Armed security group to patrol around GoRaleigh station downtown

WRAL has obtained a contract between the city of Raleigh and an armed security team for a look at how the officers will try to make part of downtown Raleigh safer.
Posted 11/30/2023, 11:37:10 PM Updated 12/1/2023, 1:58:08 PM

HANDED OUT ROUGHLY 900 THE

LOCKS OWN AND 500 FENTANYL TEST

STRIP. SO FAR THIS SEMESTER.

>> NEW AT 6 WRAL HAS OBTAINED

A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY

OF RALEIGH AND AN ARMED

SECURITY TEAM. IT GIVES US A

FIRST LOOK AT HOW THE TOP US

ERS WILL TRY TO MAKE PART OF

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH SAFER. THIS IS

THE AREA THE ARMED PATROL THEY

WILL PATROL THE TRANSIT

CENTERED THE SIDEWALKS IN THE

BLOCK AROUND IT. AND RIGHT

ACROSS FROM MOORE SQUARE AND

MARBLES. KIDS MUSEUM ALSO RIGHT

NEAR A MIDDLE SCHOOL WRAL'S

MATT TALHELM IS LIVE TONIGHT

AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FOUNDER

OF THE SECURITY FORCE AND THE

MAYOR ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

TO SEE MASK.

>> YEAH, BRIAN, TAINT A COPY OF

THIS CONTRACT WITH THE CAPITALS

SPECIAL POLICE. THAT'S THE SAME

PRIVATE SECURITY TO PROVIDE

SECURITY AT CITY HALL. THEY

WILL MONITOR AROUND HERE.

2 OFFICERS ARMED DURING EACH

SHIFT. ALL OF THESE BLOCKS HERE

RIGHT AROUND THE TRANSIT CENTER

AND ALSO THE BUS STOPS IN THE

BLOCK AROUND HERE AS WELL.

7 DAYS A WEEK.

>> PRIVATE SECURITY FORCE IS

NOW ON BOARD TO BEGIN

PATROLLING IN AND AROUND THE

DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER WHERE

CRIME INCREASE TO THE FIRST 9

MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, INCLUDING

2 HOMICIDES.

>> AND USUALLY WITHIN 90 DAYS

WE HAVE A TURNAROUND WHERE IT,

YOU KNOW THIS PLACE IS THAT

CORRECT? SAID, BUT THAT MAKES

THE AREA SAFER FOR THE AVERAGE

PERSON TO COME. RETAILER'S

CHIEF OF CAPITOL SPECIAL

POLICE, THE CITY SIGNED THIS

$223,000 CONTRACT WITH TAYLOR'S

COMPANY FOR THE NEXT 4 MONTHS.

IT SPELLS OUT THE EXPECTATIONS

AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ARMED

SECURITY OFFICERS, INCLUDING

THAT THEY MUST NOT HAVE BEEN

TERMINATED OR ASKED TO RESIGN

FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

TO PARAGRAPHS OUTLINE WHEN

OFFICERS CAN USE FORCE. IT SAYS

DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES SHOULD

ALWAYS BE EMPLOYED PRIOR TO

USING FORCE AND CONSIDERATION

SHOULD BE MADE AS TO THE LEVEL

OF FORCE THAT CAN OR CANNOT BE

USED IN ANY SITUATION.

>> TAYLOR SAYS OFFICERS

ASSIGNED TO THE TRANSIT CENTER

WILL ALSO GO THROUGH ADDITIONAL

FIREARMS TRAINING. I THINK

>> THAT WE NEED THAT PRESIDENTS

TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MORE

SECURE.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CARE

THAT WENT INTO THIS FOR

SPELLING OUT.

>> ALL OF THE RULES, THE

CONTRACT ALSO REQUIRE SECURITY

OFFICERS WEAR BODY CAMERAS AND

ACTIVATE THEM ANYTIME THEY'RE

INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE.

BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

THEY'RE COMFORTABLE AND BEING

ABLE TO ISSUE COMMANDS

UNDERSTAND HOW TO DE-ESCALATE

SITUATIONS TO HOPEFULLY AVOID

ANY USE OF FORCE AT ALL.

I THINK LONG AND IN THE WRONG

DIRECTION.

>> SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST

KERWIN PITTMAN SAYS THE CITY

SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON HELPING

PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING

INSTEAD OF POLICING THEM WAYS.

JUST LIKE PUTTING A BAND-AID.

>> WANT TO CUT INTO A DRESSING

ROOM THE INDIVIDUALS DOOR DOWN

AND IT IS SUFFERING WE'RE GOING

CONTINUE TO BE IN THIS SPACE.

>> NO, THESE PRIVATE SECURITY

OFFICERS WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO

DETAIN PEOPLE, NOT ARREST THEM

TO STILL HAVE TO CALL RALEIGH

POLICE TO DO THAT. MAYOR

MARY-ANN BALDWIN TELLS ME THAT

THIS IS SOMETHING THE CITY IS

GOING TO REEVALUATE OVER THE

NEXT FEW MONTHS. SEE HOW THE

CRIME NUMBERS. THE SAFETY IS

DOWN HERE AND THEN ALSO TAKE A

LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER

OPTIONS, MORE LONG-TERM