Thousands of California Guards Unlicensed, Officials Say

Jul 15, 2008 4:08 PM

           

Tens of thousands of security guards working in California have not complied with state licensing requirements, including going through rigorous criminal background checks, reports the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Among the biggest violators are guards working in the hospitality industry and at short-term events, such as music festivals and fairs.

According to officials, registering with the state is the only way to ensure that guards do not pose a threat to the public.

Part of the problem is simply a lack of awareness of state laws says Rolando Taeza, an enforcement field worker with the California state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, which regulates the industry. But, he says, some unscrupulous employers are trying to skirt the rules to cut down on costs.

The bureau is trying to improve compliance by conducting random checks at businesses and at venues that employ guards. The state is also developing guidelines to address the huge disparity in training among guards.

Contract security guards, who are typically found at hospitals, malls, concert venues and banks, must complete 40 hours of training and can carry a firearm upon completion of a class.

In-house security officers are typically employed by nightclubs, bars and pubs. But they also are found at theme parks and major retail outlets. The state does not require them to get any training, although many employers provide their own. They are not allowed to carry firearms.

All guards are required to register with the state and undergo background checks, which cost about $100. But compliance, in some cases, is extremely poor.

Only 4 percent of the state's estimated 100,000 in-house security officers have registered with the state, officials told the Riverside Press-Enterprise. The law requiring registration has been around since 2005, and nightclubs, bars and pubs are among the biggest violators.

One of the reasons for the ongoing problem is that the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services only has a team of four enforcement workers traveling the state looking for violators, and they do not have the ability to punish violators.

California State Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, who has been behind much of the state's security guard laws, says he is considering legislation that would give the bureau more enforcement powers.

Robert Smith, chief executive officer of Nightclub Security Consultants in San Diego, says the 2005 law was not widely publicized and business owners simply aren't aware of it.

Contract security guards tapped to work short-term events such as fairs and concerts are also frequent violators, officials say.

William Hodges, deputy manager of the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates, which represents contract security companies, says the association is aware of the problem of unlicensed security guards at large events. He conceded the industry still struggles to overcome the stereotypical image of guards as "rent-a-cops."

The issue, he says, is that some event promoters are contracting security companies that offer the lowest bid, but employ guards who have not been fully trained or licensed.

Hodges’ association is trying to educate businesses to hire only state-licensed security companies and to ask those companies if all their guards have the proper credentials.

Meanwhile, California state officials are developing a training course for in-house security officers, who, until now, have not been required to undergo any training.

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