People in Cayman are often heard wondering – sometimes angrily if it is in the aftermath of a crime – why uniformed security guards on a premises didn’t arrest a suspect immediately.

However, we would ask people to put themselves in the guard’s position.

Here comes a man (or two men, or three) armed with handguns, shotguns, machetes etc. Their intent is to rob the business premises where the security guard is located.

Now here is the security guard who, at best, may have a flashlight in their hands if they are working somewhere at night. Does it really need an explanation as to why the guard – who is probably making CI$5 to CI$6 per hour – does not want to tackle the armed robbery suspects?

The job of most private security officers is to observe and report. They can provide some assistance in detaining suspects for things like shoplifting, petty thefts and the like. By and large, however, they are not there to take a bullet.

Some will make the argument that security guards in other countries are allowed to carry firearms or Tasers for personal protection and for the protection of others. Cayman’s Private Security Services Law (2007) does allow properly trained security professionals to carry guns, with the prior approval of government officials.

What isn’t often said during the course of such arguments is that those security officers are actually trained police moonlighting at extra jobs, or former military-trained personnel. In other words, people who know how to handle guns and deal with potentially violent situations. These are people who aren’t going to work for CI$5 to CI$6 per hour in most cases.

It is absurd to consider putting firearms or other dangerous weapons in the hands of individuals who are not trained to use them. This would surely create more problems with violence and gun crime than what already exists in Cayman.

But it is worth asking first what business owners and managers are willing to pay for such security at their premises, including any liability that might arise from mistakes made in the use of force. Second, it would also be useful for the public to know what types of training would be given to ensure that guards who possess deadly weapons are the most professional people available.

If Cayman is truly moving toward armed private security personnel, it’s a lot more complex than simply putting a gun in the hands of someone wearing a uniform.