Security Louisiana Private Security Requirements

Security

Louisiana Private Security Requirements

The criteria for private security officer selection and training varies from state to state ranging from wide-ranging training requirements for every private security officer to little or no training for private security officers. There has been a movement to encourage the adoption of minimum national criteria for the selection and training of all private security officers. The development of such minimum criteria has become necessary for enabling the private security industry to meet the need of providing effective security to its clients as well as meeting the demands associated with new homeland security initiatives. Effective security today requires workers who are familiar with all aspects of a facility's security system for assessing and containing potential threats. Security officers are required to be well trained in emergency procedures and be able to work with an organization to ensure that emergency procedures can be implemented successfully. They are also required to be able to work closely and effectively with public safety personnel (Private Security Officer Selection and Training Guideline, 2004).

In 1988 the International Association of Chiefs of Police Private Security Liaison Committee published a list of minimum requirements of which all security guards must possess. These requirements include:

1. Must be at least 18 years of age to be an unarmed private security officer.

2. Must be at least 21 years of age to be an armed private security officer.

3. Must possess a valid state driver's license if they will be driving.

4. Can not have been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony in any jurisdiction. C

5. Can not have been convicted of or pled guilty to a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, act of dishonesty, or acts against government authority, including the use and/or possession of a controlled substance within the preceding seven-year period.

6. Can not have been convicted of or pled guilty to any crime in jurisdiction involving the sale, delivery, or manufacture of a controlled substance.

7. Can not have been declared by any court to be incompetent by reason of mental disease or defect that has not been removed or expunged

The applicant must also present two sets of fingerprints and two passport-sized photographs, along with their name address, date of birth, social security number, and citizen status. They must also provide a statement of conviction of crimes in order that a state criminal records check can be done. Sometimes they are required to have an FBI criminal history check completed prior to permanent employment as a private security officer (Collins, Ricks and Van Meter, 2000).

If the applicant is going to be armed all of the following must be done prior to employment. The applicant must furnish information about all prior employment so that they employer can make a reasonable effort to verify the last seven years of employment history along with checking three personal references. And the applicant must successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen (Collins, Ricks and Van Meter, 2000).

All private security officers must meet the applicable statutory requirements and any criteria that have been established by the employer. In looking at the requirements that have been set forth by the state of Louisiana, the following minimum requirements must be met in order for a person to become a private security officer:

1. The applicant must be 18 years of age.

2. They must be a citizen of the United States or a resident alien holding a proper documentation to work in the United States.

3. They can not have been convicted in any jurisdiction of any felony or of crime involving moral turpitude.

4. They can not have been declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be incompetent by reason of mental defect or disease which has not been restored.

5. They can not be a practicing alcoholic or drug addict.

6. In order to obtain a private investigation agency license an individual must have at least three years experience within the last ten years either working as a private investigator or in an investigative capacity and satisfy all other requirements for licensing (License Information, 2005).

A private investigator or apprentice investigator license will have the following fees: an application fee of $25.00, an examination fee of $50.00, a reexamination fee of $25.00, an initial license fee per investigator or apprentice of $50.00, and an annual renewal license fee of $50.00 (Private Investigators Law, 2005).