STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. — A heated debate has broken out over the possibility that private security personnel will protect one local city and how they will work with law enforcement agencies.
Channel 2's Nicole Carr sat in on the meeting in Stockbridge where a huge concern has to do with authority.
The big questions: What is the reach and the limit of private security? And how much will it cost?
Stockbridge city officials are moving full-steam ahead on a plan to hire private security to supplement the work of Henry County police.
Questions came from law enforcement unions Thursday night.
“How are they going to augment us if we're still going to have to answer the calls?" asked Scott Gray with the Police Benevolent Association.
And more questions came from residents and those running for office.
"What are their clearly defined roles and responsibilities for this private security firm? That was not really outlined here," said Stockbridge mayoral candidate Houston Nelson.
"So there are a whole lot of things that we want to know that weren't answered tonight," Bishop Irvine Bryer said.
Stockbridge hasn't had its own police force since the 1970s.
City officials suggest private security would enhance its good working relationship with police and give residents peace of mind.
But at a public forum Thursday night, officials were unable to tell residents how much the contract for private security would cost, why the money would not be used to supplement or recruit current law enforcement officers as their off-duty part-time work is eliminated, and perhaps most importantly, how is an armed security firm that's insured, but not bonded, held responsible for their actions?
"What can a security officer do versus our law enforcement?” Carr asked Stockbridge Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Ford.
“One of the things we have to work out is to make sure that they and Henry County police have some type of dialogue, make sure they totally understand who can do what and how things will go," Ford said.
"Maybe they'll go back to the drawing board and say, 'Wait a minute, are we exactly making the right decision?’" Nelson told Carr.
The contractor of choice at this moment is Advanced Protective Services.
The company president said Thursday evening it is a military and law enforcement veteran-owned company that touts a record of having never been sued and exceeding the state insurance requirements by several million dollars.
An official Henry County police representative was not present.
Using the feedback from Thursday’s meeting, city officials hope to have a concrete plan in place in the next six months.