Here's some fun facts: You have to be licensed by Ontario to be a security guard. They issue picture ID, take your fingerprints, and everything. You cannot be licensed if you have a conviction. Your existing license is also revoked if you are convicted. You also cannot be insured if you are not licensed. Maybe the company can give you an office job - however, major private contracts come with restrictions - re licensed personnel - bondable status - no convictions etc - because the reason private contractors hire security for the most part is to get discounts on their own liability insurance coverage. If a guard breaks the law, and gets a conviction against him, he might as well hang up his uniform after that, because he's going to be delivering pizza from now on. I didn't know the fine print on your own liability insurance means they don't have to contribute to your legal defense if the charges are against you as a guard. That's a good one. You cannot afford a legal defense in Ontario on a guards's salary. Guards are basically minimum wage employees, plus a buck or two per hour. A couple of uniform shirts provided by the company. Maybe a radio on a temporary basis. Buy your own fucking gear. That's how it is. That's also why they call the cops if anything goes down. Any citizen can detain any other citizen if law breaking occurs, but better if the cops do all the heavy lifting. You'll only get yourself in trouble unless it's open and shut, and you can prove it on video. Basically, you just intimidate the public with your uniform and authoritative commands. Keep calm, move along.