Las Cruces NM police may soon be allowed to work as security guards
Las Cruces NM April 9 2018
We have great respect for Las Cruces police officers, and want to see them earn as much as possible. But, a proposal that would allow Las Cruces police to work as security guards in their off hours raises several questions.
New Police Chief Patrick Gallagher said the new program, which he has the authority to establish without approval from the City Council, would allow officers to earn extra pay by working at businesses, churches or other public places during their time off.
Las Cruces already has school resource officers, but they are on-duty police officers assigned to the schools. The same is true for on-duty officers who work special events, such as football games.
This would be a volunteer program for officers to earn money when they’re off duty.
A similar program has been in place for several years in New York City, and has worked well, said Gallagher, a former NYPD commander.
But, Las Cruces is not New York. LCPD only has 177 officers, Gallagher said. If there was an event that required more officers to be called in, would they be expected to leave their off-duty jobs?
What impact will this new policy have on private security services in town? Will this be another example of the city competing against the very businesses that provide its tax base?
What kind of legal liability will the off-duty officers be required to have? Private security guards are regulated by the New Mexico Private Investigations Advisory Board, and are required to purchase liability insurance.
Will off-duty police officers working as security guards face the same requirements? If not, will city taxpayers be on the hook if there is a lawsuit following a shooting or excessive use of force?
Will officers who are already working a 40-hour shift for the city be as alert and responsive if their work week suddenly becomes 10 or 20 hours longer?
Gallagher said that area Walmart stores generate about 500 shoplifting calls a year. Having an off-duty officer stationed at the stories could potentially free up other officers to tackle larger crimes, he said.
Participating off-duty officers would continue to report through LCPD’s chain of command, Gallagher said.
Does Walmart want that help? A spokesman declined to answer when we posed the question.
Every business in the city is deserving of equal protection from the police. Will those businesses that sign up for this new program get any kind of special treatment?
There are definitely some advantages to the new proposal. Marci Dickerson, owner of The Game restaurant/sports bars, notes that police officers are better trained in conflict de-escalation than private security guards.
Las Cruces City Council members had a number of questions about the proposal, and raised some serious issues during a presentation last week.
But City Manager Stuart Ed made it clear that the decision was Gallagher’s.
And, the decision has been made. The new program will likely start May 1.
Las Cruces Sun News
