CHL and Security interaction

[bauerdj]

I have some questions about CHL holders who are also either commisioned or no commissioned security guards. Several I think I know the answer on but would like to get input from someone like txinvestigator who is more knowledgeable.

1. Can a CHL holder who is a NON-COMMISONED security guard have a concealed firearm in his possession for his personal protection while working?

2. Can a CHL holder who is a NON-COMMISONED security guard carry a concealed firearm while going too or from work IF HE IS IN A SECURITY GUARD UNIFORM?

3. For a CHL holder who is a COMMISIONED security guard traveling to or from work IN UNIFORM - does he carry concealed under the CHL, Open carry under the Security commission or does he have the choice.

Dave B

[txinvestigator]

I have some questions about CHL holders who are also either commisioned or no commissioned security guards. Several I think I know the answer on but would like to get input from someone like txinvestigator who is more knowledgeable.

1. Can a CHL holder who is a NON-COMMISONED security guard have a concealed firearm in his possession for his personal protection while working?

Absolutely not. To do so is a Class A misdemeanor.

2. Can a CHL holder who is a NON-COMMISONED security guard carry a concealed firearm while going too or from work IF HE IS IN A SECURITY GUARD UNIFORM?

I don't know. I tell my students to take off the uniform shirt and wear a differnet shirt, or keep the gun in the glove box, etc. This is one of those areas where you might be found not guilty after being arrested and tossed in jail based on a LEO's interpretation that might be different from yours or mine. Why run the risk?

3. For a CHL holder who is a COMMISIONED security guard traveling to or from work IN UNIFORM - does he carry concealed under the CHL, Open carry under the Security commission or does he have the choice.

If you are commissioned I believe the commission requirements overrule the CHL law. As a commissioned officer who holds a CHL, you cannot even carry a concealed backup handgun. I would think that extends to traveling to and from also.

I would err on the side of caution, and that is what I teach my students.


I hope this helps, post again if I can clarify further.

[bauerdj]

Thanks for the confirmation, yourr answers were pretty much what I expected. My suggestion was that the comissioned officer also change the shirt and carry concealed (or lock the gun in the trunk) to avoid any problems if they did not go directly home.

Dave B.

[one eyed fatman]

As a commissioned security guard who carries openly on the job and a CHL holder I have been told by local PD they have no problem with me carrying openly to and from work while in uniform but I travel to another county to do my work. This means I also have to deal with the DPS and the other county's sheriff's department (if stopped) and they may not concur with what the local police think. If your a noncom don't carry on the job even with a CHL.

[one eyed fatman]

wow i wasn't aware of that. that seems like a pretty silly law that a CHL holder who is working as a security guard can't carry his gun on him.. that kind of defeats some of the purpose of having a CHL. It honestly shouldn't matter what your line of work is...

Ya this part sucks. But lawyers gotta make money somehow not to mention the state. God forbid a CHL person not having to pay the license fee's for a commissioned security guard license because he has a CHL that he has already paid fee's on. It's just another government ripoff.

[txinvestigator]

wow i wasn't aware of that. that seems like a pretty silly law that a CHL holder who is working as a security guard can't carry his gun on him.. that kind of defeats some of the purpose of having a CHL. It honestly shouldn't matter what your line of work is...

Ya this part sucks. But lawyers gotta make money somehow not to mention the state. God forbid a CHL person not having to pay the license fee's for a commissioned security guard license because he has a CHL that he has already paid fee's on. It's just another government ripoff.

So in order to be able to carry your handgun on you while working as a security guard, you have to take a security guard class and obtain a security guard license?

Oh boy. It has nothing to do with fees. The commissioned guard class is 30 hours and covers many other things than the lttle 10 hour CHL class.

The reason for the law is they don't want a guard to bypass the 30 hour class and carry a gun with only 10 hours of training.

I teach both classes and I assure you, this makes a ton of sense.

[txinvestigator]

wow i wasn't aware of that. that seems like a pretty silly law that a CHL holder who is working as a security guard can't carry his gun on him.. that kind of defeats some of the purpose of having a CHL. It honestly shouldn't matter what your line of work is...

Ya this part sucks. But lawyers gotta make money somehow not to mention the state. God forbid a CHL person not having to pay the license fee's for a commissioned security guard license because he has a CHL that he has already paid fee's on. It's just another government ripoff.

Quite the contrary. A CHL holder carries to protect himself. A guard has a contractual duty to protect 3rd parties. That carries an added responsibility, and requires the guard to act in situations the non-guard could simply walk away from.

[one eyed fatman]

The commissioned guard class is 30 hours and covers many other things than the lttle 10 hour CHL class.

You must teach a better class than the one I went to. The one I went to at NSA was a joke. I learned much more in my CHL class. And why all the extra fee's for Baton school, handcuff school, pepper spray school. Just another way to get more money out of you.

[txinvestigator]

The commissioned guard class is 30 hours and covers many other things than the lttle 10 hour CHL class.

You must teach a better class than the one I went to. The one I went to at NSA was a joke. I learned much more in my CHL class. And why all the extra fee's for Baton school, handcuff school, pepper spray school. Just another way to get more money out of you.

The 30 hour course covers security guard training, including laws of arrest, report writing, Verbal Judo, 15 hours simply on use of force and firearms training, specific weapons laws, response to emergency situations, radio procedures, professionalism, leadership and ethics, etc. None of that is taught in the CHL class.

The state does not charge ANYTHING for you to be certified in Baton, OC, or handcuffing. You pay the school for that training. The school is a business, should they give the training to you free?

[one eyed fatman]

radio procedures, professionalism, leadership and ethics

I think my instructor skipped those parts.

In answer to your last question that training should be part getting your licence.

[txinvestigator]

radio procedures, professionalism, leadership and ethics

I think my instructor skipped those parts.

In answer to your last question that training should be part getting your licence.

As a guard, you don't get a license. Companies are licensed, not their employees.

Why should OC/Baton/Handcuffing be a part of the commission training? Do you suggest adding hours?

[one eyed fatman]

I have a license. It's even got my picture on it. On the back the first words read :The bearer of this card is licensed..." .

Why should OC/Baton/Handcuffing be a part of the commission training? Do you suggest adding hours?

Why shouldn't it be. No I don't think adding hours is necessary, all they have to do is make better use of the 30 hours. There was an awful lot of wasted time in the class I took.

Most of the people in my class had never fired or even held a handgun or shotgun. Suddenly after spending a couple hours talking about them about 15 minutes shooting a handgun and another 15 minutes shooting a shotgun they were qualified to carry on the job. Not much training there.

[jimlongley]

I have a license. It's even got my picture on it. On the back the first words read :The bearer of this card is licensed..." .

Why should OC/Baton/Handcuffing be a part of the commission training? Do you suggest adding hours?

Why shouldn't it be. No I don't think adding hours is nessesary, all they have to do is make better use of the 30 hours. There was an awful lot of wasted time in the class I took.

Most of the people in my class had never fired or even held a handgun or shotgun. Suddenly after spending a couple hours talking about them about 15 minutes shooting a handgun and another 15 minutes shooting a shotgun they were qualified to carry on the job. Not much training there.

Sounds to me like you have had one of those variable experiences we are so familiar with. When I took the commissioned course a few years ago (and never actually implemented it because I almost immediately went to work at TSA) we filled the thirty hours pretty well. OTOH, the firearms training was on the sparse side, the instructor actually pressed me into duty to mentor/coach a couple of my fellow students.

One of the students I was "helping" had never fired a handgun in her life, was even a tad scared of the experience. She had rented a range gun, a Makarov in pretty rough shape, and after watching her fire the practice session with it I managed to persuade her to try my XD9, which she took to quite well. She passed the handgun qualifier due, I think, in part to my coaching and having a better gun.

I had fun when we did the shotgun practice session - I had brought some S&B 00 buck with me and loaded up with five rounds of that. When we pulled the targets to score them the instructor was very impressed. Where we should have seen 45 holes, there were 60. S&B 00 buck has 12 balls per round.

When we got ready to fire the actual qualifier the instructor made us run around the outside of the building before shooting.