Regulating "Rent-A-Cops" Post-9/11: Why the Private Security Officer Employment Authorization Act Fails to Address Homeland Security Concerns

Authors

Ian Patrick McGinley, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Abstract

The article critiques the Private Security Officer Employment Authorization Act (PSOEAA) for its limited scope in addressing homeland security concerns related to private security officers. While the Act introduces a background check system, it fails to adequately address terrorist infiltration, training, and cooperation with public law enforcement. The analysis argues that federal regulation, led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is necessary to enhance the private security industry's role in homeland security. A grant-based regulatory scheme is proposed to incentivize training, cooperation, and improved screening processes for private security officers, particularly those guarding critical infrastructure.

Disciplines

Law | Law Enforcement and Corrections | Legislation

Recommended Citation

Ian P. McGinley, Regulating "Rent-A-Cops" Post-9/11: Why the Private Security Officer Employment Authorization Act Fails to Address Homeland Security Concerns, 6 Cardozo Pub. L. Pol’y & Ethics J. 129 (2007).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cplpej/vol6/iss1/6