Spotlight on private security: Some neighborhoods use private guards with Baltimore short on officers

Some Baltimore neighborhoods have hired private security to help reduce crime given that city police are short hundreds of officers. 

These private security forces are in the spotlight following a shooting in Harbor East on Friday. That’s when an armed guard in Harbor East shot a suspected shoplifter in the face. 

The incident has raised questions about the power and accountability of private security forces. “It’s important to know these folks [are subject] to the same set of laws as you and me,” Baltimore City Council member Zeke Cohen told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “So, if something does go wrong, they are still legally as well as financially accountable for it.” 

Cohen represents Harbor East and Fells Point, which is where a Business Improvement District provides extra security.  “Businesses pay a surtax to get a little bit of additional cleaning, greening and security,” Cohen said. “It does create another layer of security, which can have accountability questions.”

The Harbor East community employs its own additional guards. Representatives have not returned WJZ’s calls for comment.  On Monday, police provided an update and said the 33-year-old suspected shoplifter is now in stable condition in the hospital. The incident happened inside a CVS on Fleet Street. They said the man threatened the guard with a syringe. CVS told us the guard “is not employed by or for our store” and instead works for the Harbor East community.

“The circumstances are really unfortunate,” Cohen said. “However, I have not heard of any criminal liability for the security guard.” Having some form of neighborhood patrol is not a bad thing, Cohen said. But that does have to be closely regulated, he said. Across the city, neighborhoods rely on private security, extra eyes and ears from Shomrim in Northwest Baltimore to patrols in Federal Hill. “One of our neighbors got carjacked, so a group us said, ‘What are we going to do?'” Ian Neuman said.

Neuman helped launch private security in Federal Hill after a wave of violent crime. The added security is paid for through donations. Guards are unarmed and provide visible patrols five days a week. “I would say it’s been a success especially up around the park,” Neuman said. He said the security guards do not have the power of arrest. In fact, they are told that if anything is not working, then they had “better call 911.”

“You don’t have the power to hit somebody,” Neuman said. “You don’t have the power to put handcuffs on them.”He said guards report suspicious activity directly to police, and while he admits not everyone has been behind the effort, he has no second thoughts. “Without a doubt, I would do it again. That’s why I said I would help other neighborhoods. I think it’s a way to supplement the police,” Neuman said. “We’re not going to stop everything that goes on. It was never intended for that.”

Original article: Spotlight on private security: Some neighborhoods use private guards with Baltimore short on officers