Security guards, guard the Police!

**Sir Moody** · 10-23-2006, 12:03

Police are trained to patrol the streets and investigate crimes - they are not trained to guard buildings

Security guards on the other hand ARE trained to protect buildings

its a good move by the police so long as they dont use it as an excuse to lay off the police who currently guard the buildings

**Slyspy** · 10-23-2006, 13:30

At first I went with the knee-jerk OMG!!11one!!!! reaction.

Then I realised that you don't need a highly trained and well paid police officer to do basic security work at the HQ. In fact to use an officer in this way is to waste resources.

I would prefer that the security guards were employed directly rather than contractors be used, for control and veting purposes more than anything. But as others have said, if it is cheaper to employ security guards than to use police officers and it isn't used as an excuse to lay people off then I see no problem.

**Don Corleone** · 10-23-2006, 14:32

I suspect the reasons for private security guards mirror those of the Pentagon going with 'defense contractors' instead of actual military for conducting interrogations. The police have to follow rules and give potential attackers all sorts of warnings and coddle them, respecting their human rights.

Private security are under no such restrictions. You try to screw with them, they only have to explain themselves to their contractor, who's sole interst is task-oriented... no 'respecting the rights of the criminal' crap for them.

Edit: Removed inaccurate representation of British police policy from another thread.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 10-23-2006, 15:20

Efficiency should not really be an issue with services, unless it is a real problem. The Police are there to do a job. A large part of that job is image. Currently the Police and Criminal justice in general has a bad image. As a result Crime is actually rising. We have one of the highest crime rates in Europe and though we have the highest prison population per-head we have one of the lowest populations per crime.

Precisely because a Police Officer is a visable symbol of the Police' power and is highly trained they should be the only ones guarding the Police station. If a private security officer is less acountable that is another reason no to have him. The Police are acountable, anyone working with them must also be acountable.

As to those who say this is not a job the Police are trained for, well then who guards all the embassies and public buildings in London?

The Police should be administered, controlled and staffed exclusively by Police. The same should be true of the Army, the Hospitals and the Universities.

Outside managers and contractors usually cost more upfront and they don't understand the system, which creates problems, which further increases costs.

Where I am we have departments closing and Schools being amalgumated, meaning departments moving buildings and general confusion. I have personnally spent upwards of 20 minutes wandering around a building looking for the secretary.

If it wasn't for a bust of Hermes I probably never would have found my sodding department.

**Banquo's Ghost** · 10-23-2006, 16:15

Originally Posted by Wigferth Ironwall

The Police should be administered, controlled and staffed exclusively by Police. The same should be true of the Army, the Hospitals and the Universities.

I look forward to Nurse Plod.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 10-23-2006, 17:21

Very funny.

Seriously though, middle management is bad enough before you put it outside the system.

**Kralizec** · 10-23-2006, 21:10

Originally Posted by Don Corleone

I suspect the reasons for private security guards mirror those of the Pentagon going with 'defense contractors' instead of actual military for conducting interrogations. The police have to follow rules and give potential attackers all sorts of warnings and coddle them, respecting their human rights.

Private security are under no such restrictions. You try to screw with them, they only have to explain themselves to their contractor, who's sole interst is task-oriented... no 'respecting the rights of the criminal' crap for them.

Edit: Removed inaccurate representation of British police policy from another thread.

That sort of makes sense, but if the rules policemen have to work under become unworkable, they should be reformed rather then look for expensive workarounds.