VA security gate concerns
A former security guard at the William Beaumont Medical Center told ABC 7 he thinks the gate security leading to the William Beaumont Medical Center Hospital complex is not efficient.
Around 58 security guards received RIF (Reduction in Force) layoffs notices back in September. The last day for the guards to work is on Jan. 10.
The former guard, who wants to remain anonymous, said a majority of the trained security guards were transitioning out on Tuesday, the day of the shooting at the VA clinic.
Due to layoffs to save money, soldiers now man the gates as opposed to the security guards who normally patrol them year-round.
The guard said the training regime for the soldiers is not the same as it was for security guards. He told ABC 7 the soldiers are not prepared to spot suspicious activity or objects compared to the security guards.
“I’m not saying that we could have prevented this if we were there,” the former guard said. “But there was a good chance that we could have caught this before it happened.”
The guard said the gate training recently changed for the soldiers because the original trainer was dismissed. He said the trainer taught military police tactics, but since the police wanted to be their own entity, changes were made.
The former guard said because of this, soldiers are now only taught to use their handgun limiting the soldiers. Before the layoffs, the security guards learned to use batons, handcuffs, mace and other tactics useful for different situations.
But LTC Lee Peters with Fort Bliss said all the soldiers are trained through a certified program.
“The soldiers undergo a 40 hour training course, and in that course they are trained on jurisdiction and authority, how to inspect vehicles, how to use different levels of force and how to properly use their weapons,” Peters said. “Everything they do is in compliance with what you expect for a guard at the gates.”
But the former security guard disagrees.
“I don’t know how they could put personal safety with a dollar sign when now the installation is actually more vulnerable,” he said. “Because we no longer have the security in place to deal with situations.”
Minor security changes have been made at the VA since the deadly shooting on Jan. 6. In addition to showing your ID at the complex gate, you now have to show it as you enter the building.