In 2006, state lawmakers passed an onslaught of new legislation aimed at regulating private security companies. The effects of these laws, which expanded and strengthened security guard training, will benefit all Californians -- the private security industry and especially its customers, said Dave Katzenmeyer, president of PACWEST Security Services in San Diego.
Additionally, groundbreaking legislation was passed in Sacramento last year that for the first time deals with proprietary security workers -- in-house employees performing security duties. "This measure, however, only requires criminal background checks on employees charged with security duties. We're talking chiefly about workers employed by large retailers, such as Target, for instance," Katzenmeyer said.
"This was a good first step. But in-house security workers ultimately should be required to undergo the same training as contract private security professionals. It is my hope that eventually all uniformed security workers -- contract and proprietary -- will be trained equally to meet the highest standards possible," Katzenmeyer said.
One important law that went into effect requires all contract private security officers to complete the four-hour course, "Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness for Security Professionals."
The course materials were developed by representatives of the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, experts in private-sector security and from the University of California, Irvine. Funding for the course development came from the federal Department of Homeland Security.
"This training offers a great opportunity to add up to 400,000 sets of eyes and ears to assist California's 90,000 law enforcement officers in their efforts to prevent terrorist attacks," he said.
"For example, the course teaches security professionals to be particularly mindful about what kinds of vehicles are in a parking lot, a parking structure or parked under an overhang. It also teaches what types of behaviors should be of concern, as well as how to identify and react to acts of foreign and domestic terrorism such as bomb threats," Katzenmeyer said.
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