# Sheriff's Office training security guards to boost force



## samadam78

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has trained the first of what he expects will be hundreds of private security guards who have signed up to help deputies apprehend wanted suspects, secure crime scenes and search for missing persons.
But officials with the county's largest deputy's union are slamming the partnership's effectiveness and questioning whether Harris County could face legal liability for possible misconduct by the private security guards because of the training.
Garcia announced the partnership Thursday at the sheriff's office training academy near Humble, where 60 private security guards who passed a background check underwent an eight-hour course in note-taking, crime-scene preservation, threat detection and dispute resolution. Training will be four times a year, and the sheriff said he hopes to have 200 to 300 security officers on board by year's end.
"It makes sense that we develop a greater coordination between law enforcement and private security so that it ultimately enhances public safety out in the community," Garcia said. "Because these security professionals are already working in some of the toughest neighborhood and toughest areas, it makes sense."

Robert Goerlitz, president of the Harris County Deputies Organization, criticized the sheriff's plan.
"This is nothing but a smoke and mirrors play at saying we're going to have more boots on the ground, which is ridiculous," Goerlitz said. "It's basically a continuing education course for security guards - we're adding to their education on the county dime."
The sheriff said the security officers, and their companies, are screened and subjected to background checks and are not being deputized or given enhanced police powers. Garcia said the department will never have the number of officers it would like patrolling, so it has turned to 25,000 local security officers for assistance.
Legal advisers reviewed the partnership, known as Law Enforcement and Private Security (LEAPS), "and we're satisfied it is a proper use of county funds and resources," said assistant county attorney Robert Soard.
Larry Karson, a criminal justice instructor at the University of Houston-Downtown, said the partnership has a "great potential" to help criminal investigations.
"The sheriff's office is trying to develop a partnership with the private industry who are the first responders in many cases to crimes on private property," said Karson, who was also a federal law enforcement official. "And if they're trained not to contaminate a crime scene when they discover one, it allows the sheriff's investigators to better prosecute the case."
_*Partnership problems*_
If terrorists attacked a Houston refinery, plant security guards would likely be the first to respond, so training them how to preserve evidence and protect the crime scene would be crucial to any investigation, he said.
But such a partnership could create problems with some guards who may decide to abuse their authority, he added.
"The potential pitfall is some security officer may develop an attitude of wanting to be a law enforcement officer, where they are a cop wannabe and you have the problem that developed in Florida,'' Karson said, referring to the recent slaying of an African-American teen by a neighborhood watch officer.
Bob Burt, the past president of the Associated Security Services and Investigators for the State of Texas, said Dallas County has operated a similar program since 1995. Garcia's program differs by including in-house corporate security officers, as well as those working at industrial plants, he said.
"Our client base &#8230; is very much on board," Burt said, "because they recognize we are increasing our professionalism, our observation skills, in an effort to help law enforcement but certainly not to replace law enforcement."
The security guards will receive a certificate and a uniform pin to show they were trained by the sheriff's office, said spokeswoman Christina Garza.
"We certainly don't want them to carry out law enforcement duties," Garza said, "but we want them to be the best witnesses, the eyes and ears, to give us the best information to make that arrest."

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...s-office-training-security-guards-3426972.php


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## kwflatbed

They must be foaming at the mouth on privateofficer.com


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## CJIS

There are so many issues with this it is not even funny. Then I read the 8 Hours?!? part and thats where I became even more concerned. This has epic fail written all over it.


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## pahapoika

i'm guessing the sheriff has some retirement plan in mind ?

like owning a security company ?

kind of like politicians that push for flagmen and just so happen to own an interest in a flag company


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## csauce777

CJIS said:


> There are so many issues with this it is not even funny. Then I read the 8 Hours?!? part and thats where I became even more concerned. This has epic fail written all over it.


I don't agree with any security outfit replacing or interfering with law enforcement, but simply providing 8 hours of training isn't going to make or break anything.

Massachusetts happens to be a state where anyone can work in security with absolutely ZERO training. In California for example, you cannot work as a security guard unless you are licensed by the state. An 8 hour class is required for unarmed guards prior to licensing. It essentially covers the absolute do's and dont's. Ironically, California security officers can make a private persons arrest (citizens arrest) for any public offense committed in their presence based on probable cause, AND the IN FACT rule as it applies to a crime actually being committed. It used to be a felony, and I believe still may be criminal, for a peace officer to refuse to accept any prisoner arrested by a private citizen. In other words, if Joe Blow approaches a cop in Long Beach and says, "here officer, I arrested this guy for public pissing." The officer MUST take custody of the suspect and either release with a notice to appear or book them.


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## Hush

I don't see the issue with giving these guys training, it's the "authority" that will arouse the whackers. 

NYPD used to give no firearms training at all beyond qualification because they thought guys who knew how to shoot would shoot. Nothing wrong with a little extra knowledge.

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## HousingCop




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## Hush

Its only legal in 3 states....and this isn't one of them!

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## Guest




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## soxrock75

HousingCop said:


>


"Class of Thursday, 3:30pm!"


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## Edmizer1

I have a friend that works in Texas. If someone calls their PD and wants to report a past non-violent crime, a civilian report taker responds in a Dodge Neon. A former chief had proposed civilian detectives. The plan was that they would investigate non-major crimes and refer the results to sworn staff. It never got off the ground but it shows where the thinking is.


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## Kilvinsky

We all know what it's like to deal with non-trained security officers. If giving them some training (not the company training, REAL training supervised and conducted by local law enforcement) I cannot see any harm. As was clearly pointed out by *Hush*, they are NOT being given more authority. I would much rather have guards told what they can and CANNOT do than have the company or client telling them that and having them interfere with MY job.

Where I work, we've been BEGGING for the department to set the guidelines and instruct these people because subsequently it's the clients* and the company of the contract guards telling them what IS and IS NOT expected of them. So far, we're getting no where, but I won't comment on that. (without commenting on the whole thing-they constantly bug us for information that is none of their business, ask questions they shouldn't ask, essentially take over calls at times until politely-or not so much so-told to STFU)

If you have an opportunity to make it very clear what their jobs are all about and how to do them better without causing the responding police to want to shoot them, I'm all for it. We've been to many calls where it would have been FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC to have the guard know enough to set up a perimeter and stand back INSTEAD of charge in like it's thier call, to get info from people without doing a real field interview until we get there.

Sadly, sometimes because they don't have proper training, the guards will show up, handle something (often incorrectly) and either ruin something, never call us, or call us well after the fact.

I know, I know, many of my municipal bretheren claim we do the same, maybe in the past and who knows, maybe still on some jobs, but ok, if you feel that way, I would think you'd be all rah rah for better training on how to help without screwing everything up!

It seems pretty freakin' clear to me. Train these people, train them right and then HANG them if they do it wrong. You can't hang someone for doing something wrong if they've never been told how to do it right.

*Though only one company provides security, the screwed up way the university works is, each entitiy hires the guards and determines how many they want, and the duties and responsibilities of said guards, not the PD. The PD COULD have a say, I'm sure but the powers that be are more concerned with internal politics, covering their own asses and screwing people over. It's complicated.)


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## soxrock75

Kilvinsky said:


> *Though only one company provides security, the screwed up way the university works is, each entitiy hires the guards and determines how many they want, and the duties and responsibilities of said guards, not the PD. The PD COULD have a say, I'm sure but the powers that be are more concerned with internal politics, covering their own asses and screwing people over. It's complicated.)


Kilv, if I recall correctly, I thought the HUPD oversaw the entire contract as a whole and does have some say. However, you are right, it is fragmented in that each school (FAS, HBS, KSG etc.) has their own people that oversee the contracts. Makes it very difficult to standardize operations across the University.


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## Kilvinsky

The department is said to oversee the whole thing, but no one wants to rock the boat (well, no one above the rank of patrolman and most sergeants). It's sad really, very sad. I'm not saying I want our department to RUN the whole show, whether or not it should, but there doesn't even seem to be much of a say in ANYTHING, rules, regs, training, NOTHING. Our dispatchers are responsible for dispatching the guards, that's it, at least that's sure as hell how it looks from our standpoint.

YEARS ago, the B-school security had a flashing blue light on the roof of it's little cart. THAT was stopped immediataly. Now, who knows, they might allow them to carry assault rifles AND have blue lights.


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## Sgt Jack

Harris County isn't the only place starting to do this. A Minnesota community did this last fall. Not to sound like an alarmest but considering we already have private prisons, I'm wondering if this isn't the start of a precedent.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/10/22/minn-city-to-use-private-security-instead-of-cops/


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## pahapoika

there was a case some years back where this gated community had it's own security. they had these guys doing everything from patrolling the area to waking up people's kids to go to school !!!

needless to say like all low paying jobs not the best people were hired and allot were caught stealing, raping, selling drugs, etc.

like the private prisons it all seemed like a good idea until high level inmates find their way into these low level security prisons and well, bad things happen.

you get what you pay for and if the good citizens of Harris County want security guards to protect them i say good luck with that.


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## Kilvinsky

I would hope that Harris County isn't wanting the guards to protect the citizens so much as to not screw up things before the cops arrive. If you have a crime scene and for whatever reason, security guards happen across it (it's on the property they already protect, they happen to be going by, etc) would you really want someone who had no friggin' clue running in and potentially destroying evidence, shoo-ing away potential witnesses or just acting like a cop, or would you prefer they knew enough to stay back, get people away from the scene and set up a perimeter WITHOUT scaring them off and preserving the scene until those who know what they're doing get there? I'd rather the latter. We've had way too many calls where the guard on duty was well meaning but broomed the call until it was too late, handled it WRONG and we had to wade in and straighten things out, or just blow a call entirely because they didn't know any better.

Train them and a) preserve a scene; b) potentially save them from hurting themselves or others; c) save you from any extra work; d) potentially save your OWN life.

A wannabe who thinks he knows best will screw things up. A guard who is made to feel part of the TEAM and is trained, WON'T as likely screw things up later. Make 'em feel like they're working WITH you, and they just might. Make 'em feel like they're in the way, and they might SHOW you.


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## pahapoika

In the near future, Detroit, Michigan is on the verge of collapse due to financial ruin and unchecked crime. The mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products enters into a contract with the city to run the police force. OCP plans to destroy "Old Detroit" to replace it with the utopia of "Delta City".


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## Kilvinsky

I get the joke and it IS funny.


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## Kilvinsky

oh and BTW, in "Armed and Dangerous" John Candy's character was an EX-COP who was bounced because he nearly caught a crooked cop breaking into a store. So, it's not like he was some whacker out playing cop. He WAS a cop, playing cop. Got his job back in the end as I recall.


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## soxrock75

Kilvinsky said:


> oh and BTW, in "Armed and Dangerous" John Candy's character was an EX-COP who was bounced because he nearly caught a crooked cop breaking into a store. So, it's not like he was some whacker out playing cop. He WAS a cop, playing cop. Got his job back in the end as I recall.


Ya - he liked to go deeeeep undercover too!


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## Kilvinsky

My usual off duty attire is very similar to Eugene Levy's outfit. It's quite comfortable though you gotta be REAL careful with the wrist bands.


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## niteowl1970

Kilvinsky said:


> My usual off duty attire is very similar to Eugene Levy's outfit. It's quite comfortable though you gotta be REAL careful with the wrist bands.


I agree about comfort. This is my radio ninja posse kicking back.


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## Kilvinsky

Without the DOLLA Signs, it just lounge wear.

Hey, you know how cops wear their badges around their neck? Maybe BANKERS could take up the 'sign' in a similar way.


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## TNICE

I think it's a bad idea and its money they could be spending to hire more officers. Which in turn would help the officers and department more.


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## kwflatbed

The last post in this thread was 8 months ago, try responding to more recent threads.


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