HomeMy WebLinkAbout7036 - Private Police Protection to the Public0
RESOLUTION N0, 7 0 3 6
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH REQUESTING THE LEAGUE OF
CALIFORNIA CITIES TO SPONSOR LEGISLATION
WHICH WOULD AUTHORIZE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO
REGULATE THE BUSINESS OF FURNISHING PRIVATE
POLICE PROTECTION TO THE PUBLIC
WHEREAS, in recent years there has been a substantial
increase in the number and size of private law enforcement
agencies which perform such functions as furnishing security
guards and watchmen to protect banks, stores and industrial plants,
patrolling the streets to protect homes and businesses, providing
patrolmen for special events, and supplying bodyguards; and
WHEREAS, the Private Investigator and Adjuster Act
(Chapter 11, Division 3 of the California Business and Professions
Code) contains state regulations applicable to private investi-
gators, operators of private police patrol services, insurance
adjusters and repossessors; and
WHEREAS, Business and Professions Code Section 7523,
which is a part of the Private Investigator and Adjuster Act,
authorizes cities and counties to impose local regulations
"upon any person who furnishes street patrol service or street
patrol special officer "; and
WHEREAS, in view of the narrow grant of regulatory
authority to local government as set forth in said Section 7523
there is uncertainty as to whether the state has preempted the
field of regulating private police activities other than
furnishing street p #trol service; and
WHEREAS, existing state regulations are seriously
deficient in that they do not establish standards for or require
registration of the employees of state licensed private patrol
operators, and completely exempt from regulation persons working
as investigators or guards who are employed exclusively.and
regularly by one employer; and
Is
WHEREAS, private patrol officers occupy positions of
trust and operate with an appearance of official authority without
there being adequate standards for evaluating their moral
character and emotional stability; and
WHEREAS, regularly constituted law enforcement personnel,
under the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission Act, are
carefully selected and receive intensive training in law and the
social sciences; and
WHEREAS, a significant portion of police training is
spent in learning how and under what circumstances to use fire-
arms, while private policemen are not required to have any training
as a prerequisite to their use of such weapons; and
WHEREAS, it is essential for the protection of the
public that employees of private police agencies who carry firearms
and engage in law enforcement activities be subject to local
regulation and licensing in order to insure that such personnel
are properly qualified in terms of intelligence, moral character,
competence and emotional stability;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of
the City of Newport Beach that the League of California Cities is
urged to sponsor legislation which would amend Section 7521 of the
Business and Professions Code of the State of California to
authorize cities and counties to enact reasonable regulations
applicable to all private police agencies and to license their
employees.
ADOPTED this 28th day of July, 1969.
160m�L'nQm
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk d (/
C LED AS THE NAL
CITY CLERK OF THE CITY OF T BEACH °2'
THS °mh
7/18/69