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Newport News Police Department - Administrative Manual
ADM-470 - PRIVATE SECURITY SERVICES
Amends/Supersedes: ADM-470 (05/31/2018) Date of Issue: 02/27/2019
I. GENERAL
A. Security officers are defined as persons employed by private security services to safeguard
and protect persons or property.
B. There are two general classes of security officers:
1. Unarmed Security Officer: does not carry or have access to firearms or other deadly
weapons in the performance of his duties.
2. Armed Security Officer: carries or has access to a firearm or other deadly weapon
during the performance of his duties.
C. Full powers of arrest are extended only to registered, armed security officer of a private
security business while at a location which the business is contracted to protect (§9.1-146,
§19.2-74 Code of Virginia).
1. The offense must occur in the armed security officer's presence; or
2. In the presence of a merchant, agent, or employee of the merchant of the contracting
business, if they had probable cause to believe that the suspect being arrested had
shoplifted or committed willful concealment of goods (§18.2-106 Code of Virginia).
3. While performing their duties, armed security officers are required to possess a
registration card issued by the Department of Criminal Justice Services.
4. Unarmed security officers may only observe, detect, report, or notify the appropriate
authority or designated agent when encountering shoplifting or concealment and are not
required to possess a registration card.
D. Armed security officer registration does not constitute a permit for the carrying of a
concealed weapon.
E. Private security services and security officers are regulated by the Department of Criminal
Justice Services (§9.1-138 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
II. PROCEDURE
A. The Department will promote cooperation with authorized private security services.
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