Pot Dealers

[Mr. Chaple]

I was watching “Marijuana: A Chronic History” last night, and they were talking about the security threats faced by medicinal marijuana distributors. Could this be a new market for California companies to tap into?
From what I saw they operate a lot like jewelry stores, so developing a physical security strategy should be pretty straight forward. However, I do see a few special issues to consider.
Public Perception:
The distributors interviewed all talked about setting up a safe/normal feeling environment for their patients. Securing these places would require a delicate balance, you want security visible enough to deter robbers, but not obvious enough to make the patients uncomfortable.
The neighbor hood:
ACH claimed that many of these distributors occupy the same neighborhoods. Safe guarding patients in the distributor’s actual shop should not be an issue, but if you have an area where several places are selling marijuana, it could be hog heaven for muggers. Would it be possible for the distributor’s in these areas to form a trust specifically to hire a private patrol or an extra duty police patrol to deter crime in these neighborhoods? What about a shared external camera network?
The Cartels:
The possibility of violent action from the drug cartels was mentioned several times during ACH. I do not know if this is a legitimate threat or not. If it is gathering and maintaining intelligence on their activities could pose a unique challenge well outside my knowledge base.
Transportation:
What realistic options exist to protect the home deliveries?
http://www.californiapolicechiefs.or...fact_sheet.pdf

[SecTrainer]

I was watching “Marijuana: A Chronic History” last night, and they were talking about the security threats faced by medicinal marijuana distributors. Could this be a new market for California companies to tap into?
From what I saw they operate a lot like jewelry stores, so developing a physical security strategy should be pretty straight forward. However, I do see a few special issues to consider.
Public Perception:
The distributors interviewed all talked about setting up a safe/normal feeling environment for their patients. Securing these places would require a delicate balance, you want security visible enough to deter robbers, but not obvious enough to make the patients uncomfortable.
The neighbor hood:
ACH claimed that many of these distributors occupy the same neighborhoods. Safe guarding patients in the distributor’s actual shop should not be an issue, but if you have an area where several places are selling marijuana, it could be hog heaven for muggers. Would it be possible for the distributor’s in these areas to form a trust specifically to hire a private patrol or an extra duty police patrol to deter crime in these neighborhoods? What about a shared external camera network?
The Cartels:
The possibility of violent action from the drug cartels was mentioned several times during ACH. I do not know if this is a legitimate threat or not. If it is gathering and maintaining intelligence on their activities could pose a unique challenge well outside my knowledge base.
Transportation:
What realistic options exist to protect the home deliveries?
http://www.californiapolicechiefs.or...fact_sheet.pdf

Different cities in CA are imposing their own security requirements on these shops. For instance, Sacramento requires mandatory fire, burglary and robbery alarm system with cameras that retain videos for at least 30 days, on-site security during open hours, signage of up to 6 square feet or 10% of window area, business hours not to exceed 7am to 9pm, and no alcohol sales or consumption. They also prohibit minors or felons on parole from working at the shops.

The thing to do first, I would imagine, would be to familiarize yourself with the specific local laws regarding these shops that would be relevant to your specific questions about security provisions/requirements within a given jurisdiction.

An attorney can advise you about the procedure for establishing a "cooperative" for security cost-sharing. This cooperative would probably establish a board or committee that would negotiate security contract(s) for all members of the cooperative and would purchase integrated security systems, patrol, and stationary guard services on behalf of the cooperative. I see no reason that you could not initiate the establishment of such a cooperative (although not as a member yourself) and offer your services as a consultant to the cooperative.

It would be inexpensive to set up an exploratory meeting with the shop owners (including other small businesses in the same neighborhood that suffer from the problems these shops create) to discuss the idea. You might find there's a lot of enthusiasm for the concept.

[zm88]

I see this site as a mix between a planned parenthood and methadone clinic. Your gonna have people that disagree with the services provided and possibly picket" and at the same time patients who come to get their meds. The threats i see are patients getting robbed once they leave, patients who arrive and find out their script in invalid and robberies durring and after business hours. I'd have armed with spo powers to deter threat and deal with it definately not o&r.

[Sytx]

I see this site as a mix between a planned parenthood and methadone clinic. Your gonna have people that disagree with the services provided and possibly picket" and at the same time patients who come to get their meds. The threats i see are patients getting robbed once they leave, patients who arrive and find out their script in invalid and robberies durring and after business hours. I'd have armed with spo powers to deter threat and deal with it definately not o&r.

Pretty much that, except not as drastic as planned parenthood places. I have worked security at their facilities/functions before. Those damn baptist protesters are NUTS and extremely violent! The Catholics are not so bad. Watch out for the one's that look like old hippies, they throw what I think was poop at the clients and they will even be violent against small children (under ten, smashed a glass bottle on a child's head via throwing into the compound and blind luck just to name one incident). There is a BIG reason they and their families all have body guards and body armor in larger cities.

With this I just see it like a jewelry place, watch the people working to make sure they don't steal. Watch the perimeter, etc. Medium level inventory control management stuff. Nothing extreme like shooting people that don't stop at the gate.

I would disguise home deliveries as pizza or some kind of delivery service and rotate the signage to different companies/electric maintenance/cable tv/etc. Some other companies I worked for that would recover people used vehicles similar to this to keep suspicion down until we jumped out. There is not going to be any 100% guarantee though with anything and people will get hurt, things will get stolen. Just easier to admit that from the get go.