Security police
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Security police are those persons, usually employed by a governmental agency, who provide police and security services to their properties.
Special police have limited arrest authority and they may or may not be able to enforce local laws depending on local law and agency policy. They protect their agency's facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors and operations from harm and who may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations. Security police may be endowed with full police powers of crime prevention, arrest, law enforcement and investigation within their jurisdictions and often nationwide. They fall into two broad categories:
- Security guards or officers with on-site only security and powers to detain criminals. And
- (State-certified) police officers whose jurisdictions may be limited to that state of the agency or organization which employs them. These include the various (state) park police forces, (not the U.S. Park Police (Which have nationwide arrest authority 24/7) campus police, who are normally hired and sworn as state or local law enforcement officers, hospital police,who are usually police hired by a private organization, (housing police)who are usually sworn by the local law enforcement agency in their area of operation, and the various U.S. states Capitol Police, who are state employed. Not to be confused with U.S. Capitol Police, who are sworn as federal law enforcement officers. An example of campus police is the Los Angeles School Police Department or George Mason University police, who have the same authority and jurisdiction as a state or local police officer in their respective jurisdictions.
Examples in the United States of federal security police are the Federal Protective Service, the Veterans Affairs Police Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service and the Federal Air Marshal Service. Some of these services may have concurrent jurisdiction with civilian local or federal police agencies, such as the United States Park Police and the National Zoological Park Police, who are sworn federal officers.
In Los Angeles are there are various examples of this:
- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department employs Security Assistants (Security Officer I) and Security Officers (Security Officer II) who assist Deputy Sheriff's and the Los Angeles County Office of Public Safety Police in the protection of various government facilities. Security Assistants are generally assigned to the Transit Services Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and serve as fare inspectors.
Security Assistants and Security Officers are also assigned to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Court Services Division in which they provide weapons screening and general security of the county's superior and municipal courts. Security Officers may also be assigned to the Community College Division in which they provide campus security to the county's community colleges. Additionally Security Officers may also be assigned to provide security at other county facilities. Some Sheriff's Security Officers believe that they are not required to possess a guard registration card, baton permit, or firearms permit. This is only true if they complete appropriate academy training as prescribed by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) in penal code section 832. Sheriff's Security Officers in compliance with applicable laws and regulations have limited police officer powers while on duty.
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Security Officers fall in the same category as far as training is concerned. Upon hire MTA Security Officers are required to attend the Rio Hondo Police Academy and successfully complete the training also prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) under section 832 of the California Penal Code. The story behind MTA Security is a very extensive one. Originally formed as a MTA Security during the 1960's, by the late 1970's they became known as RTD Public Safety, and were required to complete Basic POST training (full police academy training) that earned them full police powers by the 1980's when they became RTD Police. RTD Police began the security officer program once again and created RTD Security to RTD property including buses and trains.
By 1993 when RTD became MTA. The MTA Police continued the MTA Security Officer program. Today MTA Police is a defunct agency, an agency which merged have of its police officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. However MTA Police passed its legacy on to the remaining MTA Security Officers. Today many MTA Security Officers were formerly Transit Police Officers with the MTA Police many others have come from police agency across southland and a large portion of them are retired police officers. Thus MTA Security Officers are often called MTA Police Officers and the force is often regarded as MTA Police. Some MTA Security Officers believe that they are not required to possess a guard card, baton permit, nor a firearms permit.
- California state law is very specific on the subject of peace officers working off-duty as security officers -- they must be licensed by the state licensing authority, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. "Q3: Why are California peace officers required to: (a) possess a BSIS-issued exposed firearm permit and guard registration, be employed as an armed security guard (or bodyguard) . . . A: Since January 1, 1997, the law has required active duty peace officers who work armed as security guards, or as armed contract PIs, to possess a guard registration, or a PI license, AND an exposed firearm permit issued by BSIS. (see http://www.dca.ca.gov/bsis/peace_officer.htm )
- California law is less clear with respect to persons working for public agencies as security officers. If these persons have completed POST-certified training in accordance with PC 832 or other PC sections, they may be exempt from BSIS regulation. Officers in doubt should consult with agency legal counsel and/or the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services in Sacramento.
- Orange County Sheriff's Department's Special Officers which assist Orange County Deputy Sheriff's in different functions including policing for the county's mass transit system, civil bailiff's, as well as custody officers, and airport police. The main difference is that the Orange County Special Officer's have more training than the previously mentioned. They are required to attend a police academy which is about half the length of the entire police academy whose completion is required to become a police officer. Additionally the previously mentioned are unsworn staff while Orange County Special Officer's are sworn staff.
Security Police is the former and unofficial title of the occupation currently known as Security Forces in the U.S. Air Force.
