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Although many low cost proprietary operations and contract services do not reflect the image, it should be kept in mind that the purpose of such services is not just to log trucks and make clock rounds, but to provide protection and appropriate response in the event of an emergency.
It should also be noted here that some companies staff their security force with off duty police officers--or employ them as contractors. This situation can bring a set of problems which could be discussed over many pages. One problem involves insurance, both workers compensation and liability. The fact that persons are police officers does not necessarily mean insurance covering them when performing their public duties is in effect while moonlighting. Typically police officers are considered on duty around the clock. However, in the event of an arrest or detainment using police authority while on duty for the client, this may be deemed a private arrest in some venues, and the client company may have unanticipated exposure. Any on-the-job injuries will usually end up with the client being held responsible for medical costs and lost time.
The most obvious problem is that these police officers have already put in a full workday on their primary job and may not be fit or alert enough to additionally handle a second shift. Psychologists seem to feel that while part time jobs in unrelated fields may be therapeutic to police officers, security related jobs are similar enough that stress levels increase dramatically. (This is one of the reasons many police departments specifically prohibit this activity.)
Using government issued uniforms and equipment for private work is another problem and if an unacceptable police officer is terminated from a security post, this could result in subsequent poor response from the police department as a whole. In the event of a local emergency situation when the presence of security officers is critical, police officers are usually committed to extended hours handling their primary public sector duties.
Generally speaking, this is not an option which should be considered for permanent security operations and is questionable even for temporary operations. In situations where a temporary situation requires security to be handled by police officers--for instance in cases involving traffic control on public streets during a special event at the client's facility--the local police department can usually handle this at no charge--others bill the client any overtime costs. If the client must pay the full costs of this service, some measure of immunity may exist if payments are made to the police department, rather than directly to the officers. This would also likely eliminate the need to issue 1099 tax forms to the individual officers.
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