Sheriff Offers Help for Guards

Sheriff Mike Carona said Saturday his department will embark on a novel effort to train the county’s 11,000 private security guards, a move prompted by the death of a guard who was attacked while trying to fend off robbers.

Orange County would become one of a few local jurisdictions to offer instruction to security guards beyond the one-time training that is required under state law and has long been criticized by some as inadequate.

Carona said the effort is designed to help guards better deal with emergencies and prevent tragedies like the one last week at a Stanton market in which 65-year-old Ramiro Torres was struck by a car allegedly driven by one of two robbers. He died Friday night.

“This is a senseless tragedy,” the sheriff said. “Hopefully we can avoid more by having our own officers help these guards by giving them a skill set. . . . [Guards] often perform in very intense, high risk situations with minimal training.”

The number of guards in Orange County jumped more than 30% in the last decade, and an increasing number are armed.

Security experts said the county is correct in attempting to beef up the skills of private guards, though some question the effectiveness of a voluntary program.

“It’s very innovative . . . but is it practical?” asked San Francisco-based security consultant Chris McGoey, adding that most guards simply don’t have the experience to deal with violent confrontations. “Security guards are really there to observe and report. They’re not designed for crime-fighting.”

Torres suffered massive head injuries and broken limbs in the late-night attack.

Torres was struck as he tried to protect the Bestway Supermarket’s night manager and clerk, who police said were being accosted by a masked robber at about 11:30 p.m.

The guard was holding the assailant at gunpoint when a second suspect, driving a 1980s Oldsmobile Cutlass, plowed into him, police said.

The impact sent Torres flying about 40 feet.

“Mr. Torres put his life on the line to protect those two employees, and that was an impressive feat. It was valiant,” Carona said.

Still, the sheriff said the case illustrates the way people like Torres--who worked for decades as a gardener before going into the security business--are often thrust into life-threatening situations.

According to the California Employment Development Department, private security is considered one of the fastest growing occupations in the state. The department estimates that the number of security guards in California will reach 142,070 by 2005. In 1993, the number was 106,430.

Typical starting wages for guards with little or no experience are minimum wage to $12 an hour. Wages for experienced guards are $7 to $19.50, according to agency records. Armed guards generally earn more than unarmed guards.

A state report found that security firms have a shortage of qualified applicants. Also, there is a high turnover rate due in part to low pay and odd hours.

“A big portion of the security guards comes from retirement-age older gentlemen who often do this work part-time,” added Sheriff Investigator Steve Doan. “That’s an area of concern.”

McGoey, the security consultant, agreed: “It’s a very transitional position. It’s a low-paying job . . . yet you’re expecting them to have perfect judgment. It’s just not going to happen.”

Under state law, armed guards receive about 40 hours of weapons training. Guards who don’t carry weapons are required to take as little as 20 hours of training--less than half what other states like Florida and Alaska require.

Officials said they are still working out details of the training plan but hope it can begin in about six months. The department is beginning talks with private security firms to determine how many sessions are needed.

The county will use reserve officers to handle the training, said Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl. The service will be free for security guards, though officials aren’t sure how much it will cost the county.

Some security firms reacted positively to the county’s plan Saturday, saying extra instruction from law enforcement professionals would be invaluable.

“This is a golden chance for us to learn from police officers for free. We would definitely be interested in this,” said Reza Jalala, manager of All Action Security, a Reseda-based firm that has about 40 security guards in Orange County.

At the security firm in Los Angeles where Torres worked, co-workers expressed sadness over the guard’s death.

“He was a hard worker who died defending employees. He died because he tried to prevent something violent from happening to someone,” said Eustorgio Penaloza, a fellow security guard who has known Torres for five years.

‘Everyone here felt pain that this happened to him. Now we hear that he died,” Penaloza said. “He was a good man. He was responsible and he respected others.”

Police have arrested two Anaheim brothers in connection with the case.

David E. Villalobos, the brother accused of driving his car into Torres, avoided prison time last year when a judge sentenced him to six months in jail for two robberies. He faced a maximum sentence of 6 1/2 years in prison in June 1999 after he pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery. The judge, however, sentenced him instead to probation and the six months he had already served in jail, court records show.

He and his brother, Marco Villalobos, will face 25-years-to-life in prison if convicted in connection with last week’s attack.