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Rich and famous residents of Los Angeles’ fire-stricken Pacific Palisades community are frequent users of private security – but Los Angeles’ infamous red tape is keeping some of their guards away from their clientele, according to private security experts.
At least 20 people have been arrested on looting-related charges, and authorities are warning residents and copycats alike that the numbers could rise. Craig Paul, the CEO of ASC Private Security in Los Angeles, said he has bodies on the ground willing to work, but he can’t get authorization to send them inside restricted areas where his clients need them.
“I sat on hold for 45 minutes with the LAPD, with nobody ever picking up,” he told Fox News Digital. “So I finally gave up on that, pretty much knowing that even if they answer the phone, they’re going to blow me off.”
Paul’s customers, including homeowners in the high-income community, are worried about crime and are asking for extra protection. He said that some of their guards are sneaking in behind police lines to check on their property, which is not an option he can offer.
“These are $30-, $40-, $50 million homes with individuals that deserve to have that level of property properly protected,” he said.
Other private security firms, like Global Security Group and SAGE Intelligence, are also struggling to get authorization to offer their services. David Katz, the CEO of Global Security Group and a former Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, said his firm had to pull out of Los Angeles years ago due to the red tape.
“The looting is bad…People are staying and risking their lives because they know if they leave, they will have their property stolen, if it doesn’t end up burning,” he said.
Homeowners are facing a difficult situation, from battling the fire to dealing with looting and theft. Benson Weisberg, the managing director of SAGE Intelligence, said some of his clients are worried they may lose irreplaceable artwork and other belongings to looters if the flames don’t reach them first.
“The government has a very, and obviously a horrible, really difficult job that they’re dealing with,” he said. “And right now, we’re in the worst part of it from my perspective, of trying to deal with my clients’ needs and concerns and also trying to respect the government’s job and try to work in conjunction with them instead of against them.”
The situation is expected to be tough for both private security firms and the government in the coming days.
