Security Guards with Police Powers?

[scott715us]

In DC, most commissioned Special Police Officers have arrest powers.

Do they make arrest? No. They just hold the shoplifting/theft suspect until we arrive on the scene and take the arrest. Apparently, they have orders no to arrest, just detain until we get there.

I remember when I first hit the streets out of the academy, my FTO and I received a call for a shoplifter, that was being detained at a grocery store on my beat. We got their in no time. I took notice of both SPOs who were detaining the suspect. They damn near had everything on their belt that I had on my mine(except they had a six shooter). I asked my FTO why did we have to arrest him since the SPOs had arrest powers. He told me that their company doesn't want them making arrest. They would rather the SPOs let us deal with the arrest and the ensuing paperwork.

When LP and others held someone for the police, technically we are making a citizens arrest according to TN state law. It specifically states detaining someone committing a crime for a "peace officer." When the police came, I would sign as prosecutor or go downtown to sign the warrant. The only problem came (which never happened to me) was that if a LP/Security officer held someone for a crime they didn't commit. This could be a false imprisonment charge waiting to happen.