5/27/2009 - State of Alabama Passes Minimum Standards for Security Officers

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Minimum Standards for Private Security Officers is the law in Alabama

Recently the Alabama legislature passed and the governor signed a bill providing for licensing and regulation of contract security companies and contract security officers. Alabama is the forty-first state to provide some level of minimum standards for security companies and security officers. Security Engineers Inc. led the effort to get the bill passed.

The Act enhances public safety by providing a means to conduct criminal history checks upon those to which we entrust our treasures. It also provides for training to increase the value of security officers, helping them earn a living wage and to improve the safety of security officers as they work in sometimes dangerous environments.

The Act restricts use of certain identifying insignia by security officers and their vehicles, and provides for reciprocity with other states during times of crisis.

The Act does not apply to law enforcement or proprietary security officers or private investigators but they may participate on a voluntary basis. Security officers that have already received basic security officer training, law enforcement training or security officers that have a minimum of five years of continuous experience are grandfathered from the eight hours of required class room training.

The Act establishes a Board which will serve without salary, contract for administrative services, and work with law enforcement to enforce provisions of this act. The Act is not intended to place undue hardships on any security company or their officers. It requires each contract security company to pay a security license fee of two hundred dollars ($200) upon application and renewal. Each security officer will be required to pay a security license fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) upon application. Security officer’s licenses expire two years from the date of issuance.

Private Security plays a critical role in our nation’s security system. Private Security outspends public law enforcement by 73% and employs 2.5 times as many personnel. Rate of growth of private security is twice that of public law enforcement. Private security protects 85% of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Security Officers are increasingly becoming true “First Responders” and important support to emergency service agencies during large incidents.

Currently there are no federal laws regulating private security. Alabama was one of only ten states that did not regulate the private security industry. States that have regulatory requirements for security officers do not generally allow security officers from un-regulated states to serve within their boundaries (reciprocity).

The workload of public law enforcement is increasing and leading to increased need for private security. To have an effective security system public law enforcement must have a cooperative relationship with private security officers. The Act was supported by the Department of Public Safety, the Alabama Sheriff’s Association and many contract security service providers.

If you'd like to read the Bill in it's entirely, you can download the PDF file above.

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