Security firm wants some guards to carry guns

by Dayle DaSilva 23.DEC.09

Proprietor of CMCL Allied Security, Carlos Maloney, is of the view that efforts are being made to force him out of business.

This is in response to an incident last week, when one of his security guards was relieved of a quantity of money during a robbery.{{more}}

Maloney made this point after questions were posed as to whether his security guards are equipped to handle incidents such as robberies.

Maloney said that he does not believe that he is being spited. However, he told SEARCHLIGHT that he believes there is an agenda.

“All I want is for my security officers, no more than seven of them, to be able to have the leverage of a firearm license,” Maloney said.

“It is not for each of them to have a firearm. If we have three firearms, when we go on duty then we assign those guys who have coverage,” he continued.

Maloney said that he had made several applications to have more guards added to a list for coverage.

But according to the businessman, who said that he had no “beef” with any one organization or individual, in his opinion, the process is taking too long.

According to Maloney, a list had been submitted as far back as 2008, and although a quick turnover of employees would be one factor that affected the process, he said that this process needed to be speeded up.

“If you get a list, even with the fast turnover, you have to deal with that,” Maloney told SEARCHLIGHT.

“The Police have the applications and I have re-applied several times – what is the problem?” he questioned.

Maloney said that his security firm was the first to open its doors in the country some 25 years ago and that there had been a trend of uncooperative responses to his requests by former Commissioners beginning with former Commissioner of Police (COP) Randolph Toussaint.

“This is a problem I have been experiencing from former Commissioners,” he explained, saying that Commissioners William Harry and Quow had not looked at the applications made.

He noted that his business had “gotten the blessing” from COP Felix Constantine, and although Toussaint had issued licenses, those persons whose names were on that initial list had since left his company.

“My whole business is being threatened right now to be shut down,” he contended.

“The whole security industry is being controlled by bureaucrats, and with that, it’s like it is a close knit situation where some people should survive and others should go,” Maloney opined.

He said that he has had no issues with the current Commissioner Keith Miller, but said that he believes his matter has been overlooked for too long.

Whether or not it (the re-application) reached to the Commissioner’s desk is in contention, according to Maloney who noted that he had communicated with Miller some three weeks ago to check on the progress.

“It was as if I was expecting this thing to happen, you know,” Maloney told SEARCHLIGHT.

“All we want is to get approval.”

But Commissioner Miller refuted the claim, saying that Maloney has persons already authorized to carry firearms and that the matter is being processed.

“An arrangement is being put in place, and everything is being done to facilitate Mr Maloney,” Miller said.

According to the Commissioner, one of the very security guards present when the robbery took place was one of the original persons whose names received authorization.

That person in question did leave the security company, but has since been re-employed by Maloney.

Miller acknowledged that Maloney did submit a request to have names added to the list and that with the fast turnover, a new list would have had to be submitted.

But Miller contends that there are persons within Maloney’s firm already authorized to use firearms, especially when making night deposits.

He said that the application process for the granting of firearm licenses was the same across the board for security firms as it is for individuals.

“You have to know whose hand you going to put a firearm in,” Miller said.

However, according to Miller, last week’s robbery is being treated as one where the security guards were “slack”.

“If someone did not do what was right, then they can’t blame the Police,” he said.

Miller said that based on reports, the driver remained seated in the vehicle and did not move.

“Does that sound like a responsible person? Could any gun have helped at that point?”

“You can’t be escorting people’s money and be so slack,” Miller told SEARCHLIGHT.

Maloney responded to this comment saying that he agrees that more caution should have been taken.

“We have been doing this for years and have never had a problem,” Maloney said.

He confirmed that the male security guard stayed in the parked vehicle while the female guard made the deposit.

Maloney noted that it was the norm for him to scrutinize the area before proceeding to make the deposit.

He further explained that the security guard in question had fouled up in that way and that the security firm was not to be blamed.

“When you hire a person, you hire that person with the understanding that they will do their work as is expected,” he said.

Maloney said that from time to time, officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) are used and that was going to be the probable action taken, particularly during peak seasons such as Christmas.

However, Maloney says he believes this is a waste of the resources of the police force.

“(They) should not be doing that. We should be doing our work.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Miller summoned all security firms to a meeting which was scheduled to have taken place yesterday.