09/29/2026
Armed Court Security Officer
Columbia Protection, LLC
Lincoln County, Washington
Part-Time W-2 | Approximately 10 Hours Per Week
$20.00–$30.00 Per Hour | Immediate Opening
Columbia Protection, LLC is seeking a professional and experienced Armed Court Security Officer (CSO) to support the Lincoln County Superior Court and Lincoln County District Court.
This is a unique, limited-hours public-safety position for someone who wants meaningful work in a professional judicial environment without a full-time schedule. The position typically averages approximately 10 hours per week, although actual hours vary based on the court calendar and daily docket.
The assignment is expected to continue for as long as the courts continue to require contracted security services.
This position can also serve as an opportunity to establish yourself with Columbia Protection. Successful officers may voluntarily accept additional event, patrol, court, and protective-security assignments as they become available.
Compensation
$20.00–$30.00 per hour, based on experience, qualifications, training, and demonstrated capability.
Candidates with relevant law enforcement, military, court-security, or comparable public-safety experience can generally expect compensation in the $25.00 per hour range. Final starting pay is based on the candidate's overall qualifications and experience.
Typical Schedule
The CSO is typically scheduled each Tuesday and the last three Thursdays of each month.
Court generally begins between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m., depending on the court, docket, and type of hearings taking place.
Court typically concludes around 3:00 p.m., but the officer must remain on duty until court is fully out of session for the day, regardless of when proceedings conclude.
Court schedules are generally predictable and are often available up to one year in advance. Last-minute changes or cancellations are uncommon but may occur.
Duty Location
The CSO supports both Lincoln County Superior Court and Lincoln County District Court, which operate from separate buildings located on the same street.
Assignments vary based on the court calendar and operational needs. The officer must be prepared to work at either facility and transition between the two when required.
Required Qualifications
Applicants must:
- Be legally eligible to work as an armed security officer in Washington
- Be legally eligible to possess and carry a fi***rm
- Possess a valid driver's license and maintain a clean and acceptable driving record
- Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills
- Demonstrate sound judgment, maturity, integrity, discretion, and dependability
- Be capable of interacting professionally with judges, attorneys, law enforcement, court personnel, defendants, witnesses, and members of the public
- Be comfortable working independently and exercising substantial professional discretion
- Be comfortable using a smartphone and mobile applications for scheduling, reporting, communication, and evidence documentation
- Be physically capable of performing the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation
- Maintain reliable availability for accepted and assigned court dates
Strongly Preferred Qualifications
Prior law enforcement or military experience is strongly preferred.
Particularly relevant backgrounds include:
- Law enforcement or patrol
- U.S. military service
- Military police, security forces, or force protection
- Corrections
- Court or judicial security
- Government facility security
- Armed protective services
- De-escalation or crisis intervention
Law enforcement or military service is not an absolute requirement. Candidates with substantial professional security experience, particularly in court, judicial, government, or other high-responsibility armed environments, may be considered when they otherwise demonstrate the judgment, professionalism, experience, and capabilities required for the position.
Selection Process
Candidates must successfully complete Columbia Protection's selection and qualification process, including:
- Formal board interview
- Physical fitness evaluation
- Comprehensive background investigation
- Drug screening
- Required fi***rms and weapons qualifications
- Applicable Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission testing, training, and qualification requirements associated with the assignment
- Any other applicable licensing, training, certification, or client requirements
Successful completion of the selection process does not automatically guarantee assignment.
Licensing and Pre-Duty Requirements
An existing Washington armed security guard license is strongly preferred, but Columbia Protection may consider an otherwise qualified candidate who needs to complete the applicable licensing process after hire.
Before being placed into armed duty status, the officer must possess all licenses, permits, qualifications, and training required for the assignment.
A valid Washington Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is required before duty status.
Columbia Protection provides required:
- CPR training
- First Aid training
- Stop the Bleed training
Additional fi***rms, weapons, use-of-force, and assignment-specific training and qualifications will be required as applicable.
Primary Responsibilities
The CSO will:
- Provide armed security during court operations
- Maintain courtroom and courthouse safety and order
- Maintain a visible, alert, and professional presence
- Conduct access-control and security-screening duties as assigned
- Recognize and respond to suspicious, threatening, or disruptive behavior
- Assist judges and court personnel with security-related concerns
- Coordinate and assist law enforcement personnel when appropriate
- Es**rt prisoners or individuals in custody when required
- Detain and restrain combative or non-compliant subjects when lawful and necessary
- Use reasonable force when lawful and necessary to protect court personnel, members of the public, the officer, or others
- De-escalate situations whenever practical
- Complete accurate activity and incident reports
- Properly document and preserve security-related evidence
- Provide courteous assistance and direction to members of the public
- Protect confidential and sensitive information
Courtroom Direction and Independent Judgment
The CSO works closely with the judiciary and exercises a high degree of independent judgment and discretion.
While assigned to court, the officer will primarily take direction from the presiding judge regarding courtroom security, order, and court-related operational needs.
The CSO will also assist and coordinate with law enforcement and authorized court personnel as appropriate.
The officer is expected to independently recognize developing security concerns and take reasonable action within their authority without requiring direction for every routine decision.
This requires the ability to appropriately balance judicial direction, coordination with law enforcement, Columbia Protection policies and post orders, applicable law, and independent professional judgment.
Physical and Operational Requirements
The CSO must be capable of performing the essential protective functions of the assignment, including:
- Standing and walking for extended periods while wearing body armor and a duty belt
- Moving rapidly in response to emergencies
- Es**rting prisoners when required
- Physically restraining or controlling combative individuals when lawful and necessary
- Maintaining control until a situation is resolved or custody is transferred
- Assisting with emergency response and evacuation
- Using reasonable force when necessary and legally justified
Candidates must successfully complete Columbia Protection's required physical fitness evaluation.
Uniform and Duty Equipment
The required uniform includes:
- Gray uniform pants
- Black polo shirt
- Black external body armor carrier
- Approved duty belt and equipment
- Columbia Protection identification and patches
Columbia Protection provides required agency patches.
The CSO is expected to maintain a complete approved equipment complement appropriate for an armed court-security assignment, including:
- Duty fi***rm and am******on
- TASER or approved conducted-energy weapon
- OC spray
- Expandable baton
- Handcuffs/restraints
- Body-worn camera
- Individual medical/trauma equipment
- Body armor
- Communications and other required equipment
Officers may supply personally owned equipment, but all personally owned fi***rms, weapons, armor, restraints, and other duty equipment must be approved by Columbia Protection Administration before use.
Documentation and Technology
The CSO must be comfortable using a smartphone for:
- Scheduling
- Electronic activity and incident reporting
- Evidence documentation
- Photographs when appropriate
- Operational communication
Reports must be clear, accurate, timely, and professional. Documentation may involve criminal activity, use-of-force incidents, court proceedings, or other significant matters where attention to detail is essential.
Confidentiality and Professional Conduct
Court Security Officers may encounter sensitive, confidential, restricted, or nonpublic information involving court proceedings, defendants, victims, witnesses, judicial personnel, and law enforcement activities.
The CSO must maintain strict professional discretion and appropriately safeguard reports, photographs, body-camera footage, evidence, and other sensitive information.
Integrity, impartiality, confidentiality, and professional conduct are conditions of continued assignment.
Attendance and Reliability
Dependability is essential.
Because the CSO fills a specialized role supporting court operations, unscheduled absences or late arrivals can create significant operational and security problems.
Officers are expected to arrive on time, properly uniformed and equipped, maintain reliable attendance for assigned court dates, and remain on duty until court concludes.
Candidates should only apply if they can make their scheduled court dates a dependable commitment.
Additional Work Opportunities
The regular Lincoln County court schedule is the officer's primary commitment.
Additional assignments outside that schedule are voluntary and may include:
- Additional court coverage
- Special events
- Patrol coverage
- Temporary security assignments
- Other armed protective-services details
The CSO is not required to remain on call for these opportunities. Additional work depends on operational needs, qualifications, performance, and availability and is not guaranteed.
The Officer We're Looking For
This position requires more than someone who can carry a fi***rm and stand a security post.
We are looking for an individual who can professionally interact with a judge, assist an attorney or member of the public, coordinate effectively with a Sheriff's deputy, recognize a developing security problem, de-escalate conflict, and act decisively when intervention becomes necessary.
Customer service, judgment, discretion, and communication are just as important in this position as tactical capability.
For an experienced professional looking for a limited-hours public-safety assignment, this is an opportunity to serve in a meaningful role while establishing a relationship with Columbia Protection and potentially taking on additional assignments as they become available.
Immediate availability is preferred.
Applicants should submit a resume detailing relevant law enforcement, military, court-security, armed-security, public-safety, and customer-service experience.
Please submit resumes to: [email protected]
Columbia Protection, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
