Security guards sick of being bashed

Security Guards have never played a more important role for the benefit of you and me. Despite this they are never far away from getting bashed by the society they protect.

Two moments involving tragedies and security guards in Melbourne highlight the two forms of public attention afforded security officers. The first demonstrates the absence of attention.

July the 16^th will mark the eleven year anniversary of murdered security guard Steve Rodgers. Rodgers a 44 year old father of seven was gun-down by Peter Knight while defending a Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne.

Knight, an anti-abortionist stormed the clinic’s waiting room before being challenged by Rodgers, a melee ensured and Rodgers received a single gunshot wound to the chest ending in his death. Two men near by then restrained Knight.

The subsequent court case detailed frightening evidence. Knight entered the clinic of 41 people with two bags. One included 16 litres of kerosene, ammunition, cigarette lighters, ropes, gags and torches to be soaked in kerosene. The second bag hid the modified high powered Winchester rifle.

On sentencing Knight to life imprisonment, Justice Bernard Teague spoke of how Rodgers averted a modern day catastrophe. Stating to Knight, “you were a loner on a personal crusade (to) massacre many," however “Steve Rogers got in the way of your crusade." A hero indeed.

I’d take a serious punt this is the first time you have read or heard about either this incident or Steve Rodgers.

The second tragedy demonstrates the other type of attention afforded the security industry. That is a wave of negative hysteria.

On July 3^rd 40 year old Anthony Dunning tragically died after becoming unconscious while being restrained by security personal at Crown Casino.

This tragedy has received plenty of media coverage. So it should. However questions arise over the type of media attention afforded security officers following a death.

A tabloid paper printed an ex-Crown security officer stating guards acted like “Gestapo hit squads” and “prison gangs”. Talk back radio was fuelled with personal stories of intimidation including one member of the public who pointed out the "steely glaze which Crown security get”.

The trial by media following this incident is reminiscent of what occurred immediately after the tragic death of David Hookes. The ABC’s Media Watch program found directly after that incident 100 references to Hooke’s being "bashed" and 85 to him being "attacked" in Victorian media. The word “alleged” disappeared.

In that case the Security Guards home, which included his mother, father, and brother, was set on fire in the middle of the night. His car was vandalised and ‘You are a Dead Wog’ was sprayed on the street in front of his home. Continuous attacks meant they had to sell their house and move elsewhere.

The security guard was ultimately found not guilty of manslaughter.

One without an understanding for the stresses and the strains for the job may believe it to be simple. The following research demonstrates how challenging the job can be.

Sarre’s and Prenzler 2011 study into Private and Public Policing rates of injuries found security officers Work Cover claims were for more serious injuries than the Police. Security officers were ‘two and half times’ more likely than police to report head injuries in an occupational violence claim. Furthermore, security officers on average lost 237 hours more than police on the amount of time lost as a result of injuries caused by occupational violence. This equates to almost six 40-hour working weeks!

Many of us sympathise with the dangers of Police work. How many times have you heard or said words to the affect, ‘I wouldn’t want to do that job, it’s too dangerous’! On the contrary, when was the last time you heard someone speak about the dangers of being a security guard?

However those that deal with public safety very closely are under no doubt. For instance, the following are the words of State Coroner Judge Coate,

according to the way they are purported in the media.

It’s a sad situation when a society cannot appreciate those who more than anyone else are entrusted to protect them. Some may find such a statement laughable. Those with such views may have a reality check upon viewing the following graph released in 2009 from the Australian Institute of Criminology. While security guards clearly out number police, it’s also security guards who’ have more than police increased in number with population growth.

The death of Anthony Dunning is a sad shame. So is it that despite the deeds of men and women like Steve Rodgers and countless other Security Officers you pass over every day it appears there is no industry where its’ members are as ‘guilty until proven innocent’, and are as more likely to get the crap seriously bashed out of them as that of the security industry.