New Mexico Security Blog by Robb Hamic

Security companies BEWARE of the bad employee! Don't be victimized by the bad employees who pollute the security industry!

I recently wrote about Stuart B. Smith. Smith is a "seasoned" security company employee that bounces between Albuquerque's security companies. Sometimes he is fired and sometimes he quits. Sometimes the company loses because they trust this guy to do his job.

There is a lot at stake for security companies. The results are sometimes costly when they put the wrong guard on a post trusting that they will do their he will do his job. Sometimes a bad guard costs the company a good client because of his incompetence.

New Mexico security companies should complete pre-employment background checks on the people that they hire. They should call former employers and verify the applicant's job references and training. They should verify state licensing and past licensing to see if there were any revocations of employee registration.

Employers Beware of Stuart B. Smith! Arrested 6 times, 18 traffic tickets and still he has a security license...

TR2255791 SMITH STUART 1967 William F. Lang Disposed 0
TR2517488 SMITH STUART 1967 Keesha Caldwell Disposed 0
TR50788 SMITH STUART 1967 Thomas Davis Disposed 0
DV1001 SMITH STUART 1967 Cecelia Niemczyk Closed 130220349
TR7551701 SMITH STUART 1967 Michael Kavanaugh Closed 0
TR7716901 SMITH STUART 1967 Victoria Grant Closed 0
PR14397 SMITH STUART 1967 Frank W. Gentry Disposed 0
CR2024989 SMITH STUART 1967 Tommy Jewell Closed 890032840
DW22001 SMITH STUART A 1964 Judith K Nakamura Disposed 130221517
TR1584089 SMITH STUART B 1967 Tommy Jewell Disposed 0
TR93186 SMITH STUART B 1967 Theresa M. Baca Disposed 0
TR93286 SMITH STUART B 1967 Theresa M. Baca Disposed 0
TR290291 SMITH STUART B 1967 Charles Barnhart Disposed 0
TR701986 SMITH STUART B 1967 Tommy Jewell Disposed 870012676
TR1083696 SMITH STUART B 1967 Marie Baca Pending 0
CR223493 SMITH STUART B 1967 Theresa A. Gomez Closed 0
TR1713086 SMITH STUART B 1967 Thomas Davis Disposed 0
TR1864588 SMITH STUART B 1967 Charles Barnhart Disposed 880030603
TR1903286 SMITH STUART B 1967 George Jones Pending 0
TR2005992 SMITH STUART B 1967 Theresa A. Gomez Disposed 0
TR2039484 SMITH STUART B 1967 C. Burton Cosgrove Disposed 0
TR2195784 SMITH STUART B 1967 C. Burton Cosgrove Disposed 0
TR2198686 SMITH STUART B 1967 William A. Short Disposed 0
TR2231786 SMITH STUART B 1967 William A. Short Disposed 0
CR789887 SMITH STUART 1967 Tommy Jewell Closed 870012676

How does a guy like this get a license? After 3 license revocations from the state you would learn!

Licensee:
Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
License No.
16762
License Type:
Security Guard
Issued:
8/27/1999
Expires:
6/30/2001
License Status:
Revocation

Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
License No.
15665
License Type:
Security Guard
Issued:
2/22/1999
Expires:
6/30/2001
License Status:
Revocation

Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
License No.
25501
License Type:
Security Guard
Issued:
3/22/2004
Expires:
6/30/2005
Revocation

Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
License No.
26108
License Type:
Security Guard
Issued:
7/16/2004
Expires:
6/30/2007
License Status:
Expired

Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
License No.
35205
License Type:
Security Guard

11/6/2007
Expires:
6/30/2009
License Status:
Active
Licensee:
Smith, Stuart B.
Albuquerque NM 87106
35205

Firearmsrms
Issued:
12/8/2007
Expires:
12/8/2008
License Status:
Active

And look- a former employer offered some advice about this former employee...

"If this is the same Stuart Smith that worked for Barton Protective Services 4 years ago, he's a psychopath. When I fired him in 2004 he threatened to come to my office and kill me. He even stalked one my clients after being fired. But he's all bark and no bite."

Say Hi to Stewart when you are having a drink at The Tavern in Albuquerque.

NM PI Board meeting minutes- July 1, 2008. What does the Board think of the unlicensed/illegal security problem? New Mexico Security

Private Investigators Advisory Board
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – July 1, 2008
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
BOARDS AND COMMISSION DIVISION

Mr. Kindig then started the importance of a compliance or investigative position for the board at which
Mr. Khalsa stated that it is important for the industry to be behind the board in that decision. Mr. Kindig
asserted that he would lobby for the board. Mr. Stotts gave his support for the unlicensed activity to be a
misdemeanor.

Mr. Shawn Ducat asserted that the fact that the security blog is important to alert and
notify the public and potential clients of unlicensed companies and that the companies that are hiring
unlicensed security guard companies don’t care because they can pay them less whether they have
workers compensation or not.

Ms. Meade then stated that Public Service Announcements are being
looked at for the unlicensed activity problem. Mr. Kindig asserted that a letter from the board be sent to
the company employing unlicensed companies and notifying them that they are doing themselves an
injustice by allowing unlicensed companies to operate. Mr. Kindig also stated that the current statutes
provide for fining of these companies. Ms. Meade corrected Mr. Kindig and stated the board can only
fine the unlicensed companies. Chair Jochem asked if these companies could be alerted of the
wrongdoing and Ms. Meade stated that yes the board can alert them but that it could not fine them. Mr.
Khalsa then stated that the penalties need to be made harsher for unlicensed companies and that $1,000.00
should be for every day that they operate. Superintendent O’Donnell asked about levying a fine for the
contractors of the unlicensed companies through legislation at which Ms. Meade stated that the board
could petition the legislature for such request. Mr. Stotts asserted that a lot of support would be needed.

Mr. Kindig agreed and stated that overuse of the Internet to slam rival companies, which the public sees
and gets distaste for the industry. Mr. Kindig then reiterated that the board needs to send out letters
advising the contractors of the unlicensed companies to be aware that they are dealing with illegal
companies. He goes on to state that some people are unlicensed and feel superior when they can merely
obtain a license once alerted to the fact that they were operating illegally but are now licensed. Mr. Stotts
felt that people in this situation should not be given licenses. Superintendent O’Donnell stated that the
goal of RLD is to bring these companies into compliance. Mr. Khalsa felt that a penalty was needed for
these companies whether it is a monetary fine or that they could not operate for a year or even for the
amount of time that they were operating unlicensed. Chair Jochem mentioned that proper qualifications
were also needed and that they would not be accepted if it were for unlicensed activity.

Mr. Kindig then brought up the subject of proper markings for security guard companies and uniforms.
Mr. Khalsa said that this subject could be revisited in the rules and that personal vehicles need to be
addressed in the rules as well.

Mr. Stotts felt the board should visit the subject of public education as well as having a front end
approach to business owners and unlicensed activity.

Dr. George Walker reiterated the crucial importance of a compliance arm for the board as well as PSA’s
and official letters.

The law is the law. I am tired of hearing about someone else "getting away with it." New Mexico Security

It is not that hard. Follow the law. It costs a lot more money, complicates things somewhat and cuts down on profit but following the law is the only way to do business. It is really hard to get wrapped up in the mess that is the security industry and get totally frustrated with the system.

"These things take time." That is what they always tell me.

I am not an exactly patient person so it is hard for me to take. As most of my readers know- I hate unlicensed and illegal security companies. I hate what they stand for and what they produce. I hate that they endanger their unwitting employees every night.

Unlicensed and illegal security companies create the following problems:

- no background checks for guards or allowing Felons or unacceptable people work in the industry
- no training for the guards, which makes it unsafe for both the guard, client and everyone they encounter
- stealing money from the guards- Medicare and Social Security and tax withholdings
- providing the guard low pay
- not providing the guard or client worker's compensation insurance
- lying to the client about the company being licensed
- falsifying insurance documents to "prove" insurance
- breaking the law to do security
- felon security company owners
- no cease and desist letters from RLD
- very few prosecutions to date from law enforcement
- RLD continuing to allow illegal or unlicensed companies to operate

Security consumers continue to do business with illegal and unlicensed companies. Why? Cost. Unlicensed or illegal companies are charging a lot less than the legal companies. I don't think that they see the liability for doing business this way and I don't know why.

I have been contacted by a few people who are suing businesses that provided security by contracted companies in full knowledge that the company had no license, insurance, felon employees, unlicensed employees with no training, etc.

I will gladly testify against any of these companies and provide the information that I have uncovered. I think it is dangerous and irresponsible for security consumers to use illegal and unlicensed companies and I hope that they all seek reputable companies that are in full compliance with the law.

The Casados Group is riding SHOTGUN. Albuquerque Security

The Casados Group was providing security for a business at 2920 Broadway SE. There were thefts in the area and this client wanted to protect against it by hiring a security guard from Casados. The police report will show that in fact, a couple of people cut a lock and got into the property. The guard was in his personal vehicle inside the property. The thieves hooked up the some sort of generator that was on a trailer to their truck. This took some time....

The guard deployed a shotgun out of his vehicle and ran towards the truck that was stealing the generator. The Casados Group guard shot the moving vehicle as it was driving away. Apparently, the guard said the buckshot hit the rear of the truck tail gate. He told the security client that he did this to "mark the truck for later identification."

It is my understanding that no arrests were made. I don't know if the guard was registered with the state, had a firearms certification or was certified to carry a shotgun by the state of New Mexico. All of these things will be verified. I wonder if this guy is still working security in Albuquerque?

In a separate development... I retrieved a police report from APD about The Casados Group providing security at this same location. On July 19, 2008- the monitor of the client's video surveillance system called APD about a man and a woman on the property possibly smoking narcotics.

The police arrived and met the Casados Group guard, Tyrone Perry-Hill. HE IS UNLICENSED WITH THE STATE.

It was 9:20PM at night and he stated that he had been on the property since 6AM. His girlfriend came to bring him some food and remained on the property with him. Philip Casados was interviewed by APD. APD didn't find any evidence of drugs in the man's vehicle.

There is always something new going on in New Mexico Security!
Stay tuned...

Valley Protective Services comes to New Mexico. Read what their employees and customers in Arizona say about the company. Albuquerque Security

Valley Protective Services is a well known security company in Arizona. They have recently incorporated here in New Mexico and they do have a security company license. There is a lot of information on the Web about this company and I found a web site that provides for ratings of security companies from both customers and employees. I found it interesting to say the least.

Phoenix City Search link.

Valley Protective Service
5869 S Kyrene Rd
Tempe, AZ 85283
Phone: (480) 777-0003

30 Reviews

07/08/2008 Posted by rebdog21

The worst people I have ever worked for....EVER. Job sucked as well. Ripped off my final paycheck and had the nads to say I owed them for late fees and processing charges. Pure evil. If you do get hired by these pigs...sleep on the job,remember that those cheap radios don't have the GPS like they lie about having...so you can call in,say your at the job and not be. After getting screwed by these losers I wished I had tried a whole lot less. If you have worked for this low life outfit contact their vendors after you get ripped off...and you will and let them know what trash these people are...also contact their competition and give them leads to take VPS clients. I did.

Pros: You can quit.

Cons: You work for thieves and loser cop wannebes.

Work like a dog get paid like a dog.

06/13/2008 Posted by Maggoty

I worked there for exactly one week plus training time. what did I get for my 40 hours of work that week? 15 dollars and some cents. Stay away! There are plenty of reliable security jobs out there. I had three instances in one week which put together made me leave the job so early. 1...The supervisors will dock your paycheck before even attempting to help you straighten something out. 2...They don't provide Body armor, but they send you into high risk areas your first week. 3...And if you work a 14 hour shift, crash your truck on the way back home and get no sleep during the day taking care fo things with the accident, they will offer you a taxi ride to work. Honestly folks, I was treated better in the Army by an NCO who was convinced I'm rascist. These guys just do not care, they will work you until you drop, laugh at you while they're doing it, and then find any way they can cut your paycheck when it comes time to pony up.

Pros: Night shifts, quick to hire, provides uni's

Cons: They treat you like a dog.

Dream Job

06/03/2008 Posted by secure4u

If you meet the following requirements we would like to hire you for our great firm! 1. Do you love to be abused, screamed at, treated like dirt? 2. Do you like having your first paycheck ripped off as you have to pay rent on outdated radio equipment that doesn't work, wear pants 2 sizes to big for you, smelly old shirts, flashlights that are better dug out of a dumpster and pay top dollar for all of these things? 3. Be posted no where even close to your home, no that's too easy. Instead drive your arses from one end of the valley to the other with not reimbursement for gas and be scheduled to be at 2 different places at the same time? 4. Be chased with a lunatic residence bearing a knife and not able to get through on your piece of junk radio equipment. 5. Get shot at, and remember all this for $11.50 per hour. 6. Oh but wait, you don't get your last paycheck as they will charge you a late fee of $250.00 and an administrative fee for taking their fingers out of their asses for a mere $150.00. Then they will find even more charges that you owe them and have the punk a-- cahoonies to take you to court. Yes this could be your dream job!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: zero

Cons: con artists

beware!

05/29/2008 Posted by watchurback

Stay away from these self serving pigs who lie, cheat, and use you all for $11.00 per hour. By the way you won't get your first or last paycheck.

Pros: none

Cons: great con artists

stayin away f rom this bunch

05/09/2008 Posted by Gavinguard

wow. thanks for the heads up. i'm glad i read this site because i'm looking for a guard job. they sound like real a--holes.. i'll definetly be looking somewhere else!

Pros: didnt see any

Cons: jerks

Evil

05/05/2008 Posted by 10311952111824

Someone needs to start a blog just for Valley Protecive Services for all ex employees to post their grievances. Please post yours with your name and email. I'm putting together a list for channel 3 on your side. How great to expose them on public tv. don't let them burn anymore people who count on their paychecks to payrent and take care of their children. They are pure evil. Email me at: bertworsencroft@hotmail. thanks I'll get a blog going too when I get my computer guy to get it started.

Pros: You can quit.

Cons: Great con artists

KEY: NOT RECOMMENDED

03/09/2008 Posted by chitationdevice

VPS WAS OK TO ME AT FIRST. LIKE A COUPLE OF THE OTHER REVIEWS STATED, I WAS OFFERED THE POSSIBILITY OF ADVANCEMENT AND INCREASED PAY. AFTER BEING EMPLOYED WITH VPS FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS, RECEIVING 10-20 CENT PER HOUR RAISES EVERY YEAR AND NO ADVANCEMENT, I DECIDED TO MOVE ON. AT MY REVIEWS I WAS TOLD THAT I DO A GREAT JOB, MAKE PLENTY OF CONTACTS, PERFORM NUMEROUS ARRESTS, ASSISTED IN ARRESTS AND ALWAYS TURN MY PAPERWORK IN ON TIME. TO ME....THAT SOUNDS LIKE NOTHING NEGATIVE. VPS DOES NOT HONOR THEIR EMPLOYEES HARD WORK. MY ONLY REGRET IS WORKING THERE AS LONG AS I DID. IT IS A ROAD TO NOWHERE. MOST OF THE TIME THE MORALE WAS COMPLETELY LOW BY OFFICERS, SERGEANTS, OWNERS, MANAGERS AND DISPATCHERS. THE ATMOSPHERE IS NOT ONE OF SUCCESSION. DO NOT BE FOOLED! AFTER BEING BRUSHED OFF BY COMMANDER COXEN AND THE OWNERS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO ASK ABOUT SCHEDULING A MEETING REGARDING PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS. COXEN MENTIONED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO SPEAK TO ME ABOUT IT. VPS HAS NO REGARD FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.

Pros: NIGHT SHIFTS DURING THE HOT SUMMER

Cons: LOW PAY, NO PROMOTIONS, NO POTENTIAL ADVANCEMENT

Keep an open mind

01/29/2008 Posted by honestmanpolicy

Be sure to keep an open mind when reading the 20-something reviews. Most of them appear to have been written by disgruntled employees. However, many of them are actually true in their facts. So, pay attention to the facts rather than the tone. I worked for VPS for a total of 2.5 years. In that time I learned that VPS can be a decent company to work for (stressing decent). It is by no means a career move. The highest position an officer can be promoted to is SGT and that will only increase your hourly wage by 75 cents. When I started, I was promised a promotion if I did a good job. For the most part, I was a very good employee. However, on one occasion, I failed to drop my daily activity report at the proper location on time. I recognized my mistake and notified my supervisor immediately. At that point, upper management threatened to terminate my employment and drop my hourly wage. I agree that I made a mistake, however an employee should not be threatened for one use of misjudgement. From then on, I heard constant rumors of management speaking negative of me to other employees. I understand that these are merely rumors, but I heard this information from numerous sources. I do not write this to say that VPS is a bad company, but you should definitely go into it with an open mind. There are many other security companies that are more professional.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Loyalty: A Two Way Street

01/19/2008 Posted by shafted12345

I worked for VPS for a short time as a dispatch operator. In that time my training and instruction for this position was minimal at best. They handed me my radio, phone, and computer and expected me to perform as if I'd been working there for years. I am a professional, I am hard working and did my job to the best of my ability. The communication equipment used by dispatch and officers in the field is old and in deplorable condition and did not work correctly most of the time. The noise level in the dispatch office was overly obnoxious for most of my shifts so that it was impossible to hear customers or officers when they called for service or information. Loyalty was never a question, as I was dedicated to learning all that I could to support those officers in the field and to be of help to my co-workers and customers. In the time I spent at VPS, I learned how others, mostly officers in the field, are treated. They are gossiped about, insulted and made fun of behind their backs. For the most part, the officers in the field are hard working, dedicated individuals and do not deserve that kind of attitude from those they must rely on to do their jobs effectively. If you are expected to be loyal to a company, that company should at least be deserving of it. In my opinion, VPS does not deserve it. Most of the lower ranking employees, officers and office personnel alike, are not respected at all. They are made a joke of and their efforts are disparaged by their supervisors and higher ranking members of their team. I have never written a negative article or spoken out against any employer before, whether they may have deserved it or not. This time, however, I felt compelled to speak up. I have never been so disgusted by the conduct of a supposedly reputable company. If this review saves one person from the indignity many have suffered while employed with Valley Protective Services, my responsibilty to the employment seeking public has been served.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Not a perfect compnay, but a great company

12/27/2007 Posted by loyalemployee

I have been with Valley Protective Services for five years. Have I been happy the entire time? Of course not. However, I have remained loyal and dependable and that has definately paid off. Dave and Terry reward their loyal employees. I have seen a lot of reviews on here from people who apparently do not know the first thing about loyalty to their employers. We do have some very set, specific policies about terminating from the company. Apparently, a lot of people think that they should just be able to screw the company and there should be no consequences for that. If that is your attitude, and you are a disloyal person, like most of the people writting these reviews, then we don't want you. Most of the people writting these reviews that we have been able to identify are liars! They did not work for the company as long as they claimed to have. In five years, I have seen this company grow from fifty employees to almost three hundred. We have three offices, Phoenix, Tucson and New Mexico. And as for our reputation, with both our clients and our local law enforcement agencies, it's very good. It must be, we continue to grow leaps and bounds. In january of 2008, we will move into a building owned, not leased by the company. It is a beautiful new facility that is just another piece of evidence proving that Valley Protective Services is a good successfull company. I don't believe in "brown nosing" either. "Brown nosing" and loyalty are not the same thing, and most of the people writting these reviews are disgruntled ex-employees who will probably never know the difference. As for our reputation with the police, not all love us. We can't be loved by everyone, that's a fact of life. We are not being investigated, we are not being arrested, to the contrary, our cases continue to be prosecuted in the courts and we are constantly being subpoenaed to testify. They are partially right, there is no opportunity for advancement, for people who are disloyal.

Pros: Good customer service, employee benefits, rapidly growing company, lots of opportunity

Cons: Growing company with growing pains and evolving policies

OK COMPANY

12/20/2007 Posted by yeager21

I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE PLANNING ON WORK THERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (OVER 90 DAYS, BUT NOT A CAREER MOVE). THE COMPANY OFFERS DECENT COMPENSATION PER HOUR COMPARED TO OTHER COMPANIES. THE HOURS ARE NIGHT MOSTLY. THERE IS A DISPATCH CENTER. THE UNIFORMS ARE DECENT. THE EQUIPMENT IS SOMEWHAT MODERN NEGATIVES- MORALE TENDS TO BE VERY LOW. EMPLOYEES SEEM TO GET SUCKED INTO NEVER LEAVING EVEN THOUGH THEY HATE IT THERE. I LEFT BECAUSE I KNEW I COULD HOLD THE JOB UNTIL I FOUND MY WAY INTO THE ACADEMY. SGTS ARE KIND OF A JOKE. THEY REALLY DON'T HELP YOU IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. THE FRONT OFFICE IS COMPLETELY UNHELPFUL EXCEPT FOR ONE LADY IN THERE THAT USED TO HELP ME. DON'T QUIT BEFORE THE END OF YOUR FIRST 3 MONTHS OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED $90-$150 AND THE REST OF THE CHECK WILL BE PAID AT $7.00 PER HOUR. SAYING THAT YOU WORK FOR THIS COMPANY WHEN APPLYING FOR A PD DEPARTMENT JOB DOES NOT HELP. TWO OFFICERS RECOMMENDED THAT I LEAVE THAT INFORMATION OUT OF MY RESUME UNLESS I WAS CALLED UPON TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT TIME PERIOD. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT VPS HAS A BAD REP WITH PD. THIS IS NOT A BAD COMPANY, BUT YOU SHOULD WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS BEFORE APPLYING.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Bad Company

12/20/2007 Posted by honestman411

I worked for VPS for two and a half years. In that time I was put on numerous dangerous sites in which no english speaking residents lived. When I suggested to management that someone who spoke spanish should work this area in order to communicate effecitvely with the residents, My supervisor told me to "be a man". First of all, encouraging the best service for the customer does not make me less of a man and secondly, treating an honest suggestion with such disrespect is completely uncalled for. Two weeks after giving this recommendation to my supervisor, I received a surprise visit on my post during the middle of the night from that supervisor. He collected all of the equipment that I had paid for and took my timesheets. He then told me that I was fired., but would not give me a reason When I tried to collect my final paycheck, I was told that my timesheet was lost and that a new one would not suffice. When I threatened to go to court, the office manager final told me that I could fill out another timesheet. When I showed up to pick up my check, she handed me a bill for $150. She said that it was for an administrative fee. That basically tells you that the company has no interest in employees unless they are mindless drones. After they are done with you, they will make up random charges so that they do not have to pay you. Then they will take the gear from you that was charged to you out of your first two paychecks. By the way, it costs $150 up front before you can start working. That is for your guard card. Then they charge you $350 for all of the equipment that they claim belongs to them after you terminate. Keep all receipts and a tape recorder on you when you deal with this company. Better yet, stay away from them.

Pros: you think you will advance in the company

Cons: you will not advance in the company

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

VPS- Visionary,Proactive and Successfull

12/07/2007 Posted by wwitch

After reading the reviews,I have come to the conclusion that most of them were written by the same 1 or 2 disgruntled ex employees.The phrases are too similar with the same tired rhetoric running through all of them! I work for VPS and can say without a doubt that the allegations in these reviews are false & totally one sided. I have found In Life as in the work place, you get out of it what you put in to it! At the LEAST as an employee you should possess integrety and honesty.If you speak ill of others and try to undermine Management, you will not succeed in the workplace.We have a Management team of wonderfull ,caring men and women. This is evident by the attitudes and successes of our excellent team members! VPS offers employment with opportunity for growth. Come down and talk to us,see what wer'e about.Don't come to any conclusions based on the opinions of a couple spiteful,disgruntled ex employees!

Pros: Great staff,excellent opportunities,family environment

Cons: none

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

NOT AWFUL, BUT NOT GOOD

12/05/2007 Posted by smithy101

I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ONLY THOSE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A SHORT TIME JOB. DO KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU QUIT BEFORE THE END OF YOUR NEW HIRE PERIOD, YOU WILL BE PAID AT MINIMUM WAGE ON YOU LAST PAYCHECK AND WILL BE CHARGED $150 FEE. THE HANDBOOK DOES MENTION THIS, BUT IT IS STILL UNETHICAL. I DON'T BELIEVE AN EMPLOYEE SHOULD BE PENALIZED FOR QUITTING. THIS JOB WILL OFFER NO CHANCE AT PROMOTION OR DESIRED TRAINING. TRAINING COURSES ARE ACCEPTABLE. BUT AFTER BEING TOLD HOW TO PROPERLY USE FORCE, YOU ARE TOLD TO USE IT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEPT FOR WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER. YOU MAY NOT CONTACT THE DISPATCHER CENTER UNLESS YOU PLAN TO SIT ON HOLD. YOU ARE DISCOURAGED FROM CALLING PD. I DON'T BELIEVE VPS HAS A GOOD REPUTATION WITH PD. I DO NOT WANT TO DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER MY EXPERIENCE AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Pros: NIGHT HOURS, BIWEEKLY PAY, DECENT UNIFORMS

Cons: TRAINING, SUPERVISORS ATTITUDES, DISPATCH CENTER

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Trash Pit

12/04/2007 Posted by smashingheads

This company was by far the worst company I have ever worked for. I was employed with VPS for 1.5 years. After calling off sick two days in a row, I was told to turn in my gear immediately. My last pay check was paid to me at minimum wage with a fee of $150 taken out for a "Miscellaneous" fee. When I asked Nicole (office manager) what this fee was for, she said that it is "miscellaneous". Gee!!! What a help! As far as the post before me, I feel your pain. However, I do have to say that Juanita is one of two people in that office that is actually helpful. For some unintelligent management reason, she was fired. I have heard numerous employees complain that they can never get help from the office now that she was gone. I say all this to mention that VPS does not care about quality work or the employees for that matter. The police department does not respect officers that work for this company because VPS officers are known for making rediculous mistakes due to a lack of sufficient training. I don't want the reputation of this company on my record. I wish I could leave that 1.5 years off of my resume. I was a good employee, but worked for a bad employer.

Pros: anyone can get a job here

Cons: management & lack of training

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

THE WORST COMPANY EVER----- A MUST READ!!!!!!!!!!!!

11/29/2007 Posted by goober_21

Definitely, employ at your risk!!!! I worked there for 6 months and i was terminated for calling in sick i called Juanita in the front office and informed her that i was sick and Juanita said she would pass it on to scheduling department and Dave but the next morning I got a call from Juanita and she said I need to bring in all my uniforms and equipment because I am being terminated for no call no show when I called in sick when I tryed to call Dave and explain to Dave that i was sick Dave would not talk to me. i tryed to talk to Terry but the office personal would not let me in the office except to get my final check and I was paid at minimum wage valley protective services is a joke and the staff is the worst staff i have ever seen and has the worst customer service ever and their scheduling department needs help bad and another thing is they send you were ever they want i live in tempe and they would send me to edgewater apartments in goodyear when there are guards that live out on that side of town and they put armed guards on unarmed post and unarmed guards on armed post and another thing is you can ask any police officer in the valley what is there opinion on security and the first word out of there mouth is valley protective services they teach their guards how to violate someones rights and what to say to get the police when they get on property to get the police on their side no wonder valley protective service is hated so much valley protective service gave the security industry a bad name and tan polo shirts with black pants were good clolors until valley protective service started to wear the same colors now when people see a security officer walking up to them and they see those colors they think dam valley protective services.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

VPS- MUST READ

11/29/2007 Posted by lthenson

FIRST OF ALL I HAVE TO SAY, I USE TO WORK WITH THE SORRY AZZ COMPANY BACK IN THE DAYS. DAVE AND TERRY ARE JOKE. THEY SEND A FEMALE WANNA BE OFFICER OUT TO WORK FOR OTHER COMPANIES TO STEAL THERE ACCOUNTS. ALL OF THERE SGT'S ARE JOKES ALSO AS WELL AS THE TRAINERS. THEY HAVE PROBLEMS IN THERE HEAD TO MAKE YOU THINK THAT EVERYTHING YOUR DOING IS LEGAL. ALL OF POLICE DEPT'S HATE VPS WITH A PASSION. THEY THINK THERE RUNNING A POLICE DEPT. BUT WHAT THEY DONT KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE DETECTIVES THAT ARE WATCHING THERE EVERY MOVE. I FEEL THAT DAVE AND TERRY AND ALL OF HIS KISS AZZ SGT'S SHOULD WORK AT WAL-MART AS A GREETER. I NOW WORK FOR MARICOPA COUNTY AND EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT VPS AND ALL THAY DO IS LAUGH. (WITH ME). ITS A JOKE AND YOU DO DESERVE TO WORK IN A PLACE WHERE YOU DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING TO JAIL...........

Pros: NA NA NA

Cons: GO SOMEWHERE ELSE

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Awful experience

11/20/2007 Posted by powertrain

Definitely, employ at your own risk! I worked there for 4 months to find out that I would be scheduled to work in Queen Creek while I live in Avondale. I was promised a location close to home, but never got it. I decided to seek employment elsewhere. Once the company found out about this, they did a surprise visit on me while I was on duty with VPS. Three sgts told me that I was a conflict of interest. They took all of my equipment and told me that I was done. I know this is illegal because they wouldn't tell me the reason why. I am currently filing a dispute through the labor board. In addition to being fired for no apparent reason, my last paycheck was paid to me at minimum wage and $150 was deducted. This left my check at a negative balance. VPS had the nerve to send me a bill for $13.34. The employee handbook states that $150 will be deducted if you quit before your 90 day probationary period. I was there for 4 months. That does not add up. I have contacted the office on two occasions, both times Nicole N. (office manager) hung up on me and refused to pass my message along to the owners or someone that would actually help me. I am writting this in order to divert as many potential employees as possible. Don't waste your time here. You can do much better almost anywhere else.

Pros: hire anyone

Cons: hours, work locations, pay, supervisors

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Not Recommended!

11/18/2007 Posted by noanswer

I worked for VPS for a couple years. In that time, I was told that I was a very good employee, trustworthy and a great help. After a very negative situation arose based on my supervisor's bad attitude, I felt forced to let the company know that I would be looking for another job and would put in a two week notice once I found one. I was merely being courteous. I was told that this would be acceptable and to take my time and that they really did not want to lose me. About two weeks later I was told that I would be replaced and to go home. I left knowing that this was how the company responded to my courtesy. A couple months have past and I found out today that upper management is spreading rumors about me to my friends that still work there. I have not slandered the company in any way. Even though I know that they are completely wrong in their actions, I know that revenge is not something that I care about. They will get what they deserve in the end. we all do. Now to hear that they will not get over me....and are saying that my ex-boyfriend and I broke up because he is gay....this is an absolute outrage! Lies are never good for business! A word of recommendation: If this company looks like they are your friends, don't trust them. I worked there for a couple years before I saw the backstabbing and affairs that govern the company. They only like you as long as you sit back and agree with their misconducts. I wish the best for each of the individuals, but would never recommend either their service to clients or employment to anyone.

Pros: can't think of any at the moment

Cons: management

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Not great!

11/16/2007 Posted by insider101

I would like to start by saying that I do not mean to complain about VPS. I am writing this for the sole purpose of giving potential employees a clear understanding of the company. So, you know, I left the company on good terms. I gave a two week notice and fulfilled it. I was employed with VPS from 8/2003-8/2007. At first, I was very excited to be part of the company. I saw a lot of potential there, but never saw it grow or give employees the potential to excel. They tend to hype everything up, and then let you fall. This company takes on clients without having enough man coverage. Therefore, the company is left subject to hire anyone that applies. The leaders know this and then hold it against the employees. I have heard management and Dave Connant (the owner) specifically make fun of employees behind their backs right after being nice to them. Employees are not a joke and should not be treated that way. I noticed quite a few people before me complained about payroll issues. That is a constant problem. If you don’t keep written back up on everything you turn in, do not plan on getting reimbursed for your hours any time soon. Management tends to sit on payroll issues unless you are in tight with them. I don’t try to brown nose management. That definitely worked against me. No one should be required to do that in order to succeed. I want to finish by saying that the company is not terrible, but I definitely would recommend applying with other security companies. I am with another company and have been for the past three months. I couldn’t be happier to be away from VPS. I didn’t find VPS to be honest in its policies.

Pros: flexible hours if you are tight with management

Cons: payroll issues, leadership

Trashy Company

11/16/2007 Posted by jameson24

I can tell that the last two reviews that were posted are from new guys. VPS makes you feel like that at first, but after they get what they want to you, you are just another body and looked down upon. The office will not help you if you have a payroll issue. I agree with one of the reviews before me. The office manager is useless. She has a job for one reason and one reason only. This company is made up of "leaders" that only care about themselves. I went to VPS not lookign for a handout, but an opportunity to grow. I was told there would be much to offer. There wasn't. You will never see the advertised payrates, you don't get benefits for at least a year and even then you have to bother the office until they decide to help you get enrolled. I was constantly put on very dangerous properties. My life was verbally threatened on more than one occasion. When I reported this, I was told to grow up by my supvisor. I was not looking to complain. I just wanted further documentation. If you want a company that will sit on their but and then freak out on you when you don't do something the way that it was expected to be done even though you were not trained properly, this is the company for you. If you are at all out of the stereotype cop, don't think they like you just cause they are nice to you. I've heard management make fun of employees for being mentally slow, goofy looking or anything else that they might now like. I definitely do not recommend this company unless you are just passing through quickly. Also, beware, if you quit without giveing a two week notice, you get your last check at minimum wage. If you do not make it through your 90 probation period, you will have $90 deducted from you paycheck. If the paycheck does not cover the amount, you will be sent to collections & the company will file a complaint against you with PD.

Pros: hire anyone. night hours only

Cons: owners & office manager treat everyone like trash

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Fun Job / Good People

11/12/2007 Posted by skottemtp

I have been employed in Public Safety as a Paramedic for 15 years when I moved to Phoenix and couldn't find a decent job. I saw an ad for VPS and it looked like good experience to get my foot in the door for one of the local Police agencies. All in all I worked there about 4 months, full-time with my regular properties being La Palma, Cortina, The Boulevard and Monte Viejo. I found the experience very rewarding and fun. Of course I ran into the occasional drug-dealer or car theft in progress but 99% of the residents / visitors I made contact with were very friendly and happy to see me there. I made a few good friends. I read somebody's review stating the residents feeling as though they are being harassed which I often thought was funny. For example, La Palma in particular has a high minority population so naturally I made more contacts with Hispanics than Caucasians but it was usually the white kids asking me why I was harassing them! One even went as far as to say I was harassing him because I didn’t like the way he was dressed. LOL That's funny. I guess because I'm white he had to come up with something to draw attention away from the fact that he almost ran me over (on purpose.) Anyhow....if you're looking for a fun job that will help you gain L.E. experience I would highly recommend working for VPS.

Pros: Good training. Fun job. Get paid to exercise! Chicks dig a guy in uniform. LOL

Cons: No direct deposit until 1 year of service. Have to drive paperwork to main office every week.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

My favorite company

11/02/2007 Posted by insightful

I have been employed with Valley Protective Service for approximately five years. Prior to that I floated from company to company for eleven years. I was never able to find a company that fit my personality and abilities until I found Valley Protective Services, Inc. I have always found that Security Companies are nothing but scare crows attempting to deter crime through presence. This doesn't work, VPS empowers their officers to use discretion, common sense, and ability, to deter crime. They are the only company that I have found that will monitor their officers behaviors and hold their feet to the fire. I am tired of being embarassed by the lazy guards that exist out there. They always wine and complain that they work to hard or are scared to talk to people. I feel blessed to make a difference in the communities VPS serves and would recommend them to anyone. Insightful

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

It's a great place to work

11/01/2007 Posted by darkhorse

I am currently employed by VPS. I read the other reviews and laugh. Yes, you get paid out at minimum wage if you quit without notice. It's an easy job. You ride a bike, talk to people and write it in a report. If you sleep in your car or do something else stupid, then yes, you get paid that day at minimum wage. It's all told to you up front and you sign a form saying you understand it and won't do it. It seems pretty cut and dry to me. I don't know about the office politics, show me and employer that doesn't have them....I stay out of it and do my job and I haven't had any trouble. I haven't been there very long, but when I've had questions, Sgt. Smith has come to my site in person on more than one occassion and helped me. I've also been in some of his training classes and found his instruction to be great, I learned a lot of things that have helped me do my job better. After reading the grammer and spelling (or lack there of) in some of the other posts about this company, no wonder the guys got minimum wage. If I turned in a report like spelled like that, I'd be mortified and expect to get fired. This is a great place to work and I've found the office staff in the day and the supervisors at night to be very helpful. I haven't been told to do anything dangerous or felt threatened yet. I think that from the training I've received, should that happen, I'll either be able to handle it, or I'll at least be able to recognized that I'm in over my head and just call the police. I hear a lot of guys on the radio every night making arrests, and they also seem to be very happy working here. If you're looking for a security job, this is a great one. I can only assume that some of the other posts are just sour grapes. If you want a real idea of what this or any company is about, ask someone who still works there, not someone who got fired.

Pros: I can work all the overtime I can handle

Cons: Sometimes my OT shifts are 10-15 miles from home

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Terrible Customer Service

10/30/2007 Posted by brandshaw

My management company hired VPS to patrol our community for four hours a night for seven days a week. The contract stated that I should receive a courtesy patrol report every night. This happened twice in the two months that my community hired VPS. I have requested to have the same officer or two officers only. This did not happened. Twice I have caught the officer sleeping in the car and one fluirting with residents when they should have been patroling. Two of my residents complainted about harassment from the officers. My sales representative will not return my calls or handle the situation. Instead, I just receive a different officer every time that I complain. This is a very quiet property. The officer should really not have much to do. I am going out of my way to recommend another security company. I found VPS to be exteremely unhelpful.

Pros: they have a somewhat decent reputation

Cons: they do not live up to their stated standards of conduct or service

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Not an Honest Company

10/29/2007 Posted by robert27

VPS makes your feel like you are with family at firts. However, if you have a complaint against office management, the company will turn on you immediately. I hate to speculate, but it appears that two of the reviews before me recognized the same problem. There are some relations in upper management that cause extremely negative affects on the spirit and overall running of the company. More than a couple employees (that I know of) have left my past position for the same reason that I did: my immediate supervisor was completely nasty to me. When I brought my complaint to my supervisor’s manager, I was told that the situation would be taken care of. It was not. I courteously let the company know that I would be looking for another job and would give a two-week notice when I found one. I was told to take my time and they begged me not to leave. A couple weeks later, I was told to leave immediately and that I was no longer needed because I was being replaced. Do not be honest with this company. They will not be with you! Keep in mind that this is not my only complaint, just the only one that I believe is necessary to share.

Pros: anyone dan get a job here

Cons: anyone can get a job here

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Terrible Company

10/29/2007 Posted by marcusjames

My experience with this company is the worst I have ever had with any employment company. They offer to pay more, but you will not see the advertised amount. It is a scam to get people in. In the interview you will be told how great you would do and that you will received advancement. This will never happen unless you are a body builder or former cop. Beware, if you quit, you will be paid at minimum wage for your last paycheck and be charged $150 out of the check for a "miscelaneous fee". This company requires you to only use force to protect yourself. You get chewed out if you do not act forecfully and then chewed out again if you do. The office manager constantly messed up my paycheck and the acted as if her clerical adding error was my fault. The company will take $230 out of your paycheck immediately for equipment that they take back when you resign. Do not quit before you have been imployed for 90 days or you will be fined an additional $150. Granted this is all noted in the employee handbook, but you are never allowed to read it. You are given 15 minutes to read the 250 page handbook and sign. That should have been the red flag for me. Beware of this company. You will be put on sites that are extremely dangerous and told to defend the property with the mere force of pepperspray. If you need assistance in any matter, do not expect anyone to answer your questions or help you until you make a good name for yourself. Even then, management is too busy having affairs to speak with any employees. I make a point to not speak bad about people, so I am doing this for any potential employees. Be ware!

Pros: easy interview

Cons: customer service, pay, payroll, management, training

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Employ at your own risk!

10/29/2007 Posted by jonmathers27

If you do not fit the perfect "cop" mode, you are made fun of immediately after your interview. I have seen this happen on numerous occasions. This company is full of leaders that have improper relations with eachother that cause adverse affects on the rest of the company. The jobing ad states that there is room for growth. This is an absolute lie. There is no potential unless you are "exteremely good looking". This does not mean that you have to have good workmanship or communication skills. I was with the company for 3 years. The first two years were decent until I got to work more on the inside. Offfice management is horendous. Payroll problems are a constant. Corrections will be made in the employers due time. My check was short by over $400. The office spent 8 days sitting on the correction. The office manager is one of the most unpersonable individuals I have ever met. She is down right rude to all employees. Clients only get what they need if they threaten to terminate service. Do not believe any of the ads. This company is full of fake people. They are nice until they get what they want from you. If you ever have a complaint, plan to be ignored. I have seen numerous employees fired and never compensated for hours worked. If you do not return your equipment within 24 hours of your termination (self imposed or not), you will be sent to collections and the company will file a police report against you. I went out of town the night after I terminated and planned to return my equipment the next day. There was no leniency and now I am stuck fighting a charge for turning in my equipment 36 hours after my termination. Also, remember that the equipment tha tyou purchase from the company is over priced; they will say you are getting a bargain. Do not work here. They will tell you everything you want to hear at the interview and orientation. Afterwards, you will find out that they are just the opposite. If you decide to go with them, good luck!

Pros: they hire almost anyone

Cons: untruthful, not employee oriented, not customer oriented

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Avoid at all costs

09/14/2007 Posted by freddydd

Cares nothing for the employee. You are just a warm body. Policy on use of force at a Circle K armed position "if in concealment and witness an armed encounter, stay hidden, do not engage the suspect", They put the importance of their business liability above human life. You can only fire your weapon after the clerk has been shot. You are there to avenge their death. Disturbing moral character. They advertise in numerous media outlets for positions paying $13-$15 an hour. You will never see this money. $12 is the maximum. After two yrs your get a 3% pay raise if you are lucky. High turn over, dangerous properties, low pay, treat their employee's like dirt. Their upper management constantly makes promises but dont keep. Most of their upper mangement are all divorced or going through one. There are much better companies out there that believe the employee is an asset, not just a warm body.

Pros: good training

Cons: scheduling, pay, support, moral character, management etc.....

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

Not a good place to work

08/06/2007 Posted by jlanoue

One of the absolute worst employers I've ever come across, much so that I'm going out of my way to write this. It is true that this is one of the "highest paying" security companies, and this review is based on employment, not service, their service to the client is excellent, but my being paid $12/hr at full time might as well have been $4/hr after all their rediculous fees... They're worse than a credit card company, eventually, you end up paying them to work there. But don't think about quitting, because not only will they send you your last check at minimum wage, but they charge you a $150 fee for quitting. Not to mention the hundreds of other reasons they surprisingly pay you at minimum wage. They do nothing to take care of employees, and after talking to many other guards there, I learned I wasn't the only one... I'm happy to be out of there, and I hope I deflect any prospective newhires that read this... J Lanoue

Pros: Good to clients

Cons: Horrible to employees

Tucson security company search rating service link.

Comments and Notes:

2008-05-27 seek4thetruth no

true or false? valley protective had security in tucson and about 8 or more officers steal stuff out of colleges apartments and thay got fired from it and they had to replace the the security officer.they should of lost the contract all together" --guest

2008-03-02 Shifts
I like how they have shifts starting one after the other, like 6pm to10pm and the same guy is supposed to be 25 miles away at 10pm, both properties charged for the full time slot, though they are not covered." --guest

2007-11-30 [comments removed]
[several anonymous negative comments were removed at the request of David Connant with Valley Protective Services, who provided a name and contact information and stated that the anonymous comments were false. For additional comments, if you can provide name and contact information it will be more likely that the comments will remain on the site; anonymous comments are ok but if refuted by a person providing a name they may be removed. thank you --Ed]" --guest

Moya Security of Santa Fe is in BIG trouble! New Mexico Security

I got my first leads about Moya Security, owned by Robert A. Moya Jr. of Santa Fe New Mexico, while I was on the KKOB radio show two weeks ago. A former employee called and told me that he was being evicted from his apartment because he didn't have the money to pay the rent. It wasn't because he wasn't a hard worker. It was because Moya Security hadn't paid him and he had to report them to the Department of Labor. The Department of Labor sued Moya Security more than ten times for an unknown amount of employees from March to June 2008.

I verified that Moya Security doesn't have worker's compensation insurance to protect its employees as required by law and we know that they have at least a dozen employees based on the Department of Labor lawsuits and probably more.

Robert Moya does have a New Mexico PPO license #1956 and it is valid, surprisingly. He had a previous PPO license that was suspended in 2003. I am not sure what that is about. He has been sued a lot for unpaid debts.

Is there a pattern here?

THIS IS MY PREDICTION:

As usual, the state of New Mexico will continue to let him operate and get into trouble by not paying his employees. Who knows if they are even registered with the state, background checked or trained properly. The Worker's Compensation Administration will continue to let the company operate even though the company's workers may get injured on the job. The City of Santa Fe, where they operate, will do nothing. I wish it was different but unfortunately this is New Mexico Regulation and Licensing at its best...

I have made complaints to the usual authorities and agencies. Please e-mail me with more information about Moya Security.

Come on New Mexico RLD- You have to be kidding!

Isn't it just like New Mexico to try to push a completely flawed law and regulations through the system?

GIVE ME A BREAK!

THE ENTIRE SECURITY INDUSTRY IN NEW MEXICO IS AGAINST THESE RIDICULOUS TRAINING REGULATIONS AND THE SHORTSIGHTED NEW REGULATIONS! NEW MEXICO RLD CAN'T EVEN ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS THAT THEY HAVE HAD ON THE LAW BOOKS FOR DOZENS OF YEARS.

Those of us who care about this industry need to be in attendance. The "Board" is going to vote in a prescribed way, of course. BUT- the "Board" has never represented the New Mexico Security industry. The "Board" is still vacant one position. The "Board" member that the Governor appointed in the late Butch Cassady's place wasn't even associated with the security or investigation field! Seriously. The law requires that the vacancy be appointed with a private investigator licensee. The guy that was appointed by the Governor's office wasn't an investigator. How could this happen? I thought Superintendent of RLD made the recommendations anyway...? What's next? Maybe they will appoint a unlicensed security company owner under indictment to the Board. Maybe that guy you are investigating for using fake documents to get his license. That would be a GREAT choice. This entire industry is disenfranchised!

The New Mexico Private Investigations Advisory Board will hold a Rule
Hearing on August 20, 2008 that will convene at 10:00 am.

Following the Rule Hearing the board will convene a regular board meeting to
adopt the rules and take care of regular business.

The meetings will be held at the Regulation and Licensing Department, 2550
Cerrillos Road, 2nd floor, Rio Grande Room, Santa Fe, NM.

NM COPSS letter by Fred Behnken about the poorly written and irrelevant new security laws. New Mexico Security

NMCOPSS News

This is an email our Liaision Frederick (Fred) J. Behnken sent to
Representative Janice E. Arnold-Jones, House District 24.

Janice,

Here is my statement to the AG that you can forward to Al Lama.

If you want me to help go to the AG I will to answer his questions. There
are plently of people who will come forward. I can give you a list of
security company owner names who will come forward. They are ready to move
to litigation.

The problem is that I am not in a position to have the complete picture of
what RLD is doing. They havn't any numbers about the program. The law
doesn't require any accountability. So how can they say that everthing is
going great? They have nothing to base that evaluation. They don't know.
They are saying what Richardson wants to hear. Its dishonest and lacks the
accountability expected. How can a program be accountable run like this--
based on a bad law? There is no accountability or control of the program
at RLD because the law is a bad law.

When I went and inspected the training programs there were only a 12
programs from 130 companies. How come they have not gotten closer to one
hundred percent complaince after over two years? This to me is an indicator
the program is a failure. Companies who do not have a training program or
proposed way of having their officers trained should have their licenses
revolked- how can they comply with the law? Where is RLD on the issue- doing
nothing.

These are the major obvious legal problems with the security law.

1. The law violates the state consititution in reguards to the regulation of
(arms, weaponry) firearms. With the most recent US supreme court ruling in
the public conciousness, allowing a law suit will not be a good public
relations move for the state.

2. Age discrimination, 21 year old abitrary age requirment discriminating
against 18-21 year olds many who are fighting and dying over seas doing the
same thing. They come back and can't get a job as a security officer?

3. Routine performance requirements and for RLD are non existant. Nothing
makes the state support the industry. Nothing new in the law will change
the pattern of bottlenecks and delays in licensing and enforcement of the
law. Support, structure and logistics for carrying out the law have not been
written into the law. serious harm is being done to the industry, currently.

4. The PI Board is completely inadequate in its selection and size to
accomplish running of this higher intensity law proposed. The board is not
elected and chosen from the industry. The board does not represent the
industry because it is not elected by the industry. The current board is
controlled by the governor who has less interest in the benifit of the
industry. The current board has not been screened through a democratic
process and currently has absolutely no credibility with the industry. On
numerous occasions board members have had complaints and invesitgations
filed against them. They have been petition several times to resign from
licensees.A quorum is not possible with a two person board representing the
security sector.

5. No scientifc validation of the proposed training program has been made.
In court the program will be destroyed with testimony from experts in the
education field( that I know). it does not cross reference with a job task
anyalsis.The program has been challenged by numerous professionals in the
industry and on top of it, RLD has just decided to make verbal changes to
the program that violate the law.

RLD and the state government in general do not have any working evaluation
of what it is doing, there are no performance objectives and statistics. The
path the state government is taking is extremely dangerous to the public. My
observations have seen guard hiring slowed down and three companies that I
use to work with close up. My security training of contract companies has
dropped to almost nothing( a few guards( + - 6) a month).

You can not discount the need for the contract security, if the industry is
reduced, there will be an increase in load on the public sector and an
economic disaster for the business community. Right now the state has no
control over what it is doing and no proof that this law is making the state
safer. It is dangerous waters. The right thing to do is put an immediate end
to the law and deregulate the industry.

Many of the problems that are being brought to the public attention recently
in the media should not be confused with laws that are not related to
security company regulation directly. Workmans comp fraud, prosititution,
operating without business licenses, federal contract fraud all have
protections in place and laws that apply are not Regulating and Licensing
issues directly. Enforcement of current laws jurisdiction in those areas
specifically are the problem.

The process of the development of the security law was flawed. Evidence does
not show that specialized regulation of the security industry is needed, at
this time. There are enough protections for the public and the industry
already in place, if those were enforced.

With this law great harm to the industry and the public is being done.

I think many people involved in the situation are in a state of denile and
distraction as to the reality of the situation. Rep Janice Arnold Jones has
done a good job in recognizing the process error that created this law. She
is doing the right thing in petitioning for an immediate injunction to the
security law.

Fred Behnken
Security Consultant and DPS Instructor

Michael Angelo Sanchez- Inmate Number: 455101 - DBA Night Force Security, Night Eyes Security, Night Vision or Secured Force Security Services in Albuquerque- WATCH OUT!

CONVICTED FELON SECURITY OWNER- ALERT! Mr. Michael Sanchez has been on my list for many years. I was asked by NM RLD to dig up some of my old and unresolved complaints and I ran across this one.... Now that I am getting older and the industry is filled with such crooks- I guess I forget about the ones that first crossed my path.

Mr. Michael Angelo Sanchez's company Night Force Security, sometimes called Night Eyes Security, Night Vision Security or now named Secured Force Security Services is definitely patrolling Albuquerque's streets. A few problems: the owner is a convicted FELON (Aggravated Assault, False Imprisonment- plead down from Child Abuse, 5 counts of Agg. Asslt w/ Deadly weapon and False Imprisonment), the company is unlicensed and of course doesn't have insurance.

Mr. Sanchez is trying hard as always to "fly under the radar." His company doesn't advertise like some of the illegal ones in the Yellow Pages. No on-line directories. He does direct marketing with unsuspecting security consumers in Albuquerque. His company does have a Dunn & Bradstreet number of: 051679970 for some reason.

Let me get strait to the bad stuff. He is a convicted felon, on parol, he has an active misdemeanor WARRANT out of Bernalillo County, he is doing business illegally to the tune of $8,000 monthly PROFIT (in his own words) and last but not least he is a former Marine Sniper (in his own words). I have been making complaints about him to RLD for years. The most recent one was made in January 2007 to Donna Tofoya- Former Assistant PI Board Administrator. As usual, nothing was done. Do you feel safer now?

How in the hell can a convicted felon who is on probation be allowed work in security? This will be the second one reported in a few weeks! He has a BENCH WARRANT for his arrest! He is probably patrolling right now.... Can someone tell me what in the hell is going on? Why did the state ignore my complaints?

I have decided to let my media friend call the parole office to let them know about the problems since RLD didn't handle it last year. Stay tuned for what comes next...

Download SecuredForceBizLic.pdf Secured Force City of Albuquerque Business license showing Dominique Sanchez (Mike's wife) as owner.

Download SanchezRentalAp.pdf Mike and Dominique Sanchez's rental application dated January 2007 showing that they are "security owners" of Night Force Security making $8,000 per month salary!

Download bcwarrant.pdf Mike Sanchez's ACTIVE Bench Warrant!

Download SanchezFelonyCv.pdf Sanchez's Felony conviction. probation/parole order. Notice that Sanchez was arrested three times for violating his terms of release. I am personally angry that he has gotten so many warnings...

Mike Sanchez's current address is 8216 Florence Ave NE Albuquerque, NM 87111, It is possible that Dominique Sanchez moved back to St. Louis, MO with an address of: 2505 Banister Dr.

The business mailing address for the security company (whatever the name is) is 1208 San Pedro NE Box# 241 Albuquerque, NM 87110.

All phone numbers have been disconnected recently as the Sanchez's have racked up debt totaling over $75,000 since Mike Sanchez has been on probation.

It is no wonder why I have so many enemies. New Mexico has some bad security company owners. Next time you read a blog or see a comment about me that is less than flattering think about how many people I am putting in jail and out of business with my investigations. I guess Mike will just have to get in line like everyone else...

The Week in Review... Albuquerque Security

This has been a busy week and there is a lot going on. I appeared on the 77O KKOB radio show on Monday for three hours. I was interviewed by jeremy Jojola of KOB TV channel 4 and a big story on unlicensed security aired on Tuesday. Thursday additional stories aired about George Davis, Owner of National Security, being arrested while on duty and in uniform. There were additional stories on Friday about National Security still working in violation of the law.

New blogs about:

- National Security, Davis (with Videos)
- Steve Patterson allegedly using altered documents to get his security company license
- Solid Steel Security guards working illegally and unlicensed (video)
- Advance Onsite Protection guards working illegally and unlicensed
- Its not the guard's fault (working for unlicensed or illegal companies)
- a lot more...

SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!

Next week will be an interesting week. I have many more blogs set to post. There may be more news updates and arrests made in connection with illegal or unlicensed activity. Hopefully we will obtain more funny videos and post them to the blog as well. Please continue to send me information and I will continue the investigations.

Advance On-Site Protection still doesn't have a license but....

You guessed it... They are STILL providing security to clients across Albuquerque.

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? They always ask me that question...

The New Mexico License process is so screwed up I can't tell you. RLD knows that Advance On-Site Protection has been working unlicensed since July 1, 2008. I spoke to Steve Herrera, Board Administrator and told him- tell him on an almost daily basis. He told me yesterday that they still don't have a Trade PPO (company license) that allows them to operate. They have no registered guards and that it is not legal for them to operate.

I posted pictures and an investigation about Advance Onsite Protection on July 2, 2008.

I warned you all about the Five O Security to Advance Onsite Protection "name change" on June 27, 2008.

My investigators spoke to a Advance Onsite Protection guard a few days ago. They recorded the meeting and he definitely knew a lot about the situation... He was in uniform but it had no markings or patches. He mentioned the

"NAME SWITCH" (from Five O Security to Advance Onsite Protection)

He admitted to not having a guard card but said "they are in the process of getting one." He reveals a lot about the company structure and what is going on...

He also said

"I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY NOTHING."

THE NEW MEXICO LICENSE PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO GIVE "DUE PROCESS" TO THE BAD COMPANIES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ONLY THING STANDING IN THE WAY OF ADVANCE ONSITE PROTECTION GETTING THEIR LICENSE IS... THE NEW UNIFORM PATCHES COMING IN.... IN THE MEANTIME, THEY ARE WORKING ON ALBUQUERQUE'S STREETS UNLICENSED. IF YOU CONTRACT WITH FOR SECURITY DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

It doesn't matter to NM RLD that this company has guards working right now without a license. No background checks. Oh yea. A couple of the guards that they submitted for registration (before the company was licensed) actually had criminal records. These are guards who worked or are working for this company unlicensed, criminally convicted and OUT OF CONTROL! Do you feel safer now?

WHY IS RLD MORE CONCERNED WITH GIVING LICENSES TO ILLEGAL COMPANIES AFTER THEY BREAK THE LAW THEN PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF NEW MEXICO?

It's not the guard's fault...

The vast majority of the guards working in this industry are good people who just need a job. I wrote about this in one of my first posts on this blog. Many of these people get mixed up with the wrong companies and actually get deceived. Remember the man who worked for Solid Steel Security who called me when I was talking on the radio? He worked for the company for eight years and went to collect his Social Security and was denied because the company never paid over any of his money withheld from his checks. This is a sad case and I think it is criminal.

If you want to be a security guard working for a private company know this:

- the company must be licensed
- you must have the appropriate level guard card issued by the state (this is your card not the company's)
- you need to attend re-certification training for firearms

It seems unfair but the state does a very poor job of putting these bad companies out of business so you must do your homework. Check out the company that you intend to work before you apply.

Don't accept stupid excuses for pay checks not arriving on time. Quit, and file a complaint at the Department of Labor. Don't accept the fact that you receive no training. If you work in security you must have training as required by law. Not site specific training or OJT. I mean real security guard training. Don't use you own vehicle for your job. Your insurance will not cover accidents or injury unless you have commercial vehicle insurance. What happens if you hit someone while patrolling in your own car and your insurance company finds out? DENIED CLAIM. You will be fully responsible.

The simple truth of this situation is that no one will help you out. You must help yourself out and get informed. Good luck and be safe.

Interviews with two Solid Steel Security guards. Albuquerque Security

Security is a dangerous business in Albuquerque. Guards need to be licensed, background checked, trained, supervised and they need to work for good companies that are in compliance with the law. Solid Steel Security is not in compliance with the law as you will see in these videos.

Solid Steel Security provides security to most of Albuquerque's auto dealerships as it has for years. The company has probably made more than a million dollars or more providing illegal security services. Why doesn't the auto industry or individual clients care that this company has no license and doesn't provide any training to its guards? This seems like a huge liability and it is completely unsafe! None of these guards have received state required FBI background checks.

The first guard is working, unlicensed, at Malloy Nissan. He states that he doesn't have a guard card even though he has worked for the company for four years. He has received no training. When asked about the training he says

"I can't discuss that."

He says that his boss is Mr. Myrtle and that he never sees the owners of SSS Enterprises AKA Solid Steel Security. He was asked who the owner of Solid Steel Security was and he replies

"It's complicated- I can't tell you."

The second video was taken of "just Jim" a supervisor for Solid Steel Security outside their officers In Albuquerque. There was little light around and the video was of poor quality so the UTube recording is audio only.

Jim says he has worked for Solid Steel Security for 5 years and is a supervisor. When asked if he had a guard card he says

"I don't need one."

Stay tuned. I am assembling a video library of illegal activity and I will publish it all on this blog. My thanks go out to my investigators who are putting in extra hours to combat and document this problem. I would also like to thank Anthony Landavizo of Overwatch Security for helping me with the UTube uploads and a lot of the technical stuff. Of course, I thank each and every guard, security customer and others who have sent me information about Albuquerque's illegal companies. I take your information "leads" and investigate your complaints throughly as you see.

National Security is the TOP Story and all employees get arrest warning by Bernalillo County Sheriff's Detectives!

Albuquerque security has taken a turn for the worse! George Davis, arrested two nights ago, still has his guards working as of today in the afternoon. We documented his guard providing armed "security" while hiding from our cameras inside a convenience store last night. Today, we documented his guard providing armed security at a Albuquerque Footlocker shoe store- Armed and unlicensed. We learned that the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department has warned Davis and his employees that if they are caught providing any security- any and all guards will be arrested. This seems pretty clear to me but I have a feeling that there will be another story tomorrow for some reason...

Watch the Channel 4 KOB TV story. I am glad that Jeremy Jojola didn't get hurt while trying to report this story. A relative of Davis was threatening Jeremy on camera and I thought the guy was going to lose it... That just goes to show you that security is a dangerous business. Peter St. Cyr has been running stories all day on this topic on 770 KKOB and I know that there are more tomorrow so tune in.

KOB TV story- National Security still operating illegally!

I thought someone was playing a joke on me today when I received a certified letter from National Security. Download DavisCADltr.pdf It wasn't a joke but it was still funny in its own way.

As you will see, George Davis, Mary Benavidez, William Davis, Charles McNair and Patricia Ohler wrote this letter to me. It was titled : Cease and Desist. Hmmm. They say that I have made false statements about them and placed pictures of their officers on the NM Security blog. He states the following:

- the blog states "Mr. Davis has attempted to sue the NM PI Board unsuccessfully" this is a totally false statement.

- "the NM PI Board, RLD and law enforcement have been looking or him for a long time" this is not a true fact...

- "they are defrauding security consumers by holding themselves to be a licensed company.." Our customers have been advised we are in court...

- They state that they can't locate the civil case where Davis was sued for Extortion among other things.

These people give me 24 hours to remove various items from my blog or else... I guess that the truth doesn't matter to these people. I wonder if they also gave the Sheriff's Department a Cease and Desist letter advising them not to arrest their officers tonight if they are on duty, unlicensed, illegal and armed? Did they give the news media a Cease and Desist? I guess not. I found some more stuff about Mr Davis that may be interesting to my readers.

Download DavisAGGBAt83.pdf Felony Aggravated battery indictment with firearms enhancement 1983

Download davisfraud00.pdf Felony Grand Jury Indictment for Fraud 2000

Download davisfraud98.pdf Felony Grand Jury indictment for Fraud in 1998

Download davisextortion93.pdf Civil complaint for Extortion among other things 1993

Please remember that Mr. Davis had a license until 2005...I HAVE REVIEWED ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, WATCHIED AND LISTENED TO THE NEWS, TALKED TO NM RLD ABOUT HIS LICENSING AND HAD THIS MAN AND HIS EMPLOYEES UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR WEEKS- I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION. HOW IN THE HELL DID THIS GUY EVER GET A STATE LICENSE?

Everyone in New Mexico should be very scared. There are many more companies out there like this and many more employees that shouldn't be carrying guns in our communities. There are over 200 security companies in New Mexico. How many are licensed? There are over 50,000 private and and company security guards in New Mexico. How many shouldn't be carrying a gun? How will we be protected if New Mexico issues licenses to crooks and doesn't enforce laws against illegal companies? New Mexico is a border state. Homeland Security is at stake and much more.... We need to demand more from New Mexico RLD, licensing, lawmakers and government!

National Security is still working! Albuquerque security

Imagine our surprise when we saw that National Security was still working security in Albuquerque last night after its owner, George Davis, was arrested for unlicensed activity. We obtained more video and uploaded it below. The National Security employees were photographed last night at Freeway Liquors (2nd/I-40) and the Texaco located at Alameda and 2nd St. NW. Law enforcement has been notified.

It has come to my attention that the unlicensed and illegal companies have a network organized to inform each other of my investigator's whereabouts and activity. Last night these illegal wannabes sent a mass text to their membership "Summit investigator's are out in a Black Jetta taking video- watch out." Morons. We aren't the only ones who are out taking video- let me tell you... My guess is that law enforcement will not take this problem lightly and they will also be out in force rounding up these misguided wannabe security guards who work unlicensed and carry guns without state certification/licensing.

Tune into the radio, TV and newspapers for the continuation of this unrelenting story. There seem to be daily updates.