NCJ Number
91981
Date Published
1983
Length
52 pages
Annotation
An investigation of New York State's private security guard industry revealed guard company involvement in illegal activities and many employed guards with criminal histories. It recommended additional State regulations and closer supervision to resolve serious problems in an industry highly susceptible to abuse.
Abstract
Under existing law, the State licenses private security agencies to be responsible for fingerprinting employees and verifying a required personal history statement. One set of the fingerprints is sent to the Department of State (DOS) for a routine criminal record check. In reality, the overwhelming numbers of security guard applicants -- over 30,000 per year -- and budgetary restraints prevent the State from performing detailed background investigations of even determining if a firm performs any work. Furthermore, the DOS has no way of determining when a licensee or employee is convicted of a crime, and its records are limited to New York State arrests and convictions. New York City requires a State license holder to obtain a separate city permit to carry or possess a weapon and has successfully closed loopholes in its licensing system and increased the resources devoted to monitoring and detecting abuse. A State investigation of selected security firms uncovered one company, System VII, which simply served as a front organization for persons who sought an expedited means of obtaining a pistol license. Another, 1900 Special Services, triggered alarms of businesses they were hired to protect, used this to justify entry, and then burglarized their own clients. The Commission proposed a restructuring of the State supervisory policy to increase emphasis on security guards, the licensing of security guard employees, a requirement that a guard firm prove it is actually operating a business, and reform in current pistol licensing procedures mandating training and periodic recertification.