(The Center Square) — Tens of thousands of private security officers in New York City could be eligible for raises, increased benefits and paid vacations under a proposal named after a Midtown mass shooting victim.
The Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, filed Friday by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other Democrats, would require the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to increase pay and benefits and increased training — including active shooter drills — for the city’s private security guards.
The bill is named after Aland Etienne, a 46-year-old security guard killed in the July 28 Midtown mass shooting, where a gunman killed four people before turning the rifle on himself.
“Security officers like Aland are integral to New York City’s public safety infrastructure, but too often they are not compensated or treated with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Adams said in a statement. “This historic legislation is part of the legacy of Aland Etienne, whose fierce love and commitment to New York City will be remembered forever.”
Under the proposal, a new division within the labor department would be created to implement the proposed rules, inform workers and employers about their rights and obligations, develop a system to track complaints on potential violations, and coordinate with stakeholders to address issues affecting the workforce. The bill would also increase the amount of crisis training security officers must receive from eight to 16 hours.
“The tragic murder of Aland Etienne reminds us how often our city has failed essential workers on the front lines,” Council Member Crystal Hudson, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “Security officers are not just “building staff” — they are first responders in moments of crisis. Yet despite their critical role, they are too often underpaid and denied the training that could save their lives and ours.”
Etienne was killed by Shane Tamura after the Las Vegas man entered a Midtown Manhattan office building wearing body armor and opened fire, killing four people with a high-powered rifle. He was suffering from a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, city medical examiners announced in a report Friday.
Besides Etienne, the shooter killed Didarul Islam, 36, an off-duty New York City police officer, Wesley LePatner, 43, a Blackstone Group employee, and Julia Hyman, 27, an associate at Rudin Property Management, authorities said.
The legislation is backed by union officials who argue that pay for security guards working often risky details in downtown New York City lags behind other law-enforcement officials.
There are more than 80,000 private security officers licensed in New York City, making an average of about $40,000 a year, according to city data.
“Security officers are on the frontlines of every imaginable emergency,” Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ Service Employees Union International said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the security officers who we trust to watch over our loved ones are often overlooked. But New York City is a city that stands with its first responders.”
