What Are Your Thoughts On CNN’s Armed Guard Report?

I actually had another topic in mind for this blog, but after watching CNN’s investigative report on armed guards, “Hired Guns”, I decided to respond to the report instead.  The report was a little controversial, so it is not surprising that Private Officer International also wrote a very impassioned response on their website.  In addition, CALSAGA sent out an email response detailing California’s requirements for armed guards as well.  If you haven’t seen the report you can find the first part here.  There is a second segment to the report, but a link to it has not been posted at this time.

Let me start off by saying that my heart and prayers go out to the victims and the families affected by the tragedies covered in this report.  I can’t imagine what it is like to lose a loved one, or my ability to walk in the way the report describes. Both were truly sad stories.  I also understand that when tragedies like these occur, those stories should be told.  But when they are told, they should be told with a balanced point of view and in my opinion this report was not balanced.  But in the news business, as a colleague stated, “Dog bites man doesn’t sell advertising.  Man bites dog does…”.

I do agree with the report that there is a need for a national standard for armed guards.  There has been an ongoing conversation within the industry about a national standard for security officers so that came as no surprise.  Additionally, most security professionals would also agree with the report that background checks should be performed on security officers.

What’s the Truth about Security Companies and Armed Guards?

With all that being said, here are a few aspects of the report that I disagree with.  First, the report stated that in Illinois security guard companies are not required to perform a background check to determine if an officer is eligible to carry a firearm.  That statement on its face is correct, but it is a little disingenuous.  The whole truth is that ANYONE in Illinois who wants to buy or possess a handgun is vetted by the Illinois State Police (ISP).  That vetting process requires that a background check be done on each applicant using the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  Once the applicant passes the background check, the ISP issues the applicant a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.  As a result, rather than performing a NICS check, security companies in Illinois just need to verify that the officer has a valid FOID card.  That one discrepancy on its own was enough to make me question the accuracy and validity of the rest of the report.

Second, the investigative reporter in this piece, Drew Griffin, stated that security guard companies want to keep the wages for their officers low…in what universe is that true?  Without going into a long explanation, I believe that I can just say that that statement is entirely INCORRECT.  The reality is, low officer wage rates are the result of extremely competitive bid processes and the homogenization of security guard services.

Lastly, what I took an exception with most was the insinuation that security guard companies are irresponsible and are arming anyone that comes through the door.  What I have found is that most security guard company owners and managers are intelligent and very principled people.  Many also have either law enforcement backgrounds or extensive experience in the security industry.  Consequently, based on their experiences, they are more likely to be very measured in the way that they determine who can and cannot be an armed guard.  In fact, many of the companies that I am familiar with have very strict standards for their armed guards.  Often times those standards are more stringent than what is required by regulation.

I could add another few points to this list, but I am more interested in hearing your opinion.  Here are a few questions that I would love to know your thoughts on:

  1. What was your overall impression of the report?
  2. Did you find any aspect of the report inaccurate?
  3. Why do you believe that national standards have not been adopted?

Please feel free to leave your comments and answers below.

 

 

By Courtney Sparkman

 

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