September A Deadly Month For Security and Police www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta GA. OCT 5 2008

By: Rick McCann

Executive Director

National Association of

Private Officers

http://www.privateofficer.com/

September was not a good month for the security industry when talking about the safety of its personnel.
During the month, 12 private security officers were killed in the line of duty making it the deadliest month on record since the National Association of Private Officers began tracking security officer deaths in 2004.
And the N.A.P.O. estimates that at least five others were killed during the month that was not tracked. The reason for this is because the classification of private security officers vary and so does the way that states track employee deaths.

While some areas may call them bouncers, doorman, night watchman, store guard, loss prevention, pool attendant, or other titles, they are all assigned security duties and technically fall under the security classification. Because of a lack of simplified tracking, it is often very difficult to gauge and record the true number of security officer deaths. And when trying to verify said deaths, it is often time consuming, and takes a lot of calls to various government agencies for true confirmation.

But during September, the association did confirm the following deaths:

5 died from gunshots, 2 from on duty motor vehicle accidents, 2 from heart attacks, 1 died in a plane crash guarding a rock band, 2 died from injuries sustained in assaults

Though the age range of those killed was between 25-59, the average age was 31.

During September we also tracked several hundred security officers who had been assaulted, shot, stabbed, hit with pipes and clubs, pepper sprayed, run over with motor vehicles and who were seriously injured. Many of those were loss prevention agents working for retailers.
Several are still listed in critical condition including a security officer who was on duty at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque when he was run down by a fleeing carjacker. He was gravely injured and is fighting for his life.

The month was no safer for law enforcement officers. 19 officers were killed in the line of duty. Also the deadliest month this year for on duty law enforcement deaths.

On duty security officer deaths and injuries have spiked over the past five to eight years brought on by the more frequent high risk assignments, greater responsibility, and contact with the general public, and the blurring of law enforcement type duties now being taken on by private security officers who are not trained properly for these advanced duties.
The only solution to combat these trends is better, uniform and across the board training and certification for armed and unarmed private officers.

This specific training in a wide range of topics including self defense, combat and weapons training, proactive and reactive security procedures, proper handcuffing techniques, laws of arrest and much more will save lives and decrease injuries of the private security officer.

But until then, unfortunately, private officers will continue to be injured and die in record numbers.

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