Through the Eyes of a Security Operative

By T Mogford

The author, T Mogford, after working within the security sector for over 25 years wanted to write this book to give the public an insight into the work and things that they see on a day-to-day basis within this industry. From his time working as a doorman to eventually working as a Crown Court Security Supervisor, it is filled with insights of the author’s years working in this environment and in his opinion how two days are never the same, where one quiet day could turn very volatile on the turn of a sixpence. ‘You just never know who is going to come through the front doors’ is just one of his sayings. How he works on the front line with his staff so they are the first point of contact. The author explains the qualities you need to be able to do this work to the best of your ability. Terry has written this from extracts from his diaries that he has kept over the years as well as from memories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398478541

T Mogford

T Mogford grew up on a council estate in South Wales. This was where he learnt to be a part of a community. He has worked within security for over 25 years and has won a bravery award as well as an integrity award. Since becoming a court-security supervisor, he has won a combination of nine awards with his team.

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Through the Eyes of

a Security Operative

T Mogford

Austin Macauley Publishers

Through the Eyes of a Security Operative

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

Acknowledgement

About the Author

T Mogford grew up on a council estate in South Wales. This was where he learnt to be a part of a community. He has worked within security for over 25 years and has won a bravery award as well as an integrity award. Since becoming a court-security supervisor, he has won a combination of nine awards with his team.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to all the hard-working security operatives all around the world who do a very professional job in keeping people safe but most importantly to my team who I work with day in, day out.

Copyright Information ©

T Mogford 2022

The right of T Mogford to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398478534 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398478541 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my wife, Anne, for helping me to complete this book.

Also, thanks to my colleagues for the experiences we have shared whilst working in the security industry.

I was born at the Lydia Beynon Hospital, Newport, in 1964. The Lydia Beynon is now the Celtic manor, or a large part of it is. I grew up on a council estate in High Cross, Rogerstone.

I have written this book to give people an insight into the issues and problems that we encounter on a daily basis working within the security industry. I have been candid and honest when mentioning the experiences and incidents I have encountered while working in various security roles over the past 30 years.

You may ask: why did you choose to go into security? The following are the reasons why.

Previously, I worked for 23 years as a charge hand for the local authority in the ground’s maintenance department and thoroughly enjoyed it, but the local authority then started making redundancies. They asked long-term staff like me if we were interested in taking voluntary redundancy. Some of my colleagues and friends started to leave, and I could see that the job was not the same as it had been, and, to be honest, the enjoyment had gone.

So, in 2010, I took voluntary redundancy.

It was while working for the local authority that I also started working for extra money as a door supervisor on a Friday and Saturday evening. The main reason for the extra income was that I was going through a messy divorce and had applied for custody of my two children from that marriage, which I did eventually get. As a result, because I had ‘worked the doors’, I then thought that the most logical step would be to pursue a career in security.

After I took redundancy, I was out of work for roughly seven months before I started as a relief-security officer in an admin building where they X-rayed mail that was being taken to prisoners. The job was okay, but I wanted something more interesting, so I applied for the position of security officer in an immigration court, which I got. Now, although perhaps working in all manner of security roles, there is still a set of skills that are mandatory to this industry that are the basic fundamentals you will need to use on a daily basis. They are adaptability to different situations, always being honest and working as a team player, not forgetting that there are also times when you have to be a very good listener.

Okay, back to my experiences working as a door supervisor. One thing I could never quite understand while working in this role was the effect that alcohol has on some people. I have seen the most placid of people come into our venues, get pissed up and become very obnoxious, completely out of character. It’s an eyeopener. As a result, the job can be very challenging because trying to talk to people when they are drunk is an art in itself. I remember working in a local hotel and they had a Soul Band playing there with a disco to finish. It was a good night, and the venue was