MILWAUKEE — Following the death of a security guard outside of a night club in Milwaukee, TMJ4 News spoke with experts and policymakers today about why some think there should be more oversight in the private security industry.
"The changes and oversight that we need are long coming," said Curt Bennett, owner of Advanced Private Police, a local private security company.
For years he has said Wisconsin needs more oversight when it comes to the industry. This weekend's shooting outside of Eve Lounge in Milwaukee, which killed 26-year-old security guard Andre Gregory, reignites his calls.
"I'm very sad because I've lost a lot of people that I've personally known, my employees have lost people that they know. So, my heart goes out to whether its a security guard or a member of the public that was killed by a security guard, because many of theses are preventable," said Bennett.
While reporting on this story, TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins learned there were 56 private security officers killed in the line-of-duty nationwide in 2023, according to privateofficer.org.
"Often times, especially when i look into these stories, I suspect that there was a failure in the training," Bennett said.
A quick online search for Gregory on the state's Department of Safety and Professional Standards website shows no security-related license or certificates in his name.
As for the establishment, they've had problems in the past and had their license suspended last summer.
"They held community meetings, been in contact with my office and with the licensing and division, said Alderman Mark Chambers. "I think they might have minor dust ups with patrons trying to argue but nothing like the egregiousness of where they were suspended back in August or nothing like this past weekend."
Chambers said he has spoke to the club's owner who is shaken and grieving.
The shooting happened when police say a fight broke out and Gregory was shot and killed while trying to break it up.
"I know that several bar owners and club owners reach out and ask hey we want to pay the police overtime if they're off-duty or anything like that to come sit here because we don't want these things to happen," said Chambers.
It's a dangerous job that experts say more and more private security companies are forced to avoid.
"Our attempt to try and cover clients that are bars and night clubs have pretty much been denied by full by our insurance," said Bennett.
Last Year, State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) introduced Assembly Bill 904, which would have addressed licensure of private security. She tells TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins the bill didn't get enough support.
"I'm grateful that Ms. Rodriguez took the time to put this law together and tried to push it but then we got it in front of other lawmakers and they just didn't see the need," said Bennett. "Even when some of the deaths that had happened before that were put in front of them and some of it was "we don't want more regulation."
Representative Rodriguez said via e-mail that if Sunday's shooting brings more interest to this bill, she would consider re-introducing it.
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