Is security work frowned upon by law enforcement?

No. Many people that want to become police officers do security jobs, and many police officers have done or do security jobs. If you want to get a security job, get one if you can. Just keep a good record and reputation. That is very important. Whatever job you have or get, be a good employee so that you get a good reference. Any job that can improve your communication and people skills would be good to consider if you want to become a police officer. It is great that you are in college. Getting a college degree is one of the best things that you can do if you want to become a police officer. Make the most of your time and money. Get the highest grade point average that you can, participate in a couple extracurricular activities, get a good internship, do some regular volunteer work, don't do anything illegal, and maintain a good reputation. Best of luck!

I work as a security officer and all of my partners are either marines or police officers. Even being a female in the field, I've never had an issue with law enforcement. They usually like having security officers working at places because we can do everything except arrest. When I call the pd (usually a major drug bust I catch) they love that I can say here's what happened, here's your suspect. You write the reports, you are the one who is in they line of fire and then you hand it off. The sworn officers to arrest, booking, etc. They also liked me as a security officer because they can call and say "we got a report of a missing kid in your location; search ________".

I recommend do the job you are paid to do. The real politics lay within you fellow security officers. Some have huge egos and need a kick, some are very skilled and some have zero common sense.

Remember too you have to be state certified as a security officer too.

Security officers have far less training in criminal investigation, for one thing. That does not mean they are less important than fully-certified police officers, just that their authority and responsibilities are limited. As long as you're careful to stay within the strict guidelines of the agency or company you work for, I'd say go for it.