Shootings spur security industry to consider safety measures

Two mass murders in Florida in less than a year’s time.

And there was at least one common element involving the men who are said to have pulled the triggers: The shooter at the Orlando nightclub Pulse last spring and the alleged shooter at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Jan. 7 were employed as security guards.

Incredulous for some, given that armed security guards are usually subject to state licensing, drug testing, and even psychological testing. But while security companies defend their screening processes as stringent, they also complain they can’t access enough background information from federal authorities. Some are implementing more frequent background checks and increasing their monitoring of security guards on the job.

“We’ve heard from clients that ‘we want to avoid similar incidents,’ ” said John Friedlander, senior director with Kroll’s Security Risk Management in North America, which consults for security companies and lends training support. As a result, some companies are conducting more frequent criminal background checks, which are usually undertaken before a candidate individual is hired, and beefing up the monitoring of security officers.

“We often encourage greater field supervision,” Friedlander said.

But most industry leaders point toward the FBI, saying federal law enforcement and security agencies should share more criminal background and watch-list information with private security employers. The FBI didn’t respond Friday to a request for comment.

Friedlander said the demand for more routine criminal background checks, perhaps annually or semi-annually, is limited to large, prominent customers such as religious institutions or schools. That’s because additional background checks add to the cost of hiring security.

For the most part, criminal background checks and drug panels, are only done before a candidate is hired, Friedlander said.

Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs said the screening process for a “G” license for an armed security guard has not been changed since the Florida shootings.

The department is moving forward with new oversights, including fingerprint retention, a measure passed by the state legislature in the last session, said Jennifer Meale, spokeswoman . She said the department is working toward legislation that would allow access to the Mental Competency Database for class “G” licenses for armed security guards and “K” licenses for instructors. The database identifies persons who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm based on court records that show mental defects or commitments to mental institutions.

Steve Amitay, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Security Companies in Washington, said his association has been pushing for more watch-list information from federal authorities to be shared with companies. He said some companies are stepping up internal monitoring.

“I think one of the major changes since Orlando are security companies really trying to better engage their supervisors and managers out in the field to be on the lookout for personality changes and odd behavior, Amitay said. “They’re providing training to the managers, recognizing indicators of destructive terrorist activity.”