This year has seen few successes for increased training and regulation of security guards, according to a new Stateline report.
The news report, citing Reveal’s Hired Guns investigation, found lawmakers in many states had tried and largely failed to increase regulation of security guards this year.
About 90 security-related bills were introduced in state legislatures, the report states, but none of the bills that would have created substantial changes were enacted, according to Steve Amitay, director of the National Association of Security Companies.
“In some of these states, it’s a very anti-regulatory environment and they think any additional regulation on businesses or people performing services is bad,” Amitay said in the report. “With other folks, it’s a resource issue. For the state to start regulating an industry and requiring licenses requires initial appropriations and startup costs.”
One of the failed bills would have required guards in Connecticut to receive 16 hours of training, instead of eight, and an additional 16 hours of firearms training for armed guards. Connecticut Democratic state Rep. Stephen Dargan said he was inspired to act following the mass shootings in Newton.
“With what’s going on around the country right now and after our horrific incident in Newtown, we thought this was an important issue,” Dargan said.
But the bill failed, Dargan said, in part because of pushback from security companies.
“Sometimes, you get pushback from some of these security companies,” Dargan said. “Often, in tough economic times, it’s the cost factor.”
Check out Reveal’s interactive map to look up regulations in your state.
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