Do you think SIA Security staff should be entitled to a Blue Light Card?

Preface: Agree that no-blue lights card for security. Commercial and Warehouse security can definitely be like that at times. It isn't necessarily representative of the industry, though, and more so because those roles tend to demand less (tend is a key word here, not all sites are equal). This means that the ones who get those posts, are often (not always) less competent because it demands less from them. This is somewhat by design. Companies have obligations in their contract usually to ensure that security personnel is on site 24/7. This means there is a perpetual manpower shortage (which is why, if you struggle to find any min wage work, a SIA license is your ticket to perpetual work). This means competent staff are sent to sites that need it. Those are often not as visible to the public, you aren't seeing hospital security everyday, where they deal with physical assaults, having body fluids flung at them, and so on. Conversely, the less competent just get chucked on sites where there are low-expectations to begin with, and they are likely only really present for insurance purposes, as long as a body is there, it's all that matters. But, a lot of what security does, *ideally* goes unseen as well. That is to say, those who aren't co-workers or the client, don't truly know what the security team is getting up too. For example, when I worked in residential security, people hear that and assume "Oh that's a chill job". Except, I'm the only staff member most shifts, in a rough part of town, in a luxury condo that stands out, filled with flashy cars in the garage and some 2,000 odd people living there (IE: the population of a village). I didn't go around telling residents "Hey, there was another break-in attempt last night, I got to spend some time right next to a couple of guys with crowbars that wanted in the property, whilst I'm the only guard on site". It would potentially cause them distress. No one but the client is reading the boat load of reports, that covers everything from medical emergencies, police calls, domestic violence incidents, car-thefts, suicides, flooding, and attempted break-ins, ontop of the more regular smaller shit like maintenance, property damage and ticketing of vehicles. The latter being daily occurrences, the former being almost daily. If a site is busy for the guard team, and those guards are competent, it can often seem like they are doing nothing. But usually, that is because they are switched on enough to take preventative measures seriously. For example, before and after I left, we had multiple issues with car thefts. Conversely, during my time, there were attempts but nothing successful. It's one of those industries where, if you do your job properly, it's hard to quantify that you are doing things right to people that aren't directly working alongside you. Likewise, so many attempted break-ins and trespasses, that I could have pretty easily missed if I was negligent, but instead were resolved. Likewise, when it comes to being accused of power trips...lowkey, most of us think the rules we are enforcing are stupid too. But we have to follow policy and do our jobs, there are often legal reasons behind them. Yes I know you work here and just forgot your key-card, no I can't just scan you in, if I do I'll be given a write up or potentially fired and I have responsibilities to people in my life. And I wish I could just give access, my life is ten times easier if that is an option, and I wouldn't have to sit there trying to pacify someone who is about to spend 20 minutes abusing me, cussing me out, and afterwards will definitely file a complaint that arose from me doing exactly what I've been told. Luckily, I think most guards know, you are pretty much being paid to be a verbal punching bag lmao. You need thick skin. But it's still annoying, and a lot of the negative reputation whilst certainly true for some sectors of the industry, is a little unwarranted as a universal qualifier.