Time to arm our guards

[davereid]

I watched the news tonight. A security guard responded to a call for help from a small retailer. The rat-bags said, we will be back with a gun. The police, as usual were busy at a check-point, and declined to attend.

1. The police want to be armed. Why ? They never show up. The private security guard is always first on site.

2. Give guards lights, sirens and the ability to speed. If a home invasion, or a burglary needs a speedy response, why can't private guards provide the service ? In this area police are firm - they DONT go to householders burglar alarms. Yet they will go at 100mph to a burglar alarm in a policemans house !

It seems to me, that police are useless, and terrified of competition. They make the rules based on who you work for. Not how good you are.

If a burglary is worth speeding for, a private secuity guard should be able to speed. If its not worth speeding for, no one should be able to speed.

Police will say.. training, competence.. ability..

Easily solved. Make the test external. Let policemen, and private guards sit the same test. If you pass you can speed to certain events. If you fail.. well you can't.

Even better. Establish a "police funding authority".

You have been burgled. Ring the police. They are too busy to come ? Ring an accredited security company. They will come, take your statement, take fingerprints, and send the bill to the funding authority.

No risk to the police. Unless they are hopeless.

[R6_kid:Me]

Pfft most of the rent-a-cop guards I've seen couldn't chase me down on foot let alone point a gun straight enough to shoot me.

[Swoop]

Once upon a time in NZ, banks had revolvers to deter robbers.

[alanzs]

People can't rely on the police to protect them. Check out this article:

http://www.local10.com/news/13594353/detail.html

PLANTATION, Fla. -- The family of one of the men who was shot by a retired United States Marine while they attempted to rob a Subway sandwich shop said the customer shouldn't have pulled the trigger.

According to Plantation police, two armed men barged into the Subway at 1949 Pine Island Road shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, demanding money from the employee behind the counter. When they tried to force John Lovell into the bathroom, he pulled out a gun and shot both men, police said.

Donicio Arrindell, 22, was shot in the head and later died at the hospital. Fredrick Gadson, 21, was shot in the chest and ran from the Subway, but police found him in hiding in some bushes on the property of a nearby BankAtlantic.

Lovell, 71, was the lone customer at the time. Police said he had a concealed weapons permit.Gadson's grandparents told Local 10 on Thursday that Lovell was wrong for pulling the trigger."He should not have taken the law in his hands," said Rosa Jones, Gadson's grandmother.Her husband, Ivory Jones, also condemned the media for its portrayal of Lovell's actions."I don't condone what they did, (but) I definitely don't condone the news people making him out to seem like they're making a hero out of this man because he shot somebody down," he said.But Lovell's neighbor said he made the right decision."He did the right thing," said Wendi Hill. "I mean, I was glad that it was them that got shot and not him."Police said Lovell, a retired Marine, wouldn't be charged.

One less asshole preying on innocent people.

[Naki Rat]

I watched the news tonight. A security guard responded to a call for help from a small retailer. The rat-bags said, we will be back with a gun. The police, as usual were busy at a check-point, and declined to attend.

That would be the same news that saw Uncle Helen ducking for cover over the suggestion that Triads would make a better job of law keeping than the current resources (police), and last week ducking for cover over truckies protesting over the treatment the politicians are serving them up?

Am I alone in seeing a pattern emerging here?

[Swoop]

That would be the same news that saw Uncle Helen ducking for cover over the suggestion that Triads would make a better job of law keeping than the current resources (police), and last week ducking for cover over truckies protesting over the treatment the politicians are serving them up?

Am I alone in seeing a pattern emerging here?

No. We have known that the Looney Labourite sect are fuckwits, for quite some time now. Any more "ducking" and Heilen will be classifed as a mallard.

[davereid]

Pfft most of the rent-a-cop guards I've seen couldn't chase me down on foot let alone point a gun straight enough to shoot me.

The recent case of the cops that could not shoot a dog ( a dog that didn't know it was being shot at, gave them 8 chances, and was never going to shoot back) shows the cops are no better.

All I'm suggesting is that the standard of your training and ability be the standard.

Not who your employer is.

Cos the current lot couldn't catch a cold at the rugby.

[CDFloss]

I had an alarm in my house in South Africa linked to an armed response company (via phone line & radio backup). It was great. Some people say "Oh, judging by the local security guards at XYZ mall down the road I wouldnt trust them with a gun!" - but they forget that if guards are going to be armed, then they need to be trained to a higher standard, and would be paid more. In SA lots of the guards were ex-cops, as the private companies paid better for experience.

The armed response cars had rotating roof lights, and would speed to confirmed "situations". Not sure if they were technically allowed to, but never saw them getting hassled about it.

Nothing like accidently setting the alarm off getting home late one night, and within 3 minutes hearing talking outside... open the front door to see who it is, and find one guard with a glock drawn about the ring the doorbell, and his partner taking cover behind the ute with shotgun at the ready. Very reassuring I can tell you.

Can be expensive - but its worth it if the perceived risk is taking its toll on your quality of life.

[Timber020]

Arm the security guards, then the parking wardens,arm the bouncers, then the bank teller, then the postman, then the taxi driver, then the gas station attendant, then the courier driver, then everyone else, then let me know if we all feel safer.

I lived in the states, I like guns, but they didnt make me feel safer. I might be biased because I had guns drawn on me by the cops, a security guard ("put down the weopon!" he screamed with Glock aimed at me while I was lying in a deck chair reading the hunt for red october) and a kid with a 38 police special.

I do think we should have more robust law in regard to defending people or property. Texas has some good uns, but arming security guards? Man not any of the ones I have come across, I would trust my postman more.

[CookMySock]

You can't just shoot people when they do something you don't like. Having said that, I am ready to arm myself. Maybe I shouldn't then..

DB

[Mikkel]

Privatised law enforcement is a slippery slope at best.

More guns does not equal more safety.

[Finn]

Privatised law enforcement is a slippery slope

Are you referring to the Asian vigilante crime fighting group?

[Mr Merde]

Once upon a time in NZ, banks had revolvers to deter robbers.

I first started work in the National Bank in Hunters Corner in 1974. The manager (Mr Nicholson) took great delight in showing me the revolver kept in the drawer of his desk. He was also very proud of the fact that once a year he had to spend a week shooting the thing so as to qualify.

Until 1920 in the UK it was perfectly legal for citizens to hold and carry firearms, this was changed as the government of the time was scared there was going to be an armed uprising by the lower classes so they started a register. If there were a revolution they could take the firearms from the lower cl;asses and pass them to the upper class. (Factual as recorded in Hansard).

As NZ was in the habit of adopting all UK laws until very recently I am assuming that is when they also stop trusting their population and took away the basic human right of self defence and self preservation of ones self and family.

Rant over

[firefighter]

I had an alarm in my house in South Africa linked to an armed response company (via phone line & radio backup). It was great. Some people say "Oh, judging by the local security guards at XYZ mall down the road I wouldnt trust them with a gun!" - but they forget that if guards are going to be armed, then they need to be trained to a higher standard, and would be paid more. In SA lots of the guards were ex-cops, as the private companies paid better for experience.

The armed response cars had rotating roof lights, and would speed to confirmed "situations". Not sure if they were technically allowed to, but never saw them getting hassled about it.

Nothing like accidently setting the alarm off getting home late one night, and within 3 minutes hearing talking outside... open the front door to see who it is, and find one guard with a glock drawn about the ring the doorbell, and his partner taking cover behind the ute with shotgun at the ready. Very reassuring I can tell you.

Can be expensive - but its worth it if the perceived risk is taking its toll on your quality of life.

dude that sounds great but N.Z isn't as dangerous as South Africa and doesn't require that sort or protection yet!

[Steam]

I was a supervisor for Chubb and I worked for ADT Armourguard. So belive me when I say giving guards guns would be a disaster.

Most of them can't read or write properly, a lot of them are WINZ rejects who were told to apply for the job by WINZ, and they get paid five cents more than minimum wage. A lot of guards just sleep.
Would you trust a guard who can't get any other kind of job, being paid minimum wage?

On the other end of the spectrum, the guards who really do their jobs well are pretty much nutbags, eccentric, obsessive guys who hint they are in the SAS or the Armed Offenders Squad in their spare time.
They do a great job of securing a site or patrolling, but you wouldn't want to invite them for dinner unless you wanted to talk about conspiracy theories and counter-terrorism tactics for several hours. If you don't want WINZ rejects with guns, you REALLY don't want these guys with guns.

It's a baaaad idea.