The Reluctant Security Guard

David Tuff is a security guard of Blue Mountain which is a company that manages and operates retail shopping malls. As a security guard he is required by law to report to the police all serious accidents and crimes, including felonies, occurring within the premises in which he is working. However, fourteen months after his date of employment Blue Mountain created a new company policy requiring the security guards to escort intoxicated persons, including drunk drivers, from the parking lots onto the public road. The company policy did not instruct the officers to arrest the drivers or contact the police. Tuff complained against this new company policy. He says that it is contrary to the oath he swore to uphold as required by law. When Tuff realized that the company intended to make no changes, he revealed the policy, which he deemed as disreputable, to the media. The result was public disgust against Blue Mountain. By going to the media Tuff violated company policy which prohibits employees from talking to the media about company policies. In the end Tuff was fired for violating this company policy.

The question that needs to be answered is did David Tuff take the correct action by blowing the whistle? My answer is yes. I believe that Tuff did the right thing by blowing the whistle and if I were placed in a position such as his I would do the same thing. The remainder of this paper will be an explanation as to why I believe he took the correct action.

Before Tuff blows the whistle he needs to consider who is going to be affected by his decision and how the decision will affect them. Tuff, Blue Mountain Company – security guards, other employees, and stockholders, and the general public in the areas surrounding the retail shopping malls are all major stakeholders.

David Tuff has a lot at stake. Should a sense of security be one of his most important values Tuff’s values may be conflicting. If financial and physical security are important to