private security guards
Private security guards poor pay and lack of training and background checks poses security risk. Private security guards who are guarding many critical high-security sites throughout the US are paid little more than minimum wage and have little or no terrorist training according to an AP investigation.
9-11 has transformed the nation’s force of “rent-a-cops” into guardians of the homeland, but competition in the security industry for cheap bid contracts keeps wages low and proper training virtually nonexistent. Most security guards work for less than $11/hr and receive little training, and many are hired without any criminal background check. A Congressional investigation revealed that almost 90 guards working on military bases had criminal records.
According to a 2005 DHS report, 15% - 20% of US private security guards guard US Government critical infrastructure sites. Ie: nuclear power plants, military bases, Federal buildings, utility plants, chemical plants.
