For some, it doesn’t take long to make an impact. In this Behind the Badge we meet Murray Meehan, a DK Security officer in Sault Ste. Marie, MI who has done just that at his Upper Peninsula work site. Murray was recognized as our client’s Team Member of the Month for November 2023 and followed that up as their official Team Member of the Year for the entire calendar year. All this happened before celebrating his first work anniversary with DK this past February. To say the least, Murray has made quite an early impression.

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Speaking with Murray over the phone revealed an infectious positive attitude and clear work ethic that made the recognition he received unsurprising to us. When we asked him about the awards, Murray spoke of the experience being “a shock,” but nice in being recognized. “I think everyone, young and old, can use more positive reinforcement,” he continued. “I appreciate being appreciated.”

Murray joined DK after retiring from a 30-year career as an officer in the U.S. correctional system. Retirement looks different for him than it does for most people, though. When he’s not working as a security guard for DK, he can be found hunting white-tailed deer on Neebish Island or officiating hockey games – a vocation he’s held for almost fifty years. In the warmer months, he and his wife, Lisa, live on their boat while spending quality time with their two children and granddaughter.

On the job, this social butterfly finds the most joy in interacting with others. Murray loves being able to help in times of need, whether it’s pushing someone in a wheelchair or directing them to their appointments. His advice to other security guards and those contemplating a security career is to remember that “customer service is at least 80% of the job.”

He takes customer service (or as we like to call it, hospitality security) to the next level by practicing de-escalation techniques on his own, too. Murray can redirect an agitated person before a situation spirals out of control by leading them away from the source of stress and simply listening to them. It’s important to “be compassionate about other people’s feelings,” he told us about the empathy he brings to the security role every day.

Murray’s favorite quote is, “The next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing.” His positive attitude reflects the grace and optimism that he brings to both his life and the second career he found in security.

Not only has Murray left a great first impression with our client in his first year, but he also makes a hospitable impact on every employee, guest, and member of the public he meets daily. We’re delighted to go Behind the Badge to acknowledge Murray’s accomplishments and thank him immensely for being a valued member of our wide-reaching security team.