to send off but the enthusiasm has gone. From speaking to a fair few officers here, the job really isn't that dissimilar, and is beset by the same obsession with bureaucracy; arbitrary paperwork and idiotic customers as the UK. Indeed in this part of Australia, police are rarely seen on patrol except on Friday and Saturday nights in the clubbing districts, as most visible patrolling is performed by private security, who observe and report and will intervene where necessary, usually handing it over to the police who will turn out from the station. Thinking about it, this situation may be because of ongoing industrial action over a pithy pay rise offered by the government.
I did my first late shift at the hotel, and it was unusually quiet for a Friday night, so I was trained up in cash auditing, patrolled a uni society ball and the hotel bars, which were pretty uneventful, and escorted a drunken woman back to her room, having been engaged that night and probably separated from her fiancee within a few hours going by the way they were carrying on! Pretty easy money.
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Anyone still reading this?
In the event that people still check this blog, I though I'd post an update.
Have got an application in for one of the state forces here in Australia. Not that enthused about it, thanks to talk of industrial action in one of the state forces and an ongoing industrial dispute with another. The pay is rubbish here for the police - I start work tomorrow as a security officer at a rather swank hotel, with an hourly rate that is just a couple of dollars less than what sub-18 month service police officers are paid, and a weekend rate that matches their hourly rate! Job should be a piece of piss, and they're looking to promote me to Assistant Security Manager after a little bit, so if the package is good enough, I might blow off the cops entirely.
Application for the Air Force as an Officer is proceeding nicely in the meantime - it's a good package and good job opportunities, so I'll probably do that for three years if I'm successful.
Have also been training for a Croupier position at a casino here, before the security position came up. So I have to ask myself - do I want to work security and be promoted, then possibly join the Air Force at some stage next year, or work blackjack several hours a day, several days a week, for a couple of months until I learn another game, then join the Air Force? For those who haven't played it, it's a bloody repetitive game to play, and even more mind-numbing to deal! The hotel, however, may be pretty quiet, so there's a risk that, after Christmas, my hours may be reduced, which won't happen with the Croupier job.
The answer is a bit of a no brainer (I shall probably favour the security job), but I'm going to inquire as to whether or not I can transfer across to casino security on a casual basis and work both jobs to get my debts from the UK paid off. If not, I've got a professional security qualification here, previous police experience and a truckload of other bits and pieces in my favour.
For those looking to come out here and not join the police - it's VERY easy to find work in the security field, with or without a security qualificiation, although having such a qualification will be beneficial. Unlike the UK, security work here can be pretty well paid if you find the right company and the right job at the right time.
I haven't missed policing in the slightest, and stay in occasional contact with a few colleagues and friends, who now want to come over! If you make enough of a go of it here, you can't really go wrong, and you certainly won't want to go back to the UK!
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
Have got an application in for one of the state forces here in Australia. Not that enthused about it, thanks to talk of industrial action in one of the state forces and an ongoing industrial dispute with another. The pay is rubbish here for the police - I start work tomorrow as a security officer at a rather swank hotel, with an hourly rate that is just a couple of dollars less than what sub-18 month service police officers are paid, and a weekend rate that matches their hourly rate! Job should be a piece of piss, and they're looking to promote me to Assistant Security Manager after a little bit, so if the package is good enough, I might blow off the cops entirely.
Application for the Air Force as an Officer is proceeding nicely in the meantime - it's a good package and good job opportunities, so I'll probably do that for three years if I'm successful.
Have also been training for a Croupier position at a casino here, before the security position came up. So I have to ask myself - do I want to work security and be promoted, then possibly join the Air Force at some stage next year, or work blackjack several hours a day, several days a week, for a couple of months until I learn another game, then join the Air Force? For those who haven't played it, it's a bloody repetitive game to play, and even more mind-numbing to deal! The hotel, however, may be pretty quiet, so there's a risk that, after Christmas, my hours may be reduced, which won't happen with the Croupier job.
The answer is a bit of a no brainer (I shall probably favour the security job), but I'm going to inquire as to whether or not I can transfer across to casino security on a casual basis and work both jobs to get my debts from the UK paid off. If not, I've got a professional security qualification here, previous police experience and a truckload of other bits and pieces in my favour.
For those looking to come out here and not join the police - it's VERY easy to find work in the security field, with or without a security qualificiation, although having such a qualification will be beneficial. Unlike the UK, security work here can be pretty well paid if you find the right company and the right job at the right time.
I haven't missed policing in the slightest, and stay in occasional contact with a few colleagues and friends, who now want to come over! If you make enough of a go of it here, you can't really go wrong, and you certainly won't want to go back to the UK!
(c) Bow Street Runner. None of the material contained in this post, or this blog as a whole, may be reproduced without the express and written permission of Bow Street Runner. All rights reserved.
