The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Do you think security guards, including ones in the mall or in shopping centers, should carry firearms?
Talk about it….
56 comments
Absolutely with proper weapons/safety training.
Yes,…Agree, with proper weapons/safety training too.
Now if we could only get the FBI to secure their weapons
and tell the truth, see Steele Dossier
If you’ll add proper psychological screening to that, sign me on. However, I feel strongly that no person who has experienced military combat conditions should be given firearms for such a job.
a better question would be should criminals have guns? and does that include the criminals in washington, DC hiding behind the wall?
Don’t forget the criminals in Sacramento hiding behind their stupidity…
@T
Yes!!
and their childishly frighten phrase:
“so goes California, so goes the country”
God is scary just typing that
“Defund the Police” LoL!
Who needs Cops when you hide behind a 12′ security fence and have a few thousand soldiers guarding you?
#DefundTheSwamp
#DefundNancyPeolosi
#DefundTheDemocrats
#Trump2022
Depends on what they are guarding. If it’s something of value like money, art, jewels, etc, then yes. In malls and shopping centers, it should depend on the location. Cities like Chicago, and Baltimore could benefit from armed security. In California it’s probably not a good idea because it will not be cost effective and will only drive up prices, in the end it’s the consumer who will pay.
Armed security guards go through more rigorous training and background checks, and are licensed to carry a firearm, therefore making them more expensive to hire.
@Dawg
If they need a security guard then it’s something of value to someone, and having those armed security guards that go through more rigorous training and background checks, as you stated, is EXACTLY the ones you’d want, no matter the cost. After all, you get what you pay for (most of the time).
I have mixed emotions. Yes — for obvious reasons, and no because it leads to unnecessary shootouts where innocent people are killed. If I’m at the bank and a robbery is occurring at another teller station, innocent employees and customers can be shot and killed. Money is insured by the FDIC, and it’s not worth it. Either is a shootout at the mall or grocery store over shoplifting. I’m also keeping in mind who gets hired as security guards. A lot of banks stopped using armed security guards for this reason.
Don’t think so. And when should they be able to use it? If someone comes into a mall or store and start shooting, yes then a security guard could shoot. However, I think in any crowded place there are potential for shooting innocent people. We don’t give people the death penalty for stealing, this is not the wild west. People that break the law needs to be apprehended, stand trial and if found guilty punished. I’m agreeing with Kentucky Derby.
Yes, security guards should have guns. In the Philippines, all stores even a regular 7 eleven have a security guard with hand gun and shotgun. All schools also have security guards.
With proper training yes.
With all the mass shooting let them carry AR15’s.
Not all security guards need to be armed. All security guards that need to be armed should be properly trained.
Any citizen without a violent felony conviction should be allowed to have guns of their own choosing
Yes, but they only get one bullet, and they have to keep it in their pocket.
Seriously, armed security makes a lot sense. It’s a visible deterrent, and gives shoppers confidence they are being looked out for. The unfortunate question is should the guard have to draw their weapon, will they be willing to use it given the level of media attention they will receive. That’s a tough decision to make in a split second. Further, it may become difficult to find people willing to take on the danger and liability.
My granddaughter is in training to get her permit to carry a gun as part of her job as a security person. While I don’t feel the need for one myself I would rather she had one and knew how to use it on the job.
No, Majority of them do not have the proper training and I don’t feel they would get the proper training to handle situations through a security guard company. leave being armed to our professional law enforcement.
If highly trained police officers can get in trouble for shooting a suspect, can you imagine what security guards might have to put up with? The civil suits alone would be a financial disaster for the individual. On the other hand, I’m all for open carry. I like to know who has the guns.
If security guards are armed they should be held to same firearms training standards as sworn Law Enforcement officers. Last thing this world needs is someone in a stress shooting situation who doesn’t know limitations of the law and can’t hit what they’re aiming at. Requalification and written testing every six to twelve months.
Conceal carry permit holders should requalify at least once a year and be aware and tested for understanding of any changes in law regarding use of firearms.
When I was teenager Mt. Diablo YMCA had a marksmanship program,
bolt action 22 single shot rifles on an indoor range, heavily supervised.
Instructors made it know there was ZERO tolerance on unsafe acts.
EVERY kid should go thru firearms training, stressing gun handling Safety and be aware damage a firearm can do. Both my kids were in the black shooters before they were ten years old. Took youngest shooting at Willow Pass range, after Range Master got done with his first time shooter talk, he came over an said he just went over what you taught us years ago.
Kids need to be aware guns in a video game are different than in real life and be made very aware there’s no reset button for lives lost.
Everyone should have guns, at all times.
That does not make sense. We live in a free country, I don’t want a gun (I have a bad temper, and also think I would be too much of a coward to use it), I shouldn’t be forced to buy something I don’t feel comfortable with. Although I don’t want to own a gun I have no problems with people that do have a gun or even several.
…… ONLY. if they have passed firearms safety testing AND psychological testing, AND a background check AND no felonies or serious misdemeanors.
Thank You, . . . Very important !
Was at CVS yesterday a man was stuffing his bags with products and security wasn’t even aloud to do anything. Not sure why anyone would hire security officers.
Did you see him leave the store with the stolen items? Did he perhaps pay for the items and you missed it. There are different kind of security. Once at Safeway a young man was running out of the store with several wine bottles, a young women in a security uniform ran after him (very fast) he dropped the bottles. At Macy’s if our permanent security (or loss prevention as it is called) see someone steal something they apprehend that person, so it several times during the Holidays, I don’t believe they are armed. At busy times Macy’s hire outside security to stand by the exits. That is mostly as a deterrent, we had several handbags stolen, over several weeks, it was obvious that those who stole them knew when they could run in and out in just a few minutes because no one was in that department.
@ Cafe girl and hanne jeppesen~
A while back, I was shopping at the CVS near Concord Bart.
Guessing, the Manager of the store was alerted to a man (he looked homeless to me), was putting items in the pockets of his coat. I saw the Manager walk up to the man, with a hand basket, then offer the basket to make it easier to carry items. Thought the Manager handled this very nicely. A bit later, the man walked out, and the basket of items was left behind on the floor.
Sure why not, odds are half the people working or shopping in the store are armed already. If you ain’t armed to protect yourself your late to the party and no you don’t need a permit to protect your life when some nutjob is shooting at you.
I can guarantee you that no one working at Macy’s is armed, and I doubt our customers are.
No, no need to always carry, but they need to know where they can find one quickly though, just like a fire extinguisher. And they need to know how to use it too. Also, need stricter gun laws so the mentally ill can’t easily buy a gun. At minimum, maybe after purchasing a firearm, a police officer should have to go to the purchaser’s home and conduct a “safety and wellness check”, within a week of purchase.
Making $14-$16 an hour?????????….NO!
What a moronic criteria to judge their qualifications on. I guess if they’re volunteers, they don’t even make enough to carry handcuffs.
@chickenlittle
I must have missed something. Was the question about volunteer police officers? Or about security guards? I have never heard of volunteer security guards…. is there such a thing?
Why in the world would a private security guard put their lives in danger for minimum wage? Would you???
I can think of at least one armed volunteer security guard who took out a shooter at a church in Texas. I’m sure there are lots more.
@chickenlittle
You have a good point. Was said person who took out the active shooter in Texas a security guard; a reserve (or regular) police officer; or a private citizen with a carry permit?
Personally, I’d love to see a uniformed police officer at every school and church. Training is KEY….
I understand Concerned Citizen’s point. Not only is it not worth putting your life in danger for low wages, companies aren’t going to pay for training for low wage workers. It’s not cost effective.
In general, yes, they should be armed. That there is armed security should be advertised/promoted. I’d rather that than an invitation a “gun free” zone provides. Of course with the caveats of being trained, etc.
San Francisco and Oakland have just cut out the middle man and allow their police to guard stores and malls and the merchants are extorted… I mean pay the overtime.
Yes, of course
Security guards can’t shoot people for stealing anything of value so having a gun isn’t going to stop criminals if they want to steal.
I often find myself questioning the actions of Police Officers who have 100s of hours of training. Some of the private security guards who I’ve seen or interacted with convince me they are either recently released criminals from jail or they might have a hard time completing a coloring book.
It depends upon the job. Clearly if the security concern, because of the nature of the business, could mean the reasonable risk of loss of life if the premises are not protect then the guard should be armed.
How about they travel in pairs and have a stun gun. One could stun em and they other one could handcuff him.
The hiring standards are much lower for security guards than police. Give them pepper spray and tasers.
Hire social workers.
No retailer is going to pay for an armed security guard in a suburb. The amount of training and liability is not worth the cost to what is stolen from a store. Typically, if it is a high crime area a retailer will just hire off duty cops.
Agree, if you need that kind of protection you want somebody with a lot of knowledge and experience to handle those people.
At Macy’s we use to have a 1 hour class with our security people about twice a year. They talked about what to look for, how people can do fake returns, switch tickets and labels. How much the company looses to theft, and what probably surprise most of you, the biggest loss Macy’s has from theft is internal, meaning it is employee’s that steal. There is a stereotype that it is the homeless that steals, but not in the mall. Often it is well dressed women that blends in with other customers.
I agree with the pepper spray and tasers as we all know it is needed more and more with every passing day with the less than adequate LE and prosecuting of repeat criminals no matter what their entitlement excuse is.
All gun laws are illegal. No law abiding, decent citizen should be denied the right to carry a firearm. Especially here in this area where crime is now legal.
With proper training, absolutely! Without them, they are just toothless lapdog. Same with defending your home. A camera system is NOT “security”, it is surveillance. Beyond giving you some advanced notice of an entry attempt, the only other thing that camera can do is record what happens next…it cannot stop or prevent it.
“When seconds count, the police are just minutes away”
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