Private firm providing armed security guards at Spotsylvania Virginia School Board meetings
Spotsylvania County Virginia January 6th, 2022
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney are looking into whether it is legal for private security guards hired by the Spotsylvania School Board to carry firearms on school property.
“Conversations are occurring between the Sheriff’s Office, School Board Attorney, and the Commonwealth Attorney on whether the contracted armed security guards are legally able to possess a firearm on school properties,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Troy Skebo said in an email Wednesday.
The Spotsylvania School Board is contracting with Spotsylvania-based Sonny, Inc., to provide armed security guards at board meetings, as well as in the School Board office on a daily basis.
The school division’s procurement office issued a statewide request for proposals for “armed security guard services” on Sept. 22, after Spotsylvania Sheriff Roger Harris informed the board earlier that month that effective Oct. 14, his office would no longer provide security at School Board meetings.
Harris said in a letter to the School Board that he was uncomfortable with deputies being “put in a position to side with one or more School Board members regarding ‘disruptive’ citizens.”
According to the request for proposals, armed security services—specifically, a minimum of two armed guards—”will typically be required during regular, special and emergency meetings of the School Board.”
The request states that the contractor shall provide its guards with “either 9mm or 40 caliber, standard police service-type semi-automatic, capable of firing 147-grain hollow-point ammunition recommended by the manufacturer” and that “the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that each armed officer is properly trained and certified in the use of firearms, and shall provide proof of such training and certification to the School Board upon request.”
Division spokesperson Jon Russell said in November that the board received two proposals for armed security services. The contract was awarded to Sonny, Inc.—doing business as Security Solutions Group & Investigative Services—and signed by its president, Andre Hutchinson, on Oct. 26, and by superintendent Mark Taylor on Nov. 7.
According to the contract, Sonny, Inc. is charging $45 per hour for armed guard services and $67.50 per hour for overtime services.
The Sheriff’s Office was charging the school division $55 per hour per deputy for security at meetings until 10 p.m., at which point the rate increased to $110 per hour.
The Free Lance–Star requested a copy of the signed contract with Sonny, Inc., on Nov. 14 and did not receive it until Jan. 3.
In addition to the contract, Taylor also signed an addendum, dated Nov. 1—a week before he signed the actual contract—which states that Sonny, Inc., will station one armed guard at the School Board office reception area between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. every weekday.
That service was not requested by the initial RFP process.
The Spotsylvania School Board has a policy prohibiting the use or possession of a firearm “in any school building, on school grounds, in any school vehicle or at any school-sponsored activity without the authorization of the school principal or the superintendent or superintendent ‘s designee.”
“The superintendent or superintendent’s designee is permitted to give authority … only to persons expressly authorized by statute to possess a firearm on school property,” policy JFCD states.
According to Virginia Code, school security officers are permitted to carry firearms if they meet certain criteria.
The armed security guard must have worked as a law enforcement officer within 10 years of being hired by the school board, have retired or resigned in good standing, meet qualifications outlined by Virginia Code and have provided proof to the Department of Criminal Justice Services of completion of training in active shooter emergency response, emergency evacuation procedure and threat assessment.
Virginia Code also requires the local school board hiring the security guard to “solicit input from the chief law enforcement officer of the locality regarding the qualifications of the school security officer and receive verification from such chief law-enforcement officer that the school security officer is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing, purchasing, or transporting a firearm.”
Skebo said in an email this week that no one from the School Board reached out to the Sheriff’s Office to gather input prior to hiring Sonny, Inc.
“Once they were hired, I can confirm that one school board member has contacted our agency for input,” he wrote.
James Christian, manager of the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety, said in an email this week that nine other school divisions out of 132 contract with private security companies to provide full-time security.
“If the school division is assigning these individuals as school security officers, then they must also be certified as school security officers,” Christian said.
Christian also said there are “no armed school security officers provided by private security companies to any public school division in Virginia.”
Skebo said the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office is still providing resource officers for county schools.
Donna Michaelis, director of the DCJS division of public safety training, said DCJS “does not have any records of any public school divisions that use armed private security for school board meetings.”
She said armed security officers and private security services businesses are regulated by the DCJS division of licensure and regulatory services, but that the division has “no data regarding the clients serviced by licensed private security services businesses.”
“It would be allowable for a private security services business to provide armed security officer services to a School Board if the meetings are not conducted in a zone that restricts armed carry,” Michaelis said.
