New Regulations on Private Patrols is Not the Solution

In regard to last year's private patrol chase, I do not believe that increased regulation on private patrol companies is the solution to prevent future incidents of this kind.

I have owned and operated a private patrol in Southern California for nearly a quarter century , and I have yet to see where heavy handed municipal regulations have ever stopped a patrol operator or employee from exercising poor judgment, or acting out in a malevolent manner. Unfortunately these things will happen in our industry just as they do in every other occupational environment.

From the 1970s through 2000, the Los Angeles Police Commission required private street patrol operators to comply with a laundry list of regulations that restricted nearly every aspect of street patrol operations from the color of the officer's uniforms,(slate grey), to the caliber and ammunition  of firearms carried on duty. The City even required all street patrol officers to wear the same coin-sized badge. The only thing any these regulations ever accomplished was more work for management.

Let society punish those who break the law, and not those who follow it.

Comments

[Scott]

It may be helpful to view what happened in Sacramento surrounding the theft of that air conditioner in the context of, "Are clients expecting too much from PS?" and "Can PS depend on LE to pick up a case as necessary?" Of those who criticize the guards for going after these suspects with such tenacity, who has had a chance to review the language of the post orders for that account, the incident history of the site, or the reliability reputation of the local law enforcement (who probably were unable to find the suspects until alerted to the pursuit)? It applies in the twenty-first century as well as in the nineteenth: If you don't want PS taking the law into their own hands, make sure LE is on the ball to keep that from becoming necessary.

[Darin Williams]

Good point, Scott.

[Bill]

I have to agree with the post by Scott. The only way some suspects get caught is by an alert and proactive security officer on site, not with more regulations. I have come to understand in my 20 years in this field that crimes are not getting the prosecution and or the response they once did. LE is over whelmed by all the calls for service. D.A’s only plea bargain cases, which 99% of the time is for the fastest way to clear dockets for the new incoming cases. And the prisons are overflowing with the threat by the Federal Judiciary of early release of State prison inmate’s back to prey on society, with no fear of being caught because there is no real punishment for their crimes. So in all that said, security officers with the proper training (in issues re: liability, advanced drivers training) should be able to at least follow the “direction of the flight” of suspects with say green and yellow lights activated (to differentiate between LE and Security). Until a LE unit can take over any monitoring of the direction of flight and make the final stop and apprehension. In conclusion uniform security is a visible deterrent to criminal behavior. Security these days and times are a required thing if you want to keep liability and theft at a minimum to your organization. The old days of observed and report are gone. Clients want results not excuses from their security providers.