security officers from NY carrying open in PA?

[MattRennie]

I work for a private security company which has a contract with the federal govt. Part of our responsibilities will be to transport "detainees" from NY to PA. WE ARE NOT PEACE OFFICERS,but private security detention officers. Can anyone tell me what the laws in PA are relating to us carrying firearms in your state. Our boss states she contacted the PA State Police and she has a "gentlemans" agreement with them that we can carry in PA. This is not good enough for me. I want legal documentation that I am authorized to carry in your state. Any help would be appreciated!

[Pa. Patriot]

I work for a private security company which has a contract with the federal govt. Part of our responsibilities will be to transport "detainees" from NY to PA. WE ARE NOT PEACE OFFICERS,but private security detention officers. Can anyone tell me what the laws in PA are relating to us carrying firearms in your state. Our boss states she contacted the PA State Police and she has a "gentlemans" agreement with them that we can carry in PA. This is not good enough for me. I want legal documentation that I am authorized to carry in your state. Any help would be appreciated!

Couple of factors here.
Fist thing's first. Do you have a licence to carry from NY?

If so you would be exempt from the prohibition on carrying (OC or CC) in a vehicle per the exceptions in 18Pa.C.S.§6106. As a license from any state allows you to carry in a vehicle.
OC in Phila requires one be "licenced to carry", but does not specify a state, as with the vehicle prohibition above. OC on foot outside Phila requires no license

So by my understanding you would be covered.

You may also meet another exemption of 6106 due to your job, IE: 6106(b)(1) But I am not sure if private security hired by the state or fed to execute prisoner transport qualifies.

[jcabin]

Your employees are not authorized to carry in PA. I don't know what "gentlemans agreement" you had, or with what representative of the state police you had it with, but they would be arrested and charged with misdemeanors if they do not have a license from their own state. ^^ What patriot said about carrying in the vehicle.

[Pa. Patriot]

Our boss states she contacted the PA State Police and she has a "gentlemans" agreement with them that we can carry in PA.

This is very concerning to me.
No one in the PSP has the authority to do such a thing. If you were arrested you have ZERO defense. (BTW: good for you for not being content with that ridiculous arrangement)

I would strongly recommend your boss file a report with the internal affairs division of the PSP.

[knight0334]

I work for a private security company which has a contract with the federal govt. Part of our responsibilities will be to transport "detainees" from NY to PA. WE ARE NOT PEACE OFFICERS,but private security detention officers. Can anyone tell me what the laws in PA are relating to us carrying firearms in your state. Our boss states she contacted the PA State Police and she has a "gentlemans" agreement with them that we can carry in PA. This is not good enough for me. I want legal documentation that I am authorized to carry in your state. Any help would be appreciated!

Are you authorized to carry for your job?

The only things you'd have to worry about are New York's laws, and PA's law on transporting a "firearm"(handgun/sbs/sbr) in a vehicle or in Philly. Open Carry on foot is legal without a license regardless of what state you are from, except in Philly.

This may be of interest if you are authorized by the government to carry a firearm.

18 Pa.C.S. § 6106: Firearms not to be carried without a license

(b) Exceptions.--The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to:
(5) Officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry a concealed firearm.
(6) Agents, messengers and other employees of common carriers, banks, or business firms, whose duties require them to protect moneys, valuables and other property in the discharge of such duties.

[General Geoff]

from what I understand, if carry is required by your job, then you must be ACT-235 certified. Though this may only apply if the business is based in PA.

[johnpsu]

from what I understand, if carry is required by your job, then you must be ACT-235 certified. Though this may only apply if the business is based in PA.

From www.lethalweapons.state.pa.us

§ 21.2. Mandatory certification. Privately employed agents, regardless of their place of residence or employers’ location who, as an incidence to their employment, carry a lethal weapon within this Commonwealth. Training schools or instructors shall be certified by the Commissioner prior to engaging in any activity which is regulated by the act. http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/03...r21/s21.2.html

[PaBimmerGuy]

i'm not an expert on these things but since they are federal contractors, might they not fall under some odd set of federal laws? i can see something being written into the federal regulations somewheres that goes "anyone authorized to carry deadly weapons by contract with the federal government shall be authorized by that contract to carry deadly weapons in any of the several states during their execution of said contract."

i remember reading an artical about the men who guard the transport of nuclear fuel. all contractors but they carried machine guns and pistols where ever they went. probably rocket launchers too.

the contract could also designate them as special deputies for the us marshalls. i've read about that as well, that's a designation that they use for people who need the authority to carry guns but aren't marshalls and their power can be very limited in scope.

as for the "gentleman's agreement" who knows what that's all about.

[Dredly]

i'm not an expert on these things but since they are federal contractors, might they not fall under some odd set of federal laws? i can see something being written into the federal regulations somewheres that goes "anyone authorized to carry deadly weapons by contract with the federal government shall be authorized by that contract to carry deadly weapons in any of the several states during their execution of said contract."

i remember reading an artical about the men who guard the transport of nuclear fuel. all contractors but they carried machine guns and pistols where ever they went. probably rocket launchers too.

the contract could also designate them as special deputies for the us marshalls. i've read about that as well, that's a designation that they use for people who need the authority to carry guns but aren't marshalls and their power can be very limited in scope.

as for the "gentleman's agreement" who knows what that's all about.

Sounds like his boss is going the "cross your fingers and pray" route... horrible idea

[jcabin]

i'm not an expert on these things but since they are federal contractors, might they not fall under some odd set of federal laws?

Not for nothing but if that's the case the owner of the business should be informed by finding out himself or hiring a lawyer to deliver him the relevant law. To top it off, if that were the case, and these guys were actually transporting federal prisoners, the feds would have told them what the deal is.

The whole thing sounds like a sham at best.