NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Several former or current Solaren security guards testified Wednesday that they were encouraged to pose as law enforcement, even after expressing concern over misleading the public.
Solaren Risk Management is fighting to keep its security guards' license after years of complaints over guards identifying as law enforcement.
Many said in Wednesday’s administrative hearing that they had no business wearing the “police” patches they were given because they weren’t affiliated with any law enforcement agency when they were hired.
Some said they tried to make it clear in their interviews that they were either retired law enforcement or no longer with a department, only to be handed a uniform with police written on the front and back.
“So, they knew you weren’t affiliated with any law enforcement,” state attorneys asked.
“Yes. I questioned why I was wearing a “police off-duty” patch. I just did what I was supposed to do. I followed company procedures,” said former Solaren security guard Paul Spiegel.
Spiegel testified that he never worked as a police officer in the state.
He presented POST certifications for departments outside of Tennessee and a security guard's license during his Solaren interview.
Spiegel says that’s all it took for Solaren to justify wearing a patch identifying himself as law enforcement.
Only certified law enforcement can wear anything identifying them as law enforcement unless they meet certain exemptions, but guards say they were told Solaren had an exemption for anyone with connections to a law enforcement agency.
Joshua Jeter had one of the most shocking admissions of the day after claiming he just learned about a letter listing him as a reserve officer for the Millersville Police Department.
“This is a completely fabricated letter from Millersville Police stating I was a reserve there, and I never was,” Jeter said.
“Do you know why they would think you would?” attorneys asked.
“Because they are trying to make it look like I am LEO certified and can fall under the exemption of retired. I was never a reserve there, and I’m not about to perjure myself up here,” Jeter said.
Jeter claimed he was asked to take a photo and send it to former Millersville Police chief Dustin Carr, and it wasn’t until this morning that he realized the photo was for Millersville.
State attorneys said this was the first they heard of any such testimony or evidence.
This is the same department where Solaren CEO Jack Byrd was accused of trying to buy his way into becoming a reserve officer.
Audio recordings shared with NewsChannel 5 Investigates appeared to show Carr speaking with another security guard about considering a trade where Byrd would get a reserve commission and Millersville would get license-plate readers.
“I don’t give out commission cards, I don’t and I told him that I’m adamant against it, but with that being said, you know there’s some things you kinda gotta really consider,” Carr is heard saying.
Carr was working part-time as a security guard for Solaren, when Byrd later became a reserve officer with the Millersville Police Department.
Millersville, meanwhile, never received any license plate readers.
It wouldn’t be the last we heard of Millersville, as Spiegel testified that former police chief Melvin Brown signed off on training even though they’ve never met.
“Do you know who Melvin Brown is,” attorneys asked.
“I’ve never met him,” Spiegel said.
Millersville and Byrd have been connected for years, with many of the city’s top officials working part-time for Solaren.
Byrd resigned from his reserve position within days after NewsChannel 5 Investigates and the POST Commission questioned why Solaren employee and former assistant police chief Glenn Alred appeared in Downtown Nashville wearing a “police” patch without being certified.
Once again, Byrd explained that the state’s rules allowed for reserves to wear “police” patches outside their jurisdictions.
Byrd’s attorneys made several attempts to shift focus on other security companies and confusion over what’s allowed under the statute.
Many security guards, however, said Solaren was aware that they played a major part in the confusion.
“When you're in an environment such as Downtown Nashville, you see a person in uniform and your first thought is that is a police officer, and if you walk up and that person is wearing a badge or patches that say 'police; and they're not from the area, they have no idea that there's no such entity as the Solaren police department,” said former Solaren security guard Constantine Jordhamo.
Jordhamo, who is also part of a Class Action lawsuit against Byrd and Solaren, testified that he’s constantly approached by the public asking if he is an officer.
He said almost all the guards he worked with identified as police, even if they weren’t, because it was simple.
“According to them, as long as you’re a retired police officer from anywhere, you’re allowed to play cop,” Jordhamo said.
We expect to hear more testimony from security guards and Byrd on Thursday.
If a judge rules against Solaren, they could face losing their security guard license and be issued a fine.
Commissioners said this patch is about transparency so the public knows who they can turn to in an emergency.
