In the Line of Duty: Note from San Diego Article

In Sunday's and this morning's Daily News clips, you will see stories of a San Diego KMart security officer (and active duty Navy sailor) who was killed in the line of duty this weekend.  However, we noticed this passage in the article:

While not typically considered as dangerous as police work, security jobs can be treacherous. Newspaper archives show at least 11 security guards have been killed while on duty in San Diego County since 1986. They were guarding casinos, apartment buildings, hotels and bars.

If this is accurate, and even if it reflects all of the security officer deaths in San Diego (assuming none were not reported by the papers), it reflects a security officer killed in the line of duty once a year in San Diego.  And since San Diego represents roughly 10% of California's population, that would mean roughly ten security officers killed in California in an average year.

While there are obviously some assumptions built into this calculation, it shows that security officers face an increasingly difficult and dangerous world. 

CALSAGA has held some early internal discussions on how to protect our officers with legislation to address those who assault, attack, injure or kill a security officer.  As these discussions progress, we will keep you informed.  But if you have any thoughts on the topic, please post them here.

Comments

[William R. Petitt]

Considering where a security officer is assigned and if he/she is carrying a handgun or defensive weapons, he/she should have the same level of officer safety training and tactics and required range training that a police officer receives in the academy and on the streets. Also, consider that security officers are usually assigned where criminal activity flurishes or they wouldn't be there at all. A security officer protects and serves the same a law enforcement. Observe and report needs to be re-thought. So, why would any rightous security company assign anyone a site without the proper level of officer safety training for the circumstances in which they shall be working? I think what it comes down to is solid leadership considering safety and training first.