Council committee hears wide-ranging testimony on Allan Etienne Safety and Security Act to set pay, training for security guards

The Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection heard hours of testimony on Intro 13-91, the Allan Etienne Safety and Security Act, which would set minimum pay and benefit standards and require expanded training for private security guards while creating a dedicated security-guard advocate in the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

Chair Julie Menon opened the hearing by framing the bill as a response to risks faced by security officers after the July 28 Midtown shooting that killed security guard Alon Etienne and called for a moment of silence. “Security guards play an absolutely critical role as a first line of defense,” Menon said, and the bill would “educate security guard employers and workers about their obligations and their rights.”

Supporters included union leaders and front-line officers who described low pay, high turnover and limited access to health care. Manny Passreich, president of SEIU 32BJ, told the committee the security industry suffers from “a 77% annual…