LJB Security Training discusses "hold-down" policing at New Haven businesses - its past, future and present concerns.

East Haven, CT -- (SBWire) -- 10/11/2013 --LJB, a company that provides security training in CT for prospective and current security officers, also publishes a number of informational articles and other helpful materials as well. LJB covers both local Connecticut-based topics, and general The most recent article concerns the practice of "hold-down" policing in New Haven, CT.

Our article explains this practice as a public-private initiative where the police department would schedule steady shifts at various "hot spots" such as night life establishments and housing developments in unsafe neighborhoods, at times of day/week when incidents were most likely to occur; a specific officer would be responsible for being present at those times, or covering the shift if they were unavailable.

The innovation in this arrangement comes from the fact that the officer's pay during the hold-down shift is covered not by the city, but by the establishment that the officer is protecting. This has allowed New Haven to put additional safeguards in volatile parts of town such as the club district.

Unfortunately, there was a downside to the arrangement - the financial ties between a club and a police officer created the potential for malfeasance or favoritism. While there is no firm evidence that hold-downs actually led to corruption, then-police chief James Lewis ended the arrangement in 2010 over concerns that the potential for abuse was too great.

A couple of years later, the city may be having regrets - after a number of incidents in clubs, owners are once again clamoring for added police protection, and given tight budgets, hold-downs are one cost-effective way to provide it. City officials, business owners and the police union have been brainstorming ways to bring back the extra police shifts while avoiding the payment scheme that caused concern in the program's earlier incarnation.

Some ideas floated have included pooling the money instead of direct payments, so that the officer isn't getting a paycheck straight from a club. Other ideas have attempted to change the way officers are assigned to businesses, by doing it on a rotating schedule instead of having one officer permanently guard one club.

However the program turns out, it's an interesting experiment in public safety. We at LJB will be watching it closely. In the meantime, if you want to pursue a career in private security, we will put you through the one-day CT guard card course that is required by the state for a security license.

About LJB Security Training
Since September 11, 2001, the need for Professionally Trained Uniformed Private Security Officers has increased exponentially. Most businesses have come to the realization of the need for a safe and secure environment for employees and customers alike.

Contact info
Louis Bonito
LJB Security Training, 58 Renshaw Dr., East Haven, CT 06512 (203) 907-6594
http://www.ljbsecuritytraining.com/