Understanding the difference in the “Authority” levels of a SLED Security Officer is the whole difference.
Why is this important?
If you hire us for an Unarmed, No Authority assignment, you are basically paying us to provide you with a Security Officer who can only Report and Observe.
This means, if we are doing patrols at your site and someone gets Disorderly? Or is Trespassing? Or simply told he must leave the area…..and that person does not listen? The Security Officer cannot do anything except take a picture, get a description of the person and report it to your On-site Courtesy Officer or call it in to the local Police Department.
So, understanding the Private Security Authority is real important so that your expectations are reasonable and compliant with SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division).
Here are the different Levels of the SLED Certified Private Security Officers.
Remember, this ONLY APPLIES to the property you are paid to protect.
- SLED Certified Concealed Armed. This Security Officer is the “Top of the line” Security Officer. He is Armed and has full authority of your property and can do everything that the local Police Department can do. He can carry OC Pepper Spray, Tasers as well. He can also dress in plain clothes with a weapon on his hip or concealed? Plain clothes is often used for Loss Prevention or Body Guard Services. “Concealed” does NOT mean you can use your SC CWP (personal permit) for this. The CWP Certification is totally different from the Security Concealed Armed Permit.
- SLED Certified Armed. He is Armed and has full authority of your property and can do everything that the local Police Department can do. He can carry OC Pepper Spray, Tasers as well. However, he must be in an Officer Uniform and cannot be undercover or plain clothes.
- SLED Certified Unarmed with Authority. He is Un-armed and has full authority of your property and can do everything that the local Police Department can do…BUT, not being Armed, this is risky. He can carry OC Pepper Spray, Tasers as well. If you are expecting a Security Officer to be Un-Armed but are asking him to lay down some after hour rules, remove people from your site, direct people to leave an area…..then the Officer should have a way to protect himself with “Less than lethal” options such as Pepper Spray and / or a Taser.
- SLED Certified Unarmed with NO Authority. This Officer can’t really do anything except “Observe and Report”. If he comes across something such as a “Trespasser”? He can ask him to leave and if the Trespasser does not? Oh well? All he can do is take down notes and call 911 if the issue is important enough. If he is told to clear an area and the people refuse to leave the area? Oh well? All he can do is take down notes and call 911 if the issue is important enough. Basically, this Officer is a “Body in a uniform” for your site.
