The security industry runs on trust. Your clients trust you with keys, access to restricted areas, and to sensitive information. They also trust you to represent them fairly and professionally. The public trusts you to stay fair and in control when emotions run high. The police and justice system trusts your notes and reports, when facts are disputed. Your employer trusts you to act with a high level of professionalism, even when no one is watching.
Personal integrity keeps all those pillars standing.
The Private Security and Investigative Service Act’s (PSISA) Code of Conduct sets the tone for security in Ontario. ACT with honesty and integrity.
ASIS International says the same thing, in its own way. Truthfulness, honesty, and integrity are non-negotiable.
Integrity is not just a slogan. It is the foundation of your daily decision-making process.
What Integrity Means in Security Work
Integrity means telling the truth when lying feels easier. Integrity means you follow policy even when nobody is watching. Integrity means you do the right thing even when the wrong thing would “solve” the problem faster.
Integrity shows up in much of your daily routine. It shows up in:
Your reporting
- Accurate times.
- Accurate quotes.
- Accurate descriptions.
- No added or modified details to make yourself look better, hide mistakes, or take undeserved credit.
Your use of force decisions
- Only what is necessary.
- Only what is lawful.
- Stop when the threat has been safely managed.
Your treatment of others
- Respect to all.
- No discrimination.
- No ego-driven “lessons” or retribution.
Your handling of property and information
- No pocketing items.
- No “borrowing” property that doesn’t belong to you.
- No gossiping or sharing sensitive information about incidents or people.
Your willingness to be accountable
- Body-worn cameras.
- Incident reviews.
- Questions from supervisors.
- Police statements.
Why Integrity Matters More Than Skill
Skills matter… training matters… experience matters. But integrity matters even more.
A security guard may have strong skills, but if they lack integrity they become a liability. A security guard with strong integrity AND solid training becomes a professional.
A lack of integrity exposes both the guard and their employer to significant risk, including:
Licencing risks
Under the PSISA, the public can lodge complaints against licensed security guards regarding compliance with the law and the Code of Conduct. If you lose your licence, your reputation takes a beating, and your career path narrows fast.
Criminal risk
If you lie in an official setting, such as a courtroom, you violate the criminal code. Perjury includes making false statements under oath or solemn affirmation with intent to mislead. Making a mistake during an incident is bad enough. Lying about it in court makes it so much worse.
Civil risk
The civil justice system punishes credibility lapses. Poor documentation and changing stories make it easy for them to challenge you. Once credibility is eroded, everything you say gets questioned. If it is between your word and theirs, the courts will side with the person deemed to have the most integrity.
Employment risk
Not all misconduct leads to criminal charges or civil action. However, policy violations or conduct that puts the organization’s reputation at risk can lead to discipline.
Reputation risk
The security industry is a surprisingly small world. Industry leaders collaborate, and word travels fast. Videos posted on social media travel even faster.
Lack of Integrity in the Real-World
Assault at Dollarama
In October 2024, Global News in Toronto reported that a security guard at a Dollarama store had been charged with assault after being caught on video repeatedly striking a customer. Not only did the police view this as excessive force, but the retailer also noted that force is not authorized under their policy. You can view the video HERE.
Even without all of the details, it’s easy to see from the video and eyewitnesses that the optics of this incident are poor. Self-control and professionalism go hand in hand with integrity, and all must be factored into decisions made and actions taken. Security’s role is enforcement, and force is sometimes required. However, when it looks like retribution, the integrity of the guard, his security company, and the Dollarama brand are called into question.
Fraud in long-term care guard placement
In December 2025, Kawartha 411 reported that criminal code charges of fraud over $5,000 and utter forged documents had been filed against 3 individuals over a scheme to expedite the placement of security guards in Ontario long-term care facilities.
This example goes beyond the actions of just one security guard. This time, there was a lack of integrity at the leadership and administrative level of the organization. If the people running the organization can’t be trusted to follow proper hiring and vetting procedures, can they be trusted for anything at all?
Now for a positive example
A lack of integrity can lead to many problems, many of which are newsworthy. Positive examples get much less attention than they should.
In Victoria, BC a security guard was formally recognized with a Civic Service Award by the Victoria Police Department. The guard, Derreck George, leapt into action when a shoplifting suspect violently attacked the store manager.
This example provides a counterbalance to the Dollarama example. In both incidents, security used force. However, the purposes were very different. One was to prevent harm, while the other was to get retribution for a perceived slight. One increases trust in security through professional actions, while the other harms the reputation of the entire industry.
How a lack of integrity shows up
While a lack of integrity can sometimes be seen in big incidents, they are often hidden within small, everyday actions. It shows up in things like:
Incorrect times in reports
In an effort to cover up errors in judgment, guards may modify certain incident event times in their notes and reports. For example, the time between being dispatched and arriving on scene may be shortened to make it appear that the response was faster than it really was. False information in reports often doesn’t hold up under scrutiny and can invalidate the content of the entire report. One lie makes all of the information suspect. In front of a judge or other adjudicator, the consequences can be severe. If you truly aren’t sure the exact times, write “approx.” If you did check a clock to determine the time, note the source.
Exaggerating the level of resistance
To justify their response, guards will sometimes say that the subject was behaving in a very unsafe way. For example, they may state that the subject took a swing at them, to make the fact that they had punched the subject seem more appropriate. However, if video footage or eye witness statements show that the subject had actually pushed the guard, not punched them, the credibility of the entire account of events is doubted, as is the trustworthiness of the guard. Be sure to document what actually happened, not what you wish had happened.
Doing “favours” for tenants or staff
Small favours become expectations. Expectations become pressure. Pressure leads to questionable decisions and conflicts of interest. Be firm but fair in your relationships with stakeholders at your site. Know your policies and employer expectations, and keep to them with professionalism and integrity.
Using position for personal gain
Security guards often have access to property and information that are not theirs. Taking or using them without permission is more than a breach of ethics, it may be illegal. Guards are sometimes in a position of power and influence over others. Using this authority to intimidate or pressure vulnerable people is highly unethical. Looking the other way in exchange for personal favours is another example of poor integrity. Security guards are in positions of trust and authority. Ethical guards understand their role, and feel a moral duty to perform it correctly.
Where integrity shows up
In your documentation
Your reports are where integrity becomes permanent. It is your account of events, written so that others can understand what happened, why, and what was done about it. This information matters…a lot. It is expected that the information will be accurate and trustworthy. So, be sure to always:
- Write the truth as you understand it.
- Write it the way you observed it.
- Write it in plain language.
Do not write to protect ego, sway opinion, punish someone, or impress the police. Write it so that anyone and everyone who reads it will understand it. Write it so that you could rely on it in court if necessary.
The same is true of your notes. It is from these that the report is written. Your notes are your anchor in court. If they are honest, accurate, and consistent, you stand strong and professional. If they are padded with lies and exaggerations, your entire character is harmed.
Use of force decisions
A security guard’s character shows through when it comes to the use of force. Guards with strong integrity view force as an option of last resort, and try to use only the minimum amount necessary to manage the subject. Guards with less integrity tend to jump to a hands-on approach more quickly, and are more likely to use more force than is necessary.
Always remember:
- Integrity means you do not use force to send a message.
- Integrity means you do not use force for the thrill of it.
- Integrity means you do not use force as retribution.
- Integrity means you reduce and stop as the level of threat reduces and stops.
The Dollarama incident is a great example of what appears to be force applied inappropriately and unprofessionally.
Conclusion
If you want to be seen as a professional security guard, you must act like one. It requires effort and consistency.
Professionalism is built into the security industry through legislation like the PSISA Code of Conduct and industry best practices, supported by good training programs and standards. Some of these great training programs can be found at SecurityGuardCourse.ca
Security is not a casual job. It is a regulated industry focused heavily on integrity. Security guards are not bouncers, bullies, or judges. They are safety-focused; there to protect vulnerable people, property, and reputations. They do it with calm authority, restraint, and an unshakable personal integrity. If a guard can hold their head high as they explain to their supervisor, the police, or a judge why they took a certain action, they chose to act with integrity.
References
ASIS International. (2023). Code of ethics. ASIS International. https://www.asisonline.org/security-news/code-of-ethics-and-code-of-conduct/code-of-ethics/
Canada. (1985). Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, s. 131 (Perjury). Justice Laws Website. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-131.html
Global News. (2024, October 25). Dollarama security guard charged over incident with customer caught on camera [Video]. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/video/10831785/dollarama-security-guard-charged-over-incident-with-customer-caught-on-camera
Kawartha 411 Staff. (2025, December 16). Three people charged in alleged scheme to help secure employment of security guards in long-term care homes. Kawartha 411. https://www.kawartha411.ca/2025/12/16/three-people-charged-in-alleged-scheme-to-help-secure-employment-of-security-guards-in-long-term-care-homes/
Ontario. (n.d.). Ontario Regulation 363/07: Code of Conduct (under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005). Government of Ontario, e-Laws. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070363
Paladin Security. (2017, February 8). Paladin Security officer awarded a civic service award by the Victoria Police Department. Paladin Security. https://paladinsecurity.com/community/paladin-security-officer-awarded-a-civic-service-award-by-the-victoria-police-department/