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Private police carry guns and make arrests, and their ranks are swelling

4K views 31 replies 15 participants last post by  BxDetSgt 
#1 ·

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The trend has raised concerns in Virginia and elsewhere because they often receive little training and oversight.
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The trend has raised concerns in Virginia and elsewhere because they often receive little training and oversight.
Michael Youlen drives to a housing complex in Manassas where he works as a private police officer. If approved, private officers can carry a weapon, make arrests and carry a badge. Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post

By Justin Jouvenal February 28 at 7:48 PM

Michael Youlen stopped a driver in a Manassas apartment complex on a recent night and wrote the man a ticket for driving on a suspended license. With a badge on his chest and a gun on his hip, Youlen gave the driver a stern warning to stay off the road.

The stop was routine police work, except for one fact: Youlen is not a Manassas officer. The citation came courtesy of the private force he created that, until recently, he called the "Manassas Junction Police Department."

He is its chief and sole officer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...f6e02e-8f79-11e4-a900-9960214d4cd7_story.html
 
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#2 ·
"SCOP"s? Sound like an anacronym for "Silly Cop. or Supposed Cop, Skanky Cop" LOL!!!!!!!!!!
 
#11 ·
Local whhhaaattt? Union? What's a union?

Any who this guy has been told repeatedly to stay in his HOAs (private property) and not interfere when the actual police are called. Also he was pretty much laughed out of the room when he tried to expand into the county's jurisdiction.

Youlen said he turns any felony-type incidents, such as assaults, rapes or shootings, over to the Manassas police to handle, but if he does go to court he testifies and provides evidence in cases just as a municipal police officer would.

First off, an assault isn't a felony in Virginia. Not that that matters anyway because Youlen HAS to turn any reported crime over to Manassas because he cannot make physical arrests and he is not DCJS (similar to POST) certified.
 
#10 ·
I don't really see how Virginia's SCOPs are much different from SSPOs in MA. Isn't any campus PD a "private Police department"? And in Boston, Rule 400s (private, for profit companies) have patrolled private housing for years. Just another slow news day.
So you're saying that a private individual can form his own police department and pick up contracts for properties to patrol as a SSPO? I have no problem with organizations doing it that have a need for a police department (schools, hospitals, railroads, colleges/universities, etc.) to protect their properties and patrons, but when an individual (or group of individuals) decides to go out and form their own police department it's over the top.
 
#12 ·
The problem with the state they are talking about is that it seams that the training requirements and oversight is not really there. It varies from state to state. In NC private/special police officers working for companies are required to receive and pass the same training as municipal, county and state officers. Their appointments and oversight is provided by the state.

In Cincinnati city there are two private police companies with full certified private police officers. The city requires all of the private officers to attend and pass the city's police academy.
So as long as there is proper training and oversight provided. I don't have a problem with it. Its not all that different than private hospitals/schools that form their own PD's in Mass.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I'm curious:
Where does he book/house prisoners?
I sure as hell wouldn't let him in the door of my station with a prisoner. I can't imagine any reasonable department would. The liability would be tremendous to be associated with this guy and his lack of training.
Who does he call for backup/assistance? Again, any smart department wouldn't want any part of whatever cluster duck this guy creates.
40 hours of training? I think we get more than that for "diversity".

Maybe things down south are different but this whole thing strikes me as ludicrous, dangerous and stupid.

Herrrdoctor- the title of the article talked about making arrests, that's why I mentioned it. What happens when someone doesn't like his suspended license ticket and beats the crap out of him? Does he have a dispatcher or maybe Manassas PD channel on his radio?
 
#14 ·
I'm curious:
Where does he book/house prisoners?
I sure as hell wouldn't let him in the door of my station with a prisoner. I can't imagine any reasonable department would.
They don't.

Who does he call for backup/assistance? Again, any smart department wouldn't want any part of whatever cluster duck this guy creates.
They ignore him and are waiting for his powers to expire
Maybe things down south are different but this whole thing strikes me as ludicrous, dangerous and stupid.
It is dangerous which is why he isn't allowed off his parking lots.
 
#27 ·
We do, there is just not the drama that goes on in MA. Security is Security and a Cop is a Cop, end of story. If you can make the arrest, make the arrest, if you can't then STFU and stand back. A lot of the security is armed, and most of them are retired from the job. They are an entireley different animal than four kids in shorts. They do not cause or create any problems. There are a few "private" police agencies, and I can think of only one issue with them. Most of the time they are actually helpful.
 
#25 ·
Not as an SSPO, there are specific categories of institutions that can form PDs are employ Police under those satutes (Chap. 22c Sections 56-68) and you mentioned most of them- hospitals, colleges, railroads, etc.
However, cities and towns can swear people in as Specials for other purposes. Longwood Security, US Security Associates, etc, all are private companies, that pick up contracts, employing Boston Special Officers, sworn under Rule 400. Boston has strict rules for SPOs, but they do have police powers on their sites. In other cases, store security are sworn as specials so they can detain shoplifters. I don't see any difference between armed Rule 400 special officers patrolling a housing complex, and what is going on in VA.
Which are for the most part established companies and have far more oversight than what this guy is doing. In Massachusetts, the best parallel I can draw is having an constable running around writing tickets, contacting people based on reasonable suspicion, and arresting based on probable cause while in a police uniform and carrying a gun. While some store security folks may be sworn in as specials, they can still do their jobs and detain people under the MGLs without it.
 
#30 ·
The title of this thread should be "Private 'police' carry guns and make arrests, and their pants are swelling" from the chubber they get being a whacker.
 
#32 ·
I recall seeing a cruiser for Hunts Point Police last time I was in NYC. I've also read that co-op city has their own PD. Those seem to be the two closest examples to private PDs in NYC. I also saw a DCAS Police Officer, I would assume they are similar to the former Boston Municipal Police.
Hunts Point is a private public saftey dept, staffed by retired cops, and are great to work with. Co-Op City is a "real" police force, and are usually pretty good. We did have one BIG issue with a private force, but the threat of BIG BLUE pulling all of their LTC fixed it. (whacker issue, enough said, but very serious whacker issue).
 
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