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News & Events |
News Archive
The entire news section from 2007 is archived above.
- 02/28/2006, California Supreme Court Takes Case to Clarify Statute of Limitations for Wage/Hour Violations
On February 22, the California Supreme Court announced that it would review conflicting Appellate Court decisions about the Statute of Limitations on wage/hour disputes, with potential major implications for employers.
In the Murphy case, one Appellate Court ruled that wage/hour violations under the Labor Code are penalties, and thus subject to a one year Statute of Limitations. However, a different Appellate Court ruled recently that wage/hour violations payments are themselves wages, and thus subject to the four year Statute of Limitations.
The Court is not expected to rule on this important matter until later this year or perhaps early 2007, but CALSAGA will be monitoring the cases. You expect to see commentary on these issues by our Legal Advisors, Barry Bradley & Gary Yardumian, in future issues of our magazine, Observed & Reported.
If you have any questions regarding this news alert, please email us or call the CALSAGA offices at (866) 310-2551.
- 01/30/2006, CALSAGA Board Appoints Directors-at-Large
The CALSAGA Board of Directors, meeting in conference call on Friday, January 27, 2006, appointed Roy Rahn of Shield Security and Jim Brakebill of Pinkerton Government Services to the Southern and Northern California Directors-at-Large, respectively. The vote to appoint the two was unanimous.
Mr. Rahn, a long time CALSAGA member and industry veteran, will serve as Southern California Director. Mr. Brakebill, who previously served as a CALSAGA Assistant Regional Director, will serve as Northern California Director.
CALSAGA President Mark Miller will be announcing appointments to the various CALSAGA committees shortly.
- 01/17/2006, BSIS Received New Spending Authority, Staff in Governor's Proposed Budget
The Governor has released the first draft of his proposed budget for the 2006-2007 fiscal year, and CALSAGA is pleased to report that the Governor has proposed increasing the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) budget by $1.4 million and 19 staff positions. This is essentially the full amount that new BSIS Chief Paul Johnson asked for, and CALSAGA is pleased to support this request.
The primary purpose for this increase, as cited by the Governor, is increased workload at the Bureau for implementation of SB 194, the Proprietary Security Officers Act, sponsored by CALSAGA and signed by the Governor last year.
CALSAGA President Mark Miller and Association Manager Jeff Flint will be meeting with Chief Johnson in the near future to discuss priorities for 2006 for CALSAGA and BSIS. The CALSAGA Board of Directors has identified regulatory implementation of SB 194 and increased enforcement activity on existing laws/regulations as top priorities for the year ahead. With the additional funding and staff proposed by the Governor for BSIS, we are hopeful that BSIS will be able to succeed in these areas this year. However, the funding proposal must survive the budget negotiations with the Legislature and remain intact through the next several months.
If you have any questions regarding this news alert, please email us or call the CALSAGA offices at (866) 310-2551.
- 10/24/2005, Gary Mihalko of Elite Show Services Presented with CALSAGA's First Annual "Officer of the Year" Award
The California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates (CALSAGA), a trade association representing the private security industry and its employees in California, was honored to present its very first "Security Officer of the Year" award at the CALSAGA 2005 Annual Conference, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Part of CALSAGA's Mission is to: "Raise and improve the quality of service and public perception of the private security industry..." In keeping with that mission, CALSAGA sought this year to recognize excellence within the private security industry by awarding its first "Security Officer of the Year Award," which will now be an annual prize. To win the award, the officer must be an individual who goes above-and-beyond the call of duty and is a respectable figure not only in their line of work but in their community as well.
CALSAGA received a number of outstanding nominations, but one nominee stood above the rest. Security officer Gary Mihalko, Jr. nominated by Gus Kontopuls, Chairman of the Board and Qualified Manager of Elite Show Services, Inc., demonstrated the exemplary qualities sought in the Officer of the Year and was selected as the recipient of the inaugural award.
Gary Mihalko became a licensed security officer in May of 2003. He began his career with Elite Show Services, Inc. and presently is a supervisor with the company. Time and time again, he has proven that he is dedicated, professional, knowledgeable, and a leader.
He demonstrated these characteristics to the fullest while supervising security operations at a San Diego Chargers football game at Qualcomm Stadium on January 2, 2005. He was approached by a frantic teenage boy whose seventy-two year-old grandfather had gone into cardiac arrest while watching the game. Mihalko quickly and decisively reacted to the situation, discovering the man had a faint pulse and was not breathing. Mihalko performed CPR on the man until the paramedics arrived. Mihalko then assisted with transporting the man to an ambulance headed for Scripps Hospital. Fortunately, the man recovered and was eventually released from the Intensive Care Unit. Mihalko's actions played a crucial role in saving the man's life.
In addition to his work as a security officer, Mihalko has been a leader in his community. He volunteers his time to various organizations, including building houses for Habitat for Humanity. He also coaches youth basketball for both boys and girls.
Gary Mihalko is certainly a prime representative of excellence within the private security industry. Mihalko was presented with the award on Thursday, October 13, 2005, and is now part of CALSAGA history as the very first recipient of this award. CALSAGA was very honored and pleased to have been able to recognize Mihalko as an outstanding security officer. We look forward to receiving many excellent nominees for next year's award.
- 10/19/2005, Help us Plan Next Year's Annual Conference
This year's Annual Conference in Las Vegas last week was the best ever!
Members who attended enjoyed the great information from our speakers, the opportunity to network with fellow members, and visiting over twenty great vendors with outstanding goods and services. And of course, since it was Las Vegas , we're sure some fun was had as well.
Believe it or not, we are already starting to plan for next year's Conference. And while we appreciate members who have said they enjoyed this Conference, we want to make next year's better still.
About sixty members who attended the conference filled out a survey at the conference. If you did not fill out one, you can download one here, fill it out, and fax it to us at (916) 930-0702.
And even if you did not attend, but would like to fill out the portion of the survey dealing with potential speakers and locations for next year, we welcome your input.
Thank you for taking the time to complete your surveys, and we hope to see you at next year's conference.
- 10/14/2005, Mark Miller elected CALSAGA President for 2006
Mark Miller of Securitas Security Services was elected CALSAGA President for 2006 at the Annual Conference.
Mark, who served for the past two years as Vice President (south) and as a Regional Director before that, was also Chairman of the Annual Conference Committee that put on the recent successful show.
In addition to Mark's election, the rest of the election results were also announced and can be viewed here.
Mark has asked that any members who wish to serve on a CALSAGA committee to start helping be a leader im the industry association send their request to the CALSAGA office.
- 10/10/2005, September-October Issue of Observed & Reported mailed, posted on Website
The September-October issue of CALSAGA's magazine, Observed & Reported, has been mailed. You should receive your copy soon, but you may also download it here. Because of the size of the publication, we have broken it up into 13 sections of four pages each:
Page 1-4
Page 5-8
Page 9-12
Page 13-16
Page 17-20
Page 21-24
Page 25-28
Page 29-32
Page 33-36
Page 37-40
Page 41-44
Page 45-48
Page 49-52
- 10/07/2005, Governor Signs SB 194!
We just received word from our lobbyist that the Governor has signed SB 194!
This is a major victory for CALSAGA and a testament for our growing influence in the Capitol. Requiring proprietary security officers to have the same background check and registration as contract officers will been a major improvement in the security industry.
Discussion of the impact and implementation of SB 194 will be a major topic of discussion at the Annual Conference. Our lobbyists and Legislative Committee will make a presentation, and we are working on a few extra guests to discuss legislation as well. We will be addressing members' questions about the process that SB 194 went through from introduction to signing. YOu will also have the chance to ask Consumer Affairs Director Charlene Zettel, BSIS Chief Paul Johnson, and DOJ Background Check Chief Tina Medich about the new law.
As you know, some have raised the concern that the bill does not go far enough. It is important to note that California will now be the first state in the nation to require registration and background checks for proprietary officers. We will have a chance to address issues like training in regulations, and any modifications and expansions of the law can now be made, because we have the law in place.
We hope to see you next week in Las Vegas, and if you have any questions about SB 194, please call us.
- 9/26/2005, Members Asked to Urge Governor to Sign SB 194
CALSAGA's sponsored bill, SB 194, to require background checks and BSIS registration for proprietary security officers is now on the Governor's desk, awaiting his decision to sign it into law or veto it.
If signed, SB 194 would make California the first state in the nation to require any regulation of in house security, and would establish the framework for further levelling of the playing field between contract security and proprietary. SB 194 is a major improvement in public safety by stating that any individual in uniform, and in the public trust, should at least have a full criminal background check before working.
Now is the time for CALSAGA to make our voice heard by writing to the Governor and urging him to sign SB 194.
Downloand this sample letter for your use. Please modify the letter to perosnalize it and reflect your company's situation, and print the letter on your company letterhead, sign, and mail it. The Governor could act on SB 194 any day, and he needs to hear from us. Please don't delay, send your letter in today!
- 9/12/2005, Nominees Sought for 2005 CALSAGA "Security Officer of the Year" Award
CALSAGA is immediately seeking nominees for the 2005 "Security Officer of the Year."
This is the inaugural year for this prize, which will be awarded at the 2005 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
Security Officers must be nominated by a CALSAGA member PPO and be employed by a CALSAGA PPO. They must have demonstrated excellence in the line of duty and in their everyday lives, serving as exemplary representatives of the industry and the Association.
From all of the nominees, a group of finalists (up to four) will be selected by a committee headed by CALSAGA Region 5 Director Brian Fagan of Royal Security Services. The finalists will be invited to the Annual Conference in Las Vegas, where the winner will be announced and honored at a reception Thursday, October 13.
Proceeds from the reception will help fund the new "CALSAGA Security Officers Memorial Fund." The Security Officers Memorial Fund is a charity sponsored by CALSAGA to provide assistance to officers and their families when the officer is severely wounded or killed in the line of duty.
To nominate an officer, please copy and fill out the form below. In addition to the information below, please attach up to three pages of information explaining why you are nominating this particular officer. Information should include exemplary action while on duty and commitment to the larger community outside of work.
Those nominating an officer are requested to donate at least $100 to the CALSAGA Charitable Foundation to cover the costs of flying the finalists to Las Vegas and their stay at the hotel. Again, all profits go to the Memorial Fund.
Please consider nominating an officer from your company right away. Nominations must be received no later than Tuesday, September 27.
- Nomination Form - CALSAGA 2005 Security Officer of the Year
Nominating PPO
Nominating PPO Contact
Nominating Contact Work Phone Email
Name of Nominee for Award
Number of Years Employed by Your Company
Number of Years as a Security Officer
Summary of Reasons for Nomination (Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)
- 9/8/2005, SB 194 Headed to Governor After Clearing Senate, 34-6
SB 194 passed its final legislative hurdle last night and is headed to the Governor.
The Senate concurred with Assembly amendments on a 34-6 vote, with obvious wide, bi-partisan support. The bill will now be considered by the Governor, who must sign or veto the legislation.
CALSAGA is urging all members to take a moment and write a quick note to the Governor urging him to sign SB 194 into law. Your letter should reference that you are in the private security business, that our industry plays a key role in protecting public safety, and that regardless of whether a security officer works for a contract firm or in a proprietary situation, the public is safer when all individuals who work in a position of public trust should at least have a background check to ensure they are not a criminal.
If you need assistance in crafting a letter, contact CALSAGA at (866) 310-2551.
- 9/1/2005, SB 194 Passes Assembly with Broad, Bi-Partisan Support
CALSAGA's sponsored legislation, SB 194 by Abel Maldonado, passed the State Assembly yesterday with a strong, bi-partisan vote of 68 to 5.
SB 194 requires all uniformed proprietary security officers in California who interact with the public to meet the same background check requirements as contract officers.
Because the bill was amended in the Assembly, it must now return to the State Senate for that body to agree with the Assembly amendments. This is often a formality, after which the bill will go to the Governor for his signature. Past efforts to bring some parity between contract and proprietary security have been stopped at the Governor's office, but we have worked closely with the Schwarzenegger Administration this year to address any concerns they have, and we are hopeful he will sign our legislation this year.
We will keep you up to date on the status as the bill moves through the Legislature and on to the Governor. Thanks go out to all members who contacted their legislators and asked for an "aye" vote.
- 8/29/2005, Summer Issue of Observed & Reported mailed, posted on Website
The Summer issue of CALSAGA's magazine, Observed & Reported, has been mailed. You should have received your copy by now, but if for any reason you have not received yours, you may also download it here. Because of the size of the publication, we have broken it up into 7 sections of eight pages each:
Page 1-8
Page 9-16
Page 17-24
Page 25-32
Page 33-40
Page 41-48
Page 49-56
- 8/13/2005, BOMA-Los Angeles Announces Security Accreditation Program
Details on the BOMA website.
- 8/12/2005, New BSIS Chief Address CALSAGA Board
At the CALSAGA Board of Directors meeting in Sacramento yesterday, new BSIS Chief Paul Johnson and Deputy Chief Robert Puleo dropped by to great the Board and share some observations on his fourth day at the helm.
Among other statements, Chief Johnson said:
* "California is leading the nation in security officer professionalization, and that is something in which we should be proud."
* "I am looking forward to a close working relationship with CALSAGA.", and
* "I am not replacing Steve Giorgi, I am joining him in working with you."
He renewed his commitment to attend our Annual Conference in October, where all CALSAGA members will have a chance to meet him and hear his philosophy as BSIS Chief.
Chief Johnson also noted that our industry is doing a good job complying with the July 1, 2005 mandate that all security officer applications and Requests for LiveScan, not granted an exemption, must be submitted electronically rather than with a fingerprint hardcard. Since July 1, 94% of all submissions have been electronic. This compares to a statewide average of 86% for other industries that have a mandatory background check requirement.
Johnson's appointment as BSIS Chief is subject to confirmation by the State Senate, and after Johnson departed the Board meeting, the Board voted unanimously to endorse his confirmation and communicate our support to the State Senate before his confirmation hearing.
- 8/11/2005, Oakland Tribune Editorializes in Favor of CALSAGA's SB 194
Read the editorial here.
- 07/29/2005, Randy Davis Not Seeking Re-Election as President for 2006
CALSAGA President Randy Davis has announced that he is not seeking as CALSAGA President for 2006.
President Randy Davis made the following statement:
"Throughout my term as President, I have always said that organizations such as ours are best served with a mix of new blood and more experienced members have leadership roles. In the past three years, CALSAGA has made major strides during changing times. I am confident we have made CALSAGA a better voice for our industry."
"However, it is time for new leadership to step up and serve as President, and hopefully, for some new members to run for other Board positions as well."
"I encourage all members to consider carefully the possibility of serving CALSAGA in a greater leadership position. Run for Regional Director, volunteer to serve on a committee, or find some other way to help be a leader for your profession. We are all better served, and CALSAGA is stronger, when this happens."
- 07/21/2005, Governor Names Paul Johnson as new BSIS Chief
The Governor's Office has made a selection for a new Bureau Chief for BSIS.
The following is the announcement from the Governor's office:
Paul Johnson, 54, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief of the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services at the Department of Consumer Affairs. He has served with the California Department of Justice for nearly 30 years. Johnson is currently an administrator with the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information's Applicant Processing Program. He is a committee member on the FBI's National Identification Services Subcommittee and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint ID Task Force. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $92,302. Johnson is a Republican.
Obviously from his current position, Mr. Johnson is familiar with the security officer licensing issues that PPOs and Training Facilities face. We have worked with Mr. Johnson over the past two years since the passage of SB 1241 (elimination of the temporary "guard card'), and he has always been responsive and attentive to our concerns.
Paul will be sworn in on July 26, 2005, and be at the Bureau full time on August 2. We will post additional information about the new Chief shortly, and we are already assured by former Chief and current Consumer Affairs Deputy Director Steve Giorgi that both Steve and Paul will be at our Annual Conference in Las Vegas in October.
Update 07/26/2005, CALSAGA Represented at Johnson Swearing In Ceremony
Paul Johnson was sworn in as the new Bureau Chief for BSIS today.
CALSAGA Northern California Vice President David Travers (Guardian Security) and CALSAGA Association Manager Jeff Flint were present to represent the industry.
Johnson and former Chief Steve Giorgi singled out CALSAGA during their remarks as a very positive force for the industry.
- 07/05/2005, SB 194 Passes Assembly Committee with Unanimous Vote
After passing the State Senate with broad bipartisan support last month, SB 194 was heard in its first Assembly Policy committee today, and was passed on a unanimous vote!
SB 194 is CALSAGA's sponsored legislation to require that all uniformed personnel providing a security service in California must undergo the same background check requirements as contract officers.
The bill will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 194 closes an important loophole which exists in law today, in which in-house security officers are allowed to work with serious criminal backgrounds, while contract officers must undergo rigorous DOJ screening. Since the public at large usually cannot distinguish between contract and in-house officers, this can lead to dangerous situations.
Please contact CALSAGA if you have any questions about SB 194, or about any other piece of legislation you think would be of interest to the security community.
- 06/09/2005, BSIS Posts Bulletins on Website
BSIS recently posted a number of updates on their website dealing with FingerPrint Cards, the DOJ Voice system for checking background check application status, Tasers, and Baton Training
Each of these updates can be found by clicking on the links below.
- 06/02/2005, WMD Training Materials Posted on CALSAGA Website
We attended a meeting with BSIS and the subject matter experts who created the new "Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness for Security Professionals" course. As you know, this course will be mandatory for all security officers as the second half of the new expanded Powers to Arrest course.
Every licensed PPO, PSTF, and training provider in the state will be sent a copy of a CD-ROM with an instructor guide and student workbook on the CD, along with a DVD which contains a video to assist in the presentation of the materials. The Bureau expects the CD and DVD will be shipped to you by the end of the month.
However, we have posted the Instructor Guide and Student Workbook on the CALSAGA website, so you can download them now and start to use them or prepare for them. Unfortunately, the size of the video file is too large to download, but you can get the guide and workbook now.
Go here and click on the Download buttons for both the Instructor Guide and Student Workbook.
The addition of this training for private security is a huge step for our industry and a recognition of the important role that private security professionals can play in protecting the homeland from potential terrorist attacks.
If you have any questions about how to prepare for implentation of utilizing these course materials, please call the CALSAGA office at (866) 310-2551, or email us.
- 06/01/2005, SB 194 passes Senate with Bi-Partisan Support
We wanted to share with you the great news that our sponsored legislation, SB 194 by Senator Abel Maldonado, passed the full State Senate yesterday with a broad, bi partisan vote of 29-6.
SB 194 is CALSAGA's legislation to require all security officers in California, whether contract or proprietary, to obtain a guard card and register with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. The legislation will now move to the State Assembly for consideration. We will be in touch soon on how to contact your State Assembly Representatives to urge them to support SB 194.
In other State Capitol news, at the request of CALSAGA, the Senate and Assembly Budget Sub Committees that oversee the BSIS budget have approved augmenting the staff of BSIS. The fees we pay to BSIS have generated a surplus at BSIS, but the Bureau was not authorized to spend these funds on additional staff. If these budget augmentations remain in the final state budget, then BSIS will have additional staff to better serve our members, and conduct better enforcement against unlicensed activity that undercuts legitimate PPOs who must comply with all state laws and regulations.
If you have any questions about the latest news from the Capitol, please call or email us.
- 05/26/2005, Proprietary Officer Registration Legislation Heads to Full Senate
CALSAGA's sponsored legislation, SB 194, to require proprietary security officers to get guard cards, is headed to the Floor of the State Senate for a vote next week.
The legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee without a vote after the committee determined that the bill would have no net impact on state finances, since the fees for the new registrants would cover any increased staff necessary to process them.
The bill will be heard next before the full Senate, as early as next week, after which it goes to the Assembly for review.
CALSAGA members are urged to contact their Senators to urge them to vote yes on SB 194.
- 05/15/2005, Anti-Taser Legislation Dies in Committee
A number of CALSAGA members who utilize Tasers in their operations have been closely watching AB 1237, which would have banned the sale to or use of Tasers by private citizens, and AB 101, which would have severely regulated their use. The CALSAGA Legislative Committee and Board of Directors were going to consider taking a formal opposition position on these bills at their next meetings.
Fortunately, AB 101 was killed outright, and AB 1237 was almost totally watered down, in legislative action yesterday.
This article in today's Sacramento Bee tells the story of what happened.
- 05/24/2005, BSIS & DOJ to End Use of Fingerprint Hard Cards as of June 1, 2005
We received the following notice from BSIS Deputy Chief Robert Puleo. You may be receiving your own copy, but we wanted to email it to all CALSAGA members as well:
Effective June 1, 2005, due to the passage of Senate Bill 970, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will only accept fingerprint images electronically.
Therefore, in accordance with this bill, as of June 1, 2005, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services will no longer accept hard fingerprint cards.
Applicants who apply from out-of-state or remote locations within California may request an exemption. An exemption form entitiled "Request for Exemption from Mandatory Electronic Fingerprint Submission Requirement" can be downloaded from DOJ's website
If you have any questions about this matter, please contact CALSAGA at (866) 310-2551, or reply to this email.
- 05/19/2005, Security Industry Praises New WMD & Terrorism Awareness Training for Private Security
CALSAGA, the industry association for the contract private security industry in California, today praised the launch of a new public-private partnership to train private security personnel in Terrorism Awareness and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Recognition.
The new training program will be mandatory for all private security officers in California, enhancing the state's private security training law, which is already the most comprehensive in the nation. The training curriculum was developed by a working group from California Office of Homeland Security, Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training, Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and industry representatives from CALSAGA.
"This new addition to California's security training law cements private security as an essential component of our state's homeland defense," said CALSAGA President Randy Davis. "With over 200,000 licensed private security officers in California, there are nearly three times as many sets of eyes and ears available to spot suspicious activity. Have these officers trained with a state-of-the-art program will definitely enhance California's safety."
The new program will train officers on how to spot and distinguish suspicious activity, how to report these activities, and how to serve as a responder to incidents. Samples are available by contacting CALSAGA at (916) 930-0552.
- 05/19/2005, California Homeland Security Efforts to get Boost From Private Security Guards
A new tool in the war on terror has been unveiled by the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).
Effective immediately, private security guards licensed by DCA will undergo four hours of terrorism awareness training as part of the 40 hours training required to receive their licenses.
"This training offers a great opportunity to add up to 400,000 sets of eyes and ears to assist California's 90,000 law enforcement officers in their efforts to prevent terrorist attacks," said DCA Director Charlene Zettel.
The training curriculum was unveiled Thursday during Director Zettel's appearance at the Law Enforcement and Private Security (LEAPS) Conference in Los Angeles.
The four-hour course is designed to teach security officers, through words and pictures, the rudiments of identifying and dealing with potential terrorist threats. It will be given to all new registered security guards in California as part of the State's increased training requirements for guards that went into effect last year. The federal Office of Homeland Security is expected to make the California training curriculum its model and to make it available throughout the country.
Funded through a $125,000 federal grant, the training manual and DVD are the result of a collaboration between DCA's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS); the Governor's Office of Homeland Security; the Distance Learning Center of the University of California, Irvine; the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST); the California Military Department; representatives of private security and other businesses; and law enforcement agencies.
he Bureau's training material will be distributed to more than 2,000 California businesses, training facilities and colleges and could eventually reach as many as 400,000 private security guards.
- 05/10/2005, CALSAGA Leg ALERT - Oppose AB 9, AB 295!
CALSAGA has identified two measures now pending in the California State Assembly that we wanted to bring to your immediate attention, and ask you to contact your own legislators and ask them to OPPOSE these measures.
AB 9 (by Assembly Member Coto) - Would subject security services to the state sales tax. The funds would be dedicated to public education education.
AB 295 (Assembly Member Chavez) - Would require that any security contractor with a state agency contract to notify that agency anytime there is any investigation against the security contractor, and disclose any and all investigations against the PPO when responding to a state RFP for security services.
AB 9 attempts to put the burden of solving the state budget crisis on the backs of security firms and other service providers. California businesses already pay too many taxes, face high energy bills, and high workers compensation costs. Security companies should not have the burden of being the state's tax collector. This measure will cost Californians jobs!
AB 295 would allow any entity to file anonymous, false claims against your company, which could lead to an investigation being launched, which could then be used to deny you getting state contracts, even if the original claim and investigation were completely without merit. The state would be better served to use the funding we already pay to BSIS to beef up legitimate enforcement against improper operators, and leave good operators to do the quality work they already do.
CALSAGA urges you to contact your State Assembly representatives to express your opposition to AB 9 and AB 295. To find your legislator, go to the State Assembly website:
On the left menu bar, click on the "Find My District" button. Enter your address into the window that opens, and you will be told your State Assembly Member, your State Senator, and mailing addresses for each. You may use the ideas expressed above in formulating your letters, but please try to use your own words.
We would ask that if you do write to your legislators, please send a copy of your letter to CALSAGA as well.
CALSAGA
915 L Street, Suite C-251
Sacramento, CA 95814
- 05/10/2005, CALSAGA Launches Industry-Wide LiveScan and Officer Registration Tracking Period
As we had previously notified you before the recent Northern and Southern California LiveScan meetings, CALSAGA would like to conduct a three month program to track LiveScan submissions to see if we can determine how well the system is working and what the cause of any delays might be.
In order to reliably provide data to the Department of Justice and BSIS, we are asking your help in tracking all your company's LiveScan Submissions and Guard Card Applications from Monday, May 16, 2005 to Friday, August 12, 2005.
Furthermore, to ensure that all data from all participants in the survey uses the same format, we are asking you to track your applicants' data in the Excel Spreadsheet here. The columns should be self explanatory, but if you have any questions about the spreadsheet or this program to track applicants, please contact us at (866) 310-2551.
The more members that particpate in this survey, the better our data will be. And if there are still problems in the system that are not caused on our end, but by the system, then we can go to DOJ/BSIS with reliable data and ensure changes are made to improve the system. Please let us know if you will be participating by emailing us.
Thank you in advacnce for your help. If you have any questions, call us at (866) 310-2551.
- 04/25/2005, SB 194 - Proprietary Officer Registration Bill Passes First Legislative Hearing
In a busy day of legislative action at the State Capitol, CALSAGA's sponsored legislation, SB 194, authored by Senator Abel Maldonado, passed its first committee hearing today. The bill passed the Senate Business & Professions Committee today 4-1. At time of this email, there remained a strong possibility that a Senator attending another hearing would arrive later to add his support, bringing the total to 5-1. The legislation passed with bi-partisan support.
SB 194 is CALSAGA's bill to require security officers in California, whether they are contract or in-house officers, to meet the same standards to training, criminal background checks, and registration with the State.
SB 194 is the by-product of a winter long negotiation with the Schwarzenegger Administration over concerns about implementation of the proposal. While expressing support for the concept, the Administration raised several technical concerns about how to enforce the legislation. Specifically, since the Business & Professions Code was established to provide consumer protection when a customer purchases a good or service, there were serious concerns whether BSIS even had authority to regulate proprietary security, as their is no "customer." This concern is addressed in SB 194 by creating a parallel code section to the Private Security Act geared towards regulating proprietary security.
SB 194 will next be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee, where its fiscal im[act will be assessed, and then move onto to the full Senate. CALSAGA will be contacting members shortly to encourge you to write or call your own legislators to urge them to support SB 194. if you have any questions about this legislation, or any other CALSAGA activities in the State Capitol, email us at info@calsaga.org.
- 2006 News Archive