Jennifer Tiedeken-Cron

The Latest on SB 1203

SB 1203 Campaign Update: The Fight Continues

Governor Newsom now has less than three weeks to take action on SB 1203. We have very compelling arguments against the bill and need to maintain pressure on the Governor’s Office to veto it.

Legislative Update

The lobbying team continues to meet with the Governor’s key staff to urge a veto.

Coalition for a Safe & Secure California

Total Coalition Members: 67

  • Statewide Business & Chambers of Commerce: 17
  • Minority & Ethnic Business Advocacy: 2
  • Small Business & Industry: 45
  • Senior & Consumer: 2
  • Social Justice: 2
  • Taxpayers: 1

We launched an Activation Toolkit to equip partners with the resources to submit letters to the Governor, call his office, and share selfie style videos telling their personal stories. This phase is focused on clearly communicating the impact of SB 1203 to the Governor and his office, while strategically engaging our organizational partners and their members to generate broad participation and, importantly, quality contacts with the Governor’s office.

Several partners generated hundreds of direct phone calls and delivered 10 letters to the Governor’s office, including from small private security companies and organizations such as United Latinos Action, California Consumer Advocates, the Gaslamp Quarter Association, the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, and more.

Communications

A veto press release was sent to Capitol press corps reporters, with a focus on how this legislation is bad for workers.

Overall, news coverage of SB 1203, primarily generated by the CALSAGA team, has produced 101 stories across the internet, including most major news outlets in the Sacramento region, and landed on websites with a combined monthly visitor count of 1,062,191,320. Over 25,000 journalists were reached through the outreach.

Paid Outreach

Five weeks into the campaign against SB 1203, we’ve surpassed 4.25 million total views across Facebook/Instagram, X, and Programmatic.

The campaign is deliberately targeting the audience closest to the Governor’s office, and increasing how often they see the ads, to make sure this message sticks. On Facebook and Instagram alone, this key audience has now seen the ads 1,534,700 times: 410,387 as static ads and 1,124,313 as video ads.

The strategy is straightforward: put this issue in front of the people who shape the Governor’s decisions as often as it takes to make sure it can’t be ignored, with the overall goal of encouraging Newsom to veto the bill.

What Can You Do?

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Jennifer Tiedeken-Cron

CALSAGA Is Fighting SB 1203 in the Capitol Until the Vote

CALSAGA Is Fighting SB 1203 in the Capitol Until the Vote

With the Assembly floor vote on SB 1203 set for August 31, CALSAGA’s lobbying team has been in the Capitol rotunda, meeting face to face with legislators to make our industry’s case.

Kelly Jensen of Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates, CALSAGA’s lobbying firm, has been walking the halls, sitting down with lawmakers and their staff, and laying out exactly what this bill would cost California’s security industry and the businesses that depend on it.

What SB 1203 Would Do

SB 1203, authored by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, would add an estimated $2 billion a year to the cost of security services statewide. It layers new training mandates, paid training time, and recurring compliance requirements onto an industry that already meets some of the toughest licensing standards in the country, and it hands responsibility for that training to an entity with no demonstrated security industry expertise.

Roughly 360,000 licensed security professionals in California would be affected.

We support real training and professionalism for our workforce. That is not in question. What we oppose is a bill that drives up costs so far that businesses are pushed toward cutting security staff or leaning on cameras and technology that cannot step in during an actual emergency. Trained security officers provide something a camera never can: an immediate, capable human presence.

Why We’re Showing Up in Person

Letters and emails matter, and CALSAGA members have sent plenty of both. But in the final stretch before a floor vote, nothing replaces a direct conversation. That is why our lobbying team has made the rotunda a regular stop, working alongside partners including the California Business Properties Association to keep our opposition in front of every legislator who will cast a vote.

This is what advocacy looks like: showing up, making the case, and doing it again.

Where Things Stand

The bill is headed for an Assembly floor vote on August 31, with the possibility of another round in the Senate after that. CALSAGA remains firmly opposed. Our position has not changed with the amendments the bill has already picked up, because those changes have not meaningfully reduced the cost impact on our industry.

We will keep members updated as the vote approaches and as the bill’s path through the Legislature becomes clearer.

Want to help? Look up your Assembly member’s contact information and give their office a call before the August 31 vote. Need help making the ask? Our lawmaker outreach guide walks you through what to say.

 

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Jennifer Tiedeken-Cron

CALSAGA Calls on Assembly to Reject Bill That Would Make Professional Security Unaffordable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2026

 

CALSAGA Calls on Assembly to Reject Bill That Would

Make Professional Security Unaffordable

Legislation threatens public safety and jeopardizes security staffing

ahead of 2028 LA Olympic Games

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards & Associates (CALSAGA) is calling on the state Assembly to reject legislation that would impose sweeping new training mandates on security guards, at a cost of billions to the organizations relying on trained and licensed security officers. These costs would be so steep that businesses from large to small will be forced to eliminate this essential protection, replacing it with unlicensed staff or unmanned surveillance right when the state needs its security workforce the most.

The impact would extend far beyond business. Cities, counties, and state agencies across California rely on licensed security guards to protect schools, government offices, courthouses, and other public property. Taxpayers would ultimately absorb hundreds of millions of dollars in new costs as public sector budgets are forced to stretch further to maintain basic protection of government facilities and the communities they serve.

The need for private security is only growing. California hospitals have reported thousands of violent incidents annually, retail theft continues to hit businesses and consumers hard and reported hate crimes remain near historic highs at schools, houses of worship, and community centers. Ninety percent of businesses that rely on security officers are small businesses, operating on the same tight margins as the schools, hospitals, and local governments this bill would burden.

With millions of people from across the globe set to descend on Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games, CALSAGA warns that lawmakers are on the verge of gutting the very workforce California will depend on to keep venues, transit systems, and public spaces secure.

Communities that would be most impacted, including small businesses, communities of color, building managers, hospitality, residential properties, are coming together to voice their opposition to this bill that puts public safety at risk. This includes California Small Business Association, Greater Los Angeles Hospitality Association, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, California Business Properties Association, California Hispanic and Asian Chambers of Commerce.

“I spent my career protecting the public, and I know what it takes to keep people safe at scale,” said Ralph Ruedas, retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff. “You cannot replace a trained, licensed guard with a camera or an empty post. If this bill drives security companies out of business, the state will be walking into the Olympics with fewer trained guards on the ground, not more. That is a public safety risk California cannot afford to take.”

 

CALSAGA and its members have long championed training for licensed security officers, but this bill is the wrong approach.

 

“California already maintains among the highest standards for private security in the country, with strict licensing, background checks, and training requirements. Many licensed companies already go well beyond the state minimum, and our industry supports strengthening those standards further,” said David Chandler, President of CALSAGA. “What we can’t support is a bill that piles new costs on top of a system that already works. Employers are stretched thin enough as it is, and lawmakers need to reject this bill before it costs us the guards who keep our communities safe.”

ABOUT: CALSAGA represents approximately 3,000 licensed security employers and more than 360,000 licensed security professionals across California.

 

Media Contact: Nicole Evans

916-502-2756

nevans@nkestrategies.com

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Jennifer Tiedeken-Cron

CALSAGA Launches Statewide Ad Campaign Opposing SB 1203, Warning the Bill’s $2 Billion Cost Poses Threat to Public Safety

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards & Associates (CALSAGA) today launched a six-figure advertising campaign opposing SB 1203, warning that the bill’s $2 billion cost will make security unaffordable for hospitals, malls, grocery stores, and office buildings across California. Roughly 90% of businesses that use security guards are small businesses, which will be left to absorb the hike or go without protection.

The bill repeats the mistakes of the state’s fast-food minimum wage law, which resulted in fewer restaurant workers and more customers relying on self-service kiosks. Facing the same cost pressure, businesses that rely on security guards will have to stop using them altogether or raise prices for their customers, just as fast-food restaurants did.

The campaign’s centerpiece :60 video, “When Will They Learn?” opens on the guards Californians count on every day, calling out the bill’s exorbitant cost on public safety, drawing a direct connection to the unintended consequences of the fast-food minimum wage law.

“Right now, someone is standing guard at your hospital, your office building, your neighborhood store, but here’s the latest special interest scheme in Sacramento. They want to make it harder to hire security guards, all while adding $2 billion in security costs to California businesses,” the ad states. “Our state’s small businesses, already stretched thin, will be the ones left picking up the tab.”

SB 1203 would reconstitute the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC), dormant since 2004, and grant it authority to set wages for California’s licensed security workforce, without accountability to voters or any obligation to conduct a market analysis.

“This bill will hurt the very people it’s trying to help,” said David Chandler, president of CALSAGA. “Sacramento already tried this with fast-food wages, and workers lost hours and jobs. This time, the cost isn’t ordering a burger on a touchscreen, it’s a hospital, school, or mall with no trained guard on duty.”

The bill would also shift guard training over to an unnamed entity that has no experience and expertise in training guards currently protecting public agencies and businesses across California. It would eliminate established training programs and agencies, which all follow the strict guidelines and training protocols established by the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, and hand over the responsibility to a new entity that has no infrastructure to rapidly scale training once the bill would take effect in July 2028, just weeks from the opening of the LA Olympic Games.

“We support strong training standards, but we can’t scrap our established training system and hand it over to an untested entity with no security expertise or infrastructure to train 360,000 guards just before California hosts the LA 2028 Olympics,” said Chandler. “This is reckless and a public safety risk the state can’t afford to take.”

SB 1203 is currently before the state Senate Appropriations Committee. If it clears the Senate, the bill will head to the Governor’s desk.

ABOUT: CALSAGA represents approximately 3,000 licensed security employers and more than 360,000 licensed security professionals across California.

Media Contact: Nicole Evans

916-502-2756

nevans@nkestrategies.com

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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – BSIS ISN’T THE ONLY REGULATORY CHIEF IN TOWN: UNDERSTANDING LOCAL CITY PERMIT REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATORY AUTHORITY OVER PPOS

BSIS Isn’t The Only Regulatory Chief in Town: Understanding Local City Permit Requirements and Regulatory Authority Over PPOs

Wendy Pham, Esq., Bradley + Wellerstein, CALSAGA Legal Advisor

Private Patrol Operators (PPOs) know that operating a security business in California requires licensing compliance with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). What many PPOs don’t realize, however, is that compliance with BSIS regulations isn’t always enough.

Depending on which city you operate in and the type of patrol service being conducted, local cities may also have regulatory authority over your PPO.

Local Cities Have Police Power To Regulate Public Spaces

The California legislature grants municipalities broad police powers to enact local ordinances over matters involving the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. Many cities throughout the state require PPOs with security guards that patrol public streets, sidewalks, and/or public areas,  to obtain a city permit and/or register with the local law enforcement authorities prior to operating on public property or streets.

While cities are not allowed to require any additional fees for the permit or impose regulations that are more stringent than what is required under BSIS, it is important to understand the scope of their regulatory authority to ensure proper compliance.  In addition to requiring PPOs to apply and register for a city permit, most cities also have regulatory authority over security guard employees, uniforms, patrol vehicles, insurance, and incident response and reporting requirements.

For example, under Los Angeles Municipal Code §52.34, it is unlawful for a private patrol officer to perform street-patrol duties in Los Angeles without both a valid Guard Card and a permit from the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners. The permit is valid for one year from the date of issuance and must be renewed annually. Pursuant to LAMC §52.34,  a licensed PPO must comply with the following before operating on public streets within Los Angeles: 

  • Obtain City of Los Angeles Private Patrol Service Permit,
  • Register both the PPO and individual security guard employees working as Street Patrol Officers with the Board of Police Commissioners,
  • Report employee roster and service territory,
  • Provide proof of insurance,
  • Obtain approval for uniforms, badges, patches, vehicles, and firearms, and
  • Comply with incident reporting requirements involving felonies, specified misdemeanors, discharge of a firearm and/or weapon, and private person’s arrest made by a security guard to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles Is Not The Only City

The requirement for a city permit is not unique to the city of Los Angeles. Many cities throughout the state also enforce similar local regulations on PPOs and private guards operating in public spaces. While there is not a registration fee for the city permit, the mistake of not applying for one can be costly.

A PPO that fails to register for a city permit while providing street patrol services can be ordered by the city or its chief law enforcement office to immediately cease all work on public property and be denied future permits.  For PPOs that already have city permits, violation of any parts of the code or other compliance requirements may result in suspension and/or revocation of the permit. Minor violations can also result in citations and monetary fines

Although not comprehensive, the following cities have enacted a similar city ordinance: Anaheim, Berkeley, Burbank, Fremont, Fresno, Fullerton Lynwood, San Diego, South Gate, South Pasadena, Sacramento and Tustin.

Protect Your Business!

Even if you are properly licensed as a PPO with BSIS, operating without a valid city permit puts your business, employees, and clients at risk. Failure to apply and register for a permit with the city or chief law enforcement office can result in citations, administrative fines, and loss of business opportunities.  If your PPO provides uniformed street-patrol services, contact Bradley + Wellerstein for guidance on how to remain in compliance with BSIS and city and local regulations

Wendy Pham is an Associate Attorney on the Business & Licensing Team at Bradley + Wellerstein LLP. Her practice focuses on corporate governance, compliance, and business licensing. Ms. Pham supports security businesses of all sizes navigate California’s complex regulatory scheme and delivers practical solutions to their toughest challenges.

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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Member Spotlight – Apex Security Training

Shela Borr, CALSAGA Ambassador Committee Co-Chair

 

The CALSAGA Ambassador Committee is proud to feature APEX Security Training in this quarter’s Membership Spotlight. While many of our featured members protect people and property in the field, APEX plays a different (but equally important) role in our industry: preparing the professionals who do. Through legally sound, BSIS-aligned training, APEX is helping raise the standard of private security across California, one officer at a time.

APEX Security Training was founded on the belief that effective security begins with a strong foundation. Its mission is to deliver practical, defensible instruction that equips officers to understand their legal authority, duty of care, and use-of-force responsibilities before they ever face a critical incident. Every course is designed with one goal in mind: preparing officers to make sound decisions that hold up not only in the moment, but long after the incident has ended.

Founder and lead instructor J.D. Nannery brings more than 30 years of experience spanning military police service, private patrol operations, investigations, and security instruction. Unlike many trainers who have stepped away from the profession, he continues to work within the private security industry, ensuring that his curriculum reflects today’s operational realities rather than yesterday’s practices.

A CALSAGA member since 2020, APEX views the association as a driving force behind elevating the professionalism of private security. Through advocacy, education, and higher standards, CALSAGA continues to strengthen both the industry and the public’s confidence in the professionals who serve it.

Looking ahead, APEX believes one of the industry’s greatest challenges will be ensuring that legislation improves outcomes rather than simply increasing administrative burden. While supporting rigorous, instructor-led training, the company advocates for policies that prioritize the quality of instruction over the quantity of required classroom hours. Through CALSAGA’s advocacy efforts, APEX values having a collective voice in Sacramento and the opportunity to help shape meaningful standards that strengthen, not complicate, the profession.

What distinguishes APEX Security Training is its commitment to creating instruction that stands up under real-world scrutiny. Drawing on decades of experience in law enforcement, investigations, expert witness testimony, and security operations, every lesson is developed with accountability in mind. The company has spent more than 15 years building BSIS-aligned curriculum that prepares officers not only to perform their duties effectively, but to confidently explain and defend their decisions if those actions are ever questioned

Beyond the classroom, APEX partners with private security companies to strengthen compliance, review policies, and improve operational readiness before problems arise. That same commitment extends beyond training, with the upcoming publication of Foundation First: Use-of-Force Principles and Training Standards for California Private Security, a resource aimed at advancing professional standards throughout the industry.

As private security continues to evolve, organizations like APEX Security Training play a critical role in preparing the professionals who serve on the front lines every day. By combining current industry experience with practical instruction and a commitment to excellence, APEX is helping build a stronger, more professional future for California’s private security industry.

 

 

 

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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – OVERCOMING OPERATIONAL INEFFICIENCIES IN SECURITY ACQUISITIONS

Overcoming Operational Inefficiencies in Security Acquisitions

David Libesman, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

Imagine you have just acquired a mid-sized security firm. On paper, the numbers look solid. But as you integrate operations, you find the same persistent inefficiencies: guards clocking in late without prior notification, patrols missed due to poor scheduling, and overtime costs eroding your margins.

In the competitive security sector, these inefficiencies are silent profit killers. As you consolidate businesses and scale operations, what begin as small operational gaps can quickly become systemic issues. The solution lies in shifting to a model of Precision Service—and Decision Intelligence (DI) is what makes that shift possible. You can move from reactive chaos to predictive precision, ensuring every operational decision supports scalable, sustainable growth.

What Is Precision Service?

Precision Service is the operational standard every security firm should be working toward. It means delivering exactly what the client needs, exactly when they need it, with the most efficient use of available resources.

Client expectations have evolved. Where “good service” once meant a guard showed up for their shift, today’s clients demand transparency, agility, and data-driven accountability. Precision Service transforms your model from a static checklist into a dynamic, intelligent workflow.

For consolidators managing a portfolio of acquired companies, achieving this level of precision is central to unlocking value. It enables you to standardize operational excellence across every site—whether that’s a local bank branch or a large-scale manufacturing facility.

Operational Excellence: The Right Resources at the Right Time

One of the biggest hits to profitability is scheduling mismatches: putting an employee on shifts that quietly build toward overtime, burnout, or a compliance gap you don’t catch until it has already cost you. WinTeam’s Intelligence Hub surfaces these signals as they build, not after the fact.

The Problems Tab flags what matters: manually edited punches, unexcused absences, recent overtime, and double-time shifts. Together, these point to two margin drains most firms don’t see coming: operational fatigue (burnout risk building before someone walks out) and compliance gaps (overtime patterns that put you at risk).

When these signals show up, a branch or regional manager gets what they need to act, adjust the schedule, check in with the employee, or close the gap before it turns into a callout, a walkout, or a violation. For firms running thousands of shifts across multiple sites, catching this early adds up to real, measurable savings.

Actionable Insights: How to Adopt DI Today

Integrating Decision Intelligence into your operations is a strategic evolution—not an overnight overhaul. Here is how to begin:

  • Audit Your Data Integrity: Intelligent decisions depend on reliable data. Ensure field supervisors use mobile tools to capture granular, real-time details—not just that a shift was missed, but why it was missed.
  • Move Beyond Rearview Reporting: Dashboards that only reflect last month’s performance are not enough. Push your operations leaders to surface leading indicators that forecast next week’s overtime exposure or coverage gaps.
  • Start Small, Then Scale: Begin with a focused use case—such as understanding unexcused absence patterns or overtime and double time. Once you have demonstrated measurable ROI, deploy standardized integration playbooks to roll the capability out across your portfolio.
  • Choose Partners, Not Vendors: Work with technology providers who have genuine expertise in the security industry. You need platforms built to handle the complex variables of security operations—delivering site-level insights and enabling automated, compliant decisions at scale.

The Competitive Edge

Acquiring businesses is one thing. Running them efficiently at scale is where long-term value is created—and where the most successful operators set themselves apart.

By adopting Decision Intelligence, you are not simply adding software to your stack. You are building an operational foundation that powers smarter scheduling, stronger compliance, and more reliable service delivery across every site in your portfolio. When you can consistently promise—and deliver—faster and more transparent service than the competition, your operations become a true engine for growth.

Are you ready to make the shift?

David Libesman is a visionary SaaS executive with an entrepreneurial spirit and track record of developing, monetizing and growing data analytics & AI product strategy and business. David is well-versed in driving strong sales through enterprise channels, as well as building, developing and retaining high-performing teams. He aims to bring best of breed AI and analytic capabilities to boost growth and profits for TEAM Software customers through data-driven strategies.

 

 

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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – THE HIDDEN COST OF BUDDY PUNCHING IN SECURITY — AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

The Hidden Cost of Buddy Punching in Security — and What to Do About It

Stephanie Petersen, TEAM Software by WorkWave, CALSAGA Network Partner

In the security industry, labor is your largest cost and your most critical asset. You’re billing clients based on hours worked, staffing sites around the clock and managing a workforce spread across dozens of locations, often with minimal on-site supervision. That operational reality creates a specific vulnerability: time theft.

Buddy punching — when one employee clocks in or out on behalf of a colleague who isn’t present — is one of the most common and least visible forms of time theft in the security sector. A guard running late asks a coworker to punch in. A shift ends early and someone returns the favor. No single incident looks significant. But across a large, distributed workforce, the cumulative impact is substantial.

Studies consistently show that time theft affects 2–5% of total annual payroll. For a security company with $1,000,000 in payroll, that’s $20,000 to $50,000 disappearing every year.

Why Security Companies Are Especially Vulnerable

The structure of the security industry makes this problem harder to solve than it sounds. Your officers work where your clients are, not where you are. Supervision is limited by design. Shift changes happen at all hours, often in locations where installing dedicated verification hardware isn’t practical or permitted.

Traditional time tracking depends on employee honesty. There’s no moment of identity confirmation, no audit trail and no guaranteed way to know after the fact whether the person who punched in actually worked the shift. For an industry where verified presence is literally the product you’re selling to clients, that gap carries real liability.

What a Best-in-Class Biometrics Solution Looks Like

The right biometrics platform doesn’t require expensive hardware at every post or a complicated rollout that disrupts operations. Here’s what to look for:

Device flexibility. The strongest solutions run on smartphones and tablets your workforce already carries.

Facial verification with match confidence scoring. One-to-one facial matching compares the person punching in against the employee’s enrolled profile and returns a percentage match confidence. Punches that fall below your configurable threshold are surfaced as exceptions. Together, these features help deter buddy punching and give you a scored, photo-backed audit trail rather than relying on trust alone.

Offline capability. Security officers work in parking structures, remote facilities and buildings where connectivity is unreliable. A biometrics solution that requires a live connection to function isn’t a real solution for this industry. The right platform captures and stores verification data on the device, then syncs automatically when connectivity is restored. No punches lost, no gaps in the audit trail.

Kiosk mode for shift changes. High-volume shift transitions require fast verification across multiple officers at once. Kiosk mode allows a single shared tablet to verify a group quickly from a secure database, keeping shift handoffs moving without sacrificing accountability.

Punch photos as a flexible alternative. For jurisdictions with complex biometrics laws or when employees opt out of facial verification, punch photos provide a meaningful backup — capturing a photo record at every clock-in that documents who was on site and when.

The Business Case Beyond Payroll

For security companies, accurate time tracking is both an internal efficiency issue and a client relationship issue. Contracts are built on verified presence. Audits happen. Disputes arise. A detailed, timestamp-verified record of who worked which shift, at which site, at what time is both a compliance asset and a competitive differentiator when bidding on and retaining contracts.

The security companies that invest in biometric verification are protecting payroll while also building a more defensible, more trustworthy operation.

Biometric verification is now available within WinTeam Mobile. If you’re ready to learn how it can work for your operation, reach out to start the conversation.

Stephanie is a passionate product manager with over a decade of experience shipping complex software. She specializes in owning ERP products for security and janitorial operations, turning chaotic workflows into functional systems designed to perform in the field and deliver measurable impact.

 

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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – TRUST, BUT VERIFY: STAYING SAFE FROM SCAMS WHILE STAYING CONNECTED

Trust, But Verify: Staying Safe from Scams While Staying Connected

The Police Credit Union, CALSAGA Network Partner

Recent reports of fraud attempts targeting financial institution members serve as an important reminder that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Criminals may impersonate banks, credit unions, credit card companies, government agencies, or other trusted organizations in an effort to gain access to personal information.

The message “don’t trust unexpected callers” is well intended, but it can sometimes create confusion. We don’t want members to ignore important communications from legitimate businesses – including The Police Credit Union. Instead, we encourage a simple and effective approach:

Before you decide to trust or ignore a caller, VERIFY FIRST.

If you receive an unexpected call claiming to be from The Police Credit Union, VISA®, or another organization:

  • Never provide passwords, security codes, online banking credentials, or other sensitive personal information to an unsolicited caller.
  • Write down the caller’s name, phone number, and any reference number they provide.
  • If something doesn’t feel right, politely end the call.
  • Contact the organization directly using a phone number you know is legitimate to verify the request.

For members of The Police Credit Union, you can always contact us directly at 800.222.1391 or
415.564.3800.

Our team can confirm whether a call, message, or request is legitimate and help you determine whether any action is needed.

Legitimate Organizations Support Verification.

At The Police Credit Union, we understand that members are increasingly cautious, and that’s a good thing. A legitimate representative should never object if you choose to independently verify their identity by calling us back through our published phone numbers.

In fact, taking a moment to verify an unexpected request is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from fraud.

We encourage members to remember: Trust your established relationships, but always verify unexpected requests.

By staying alert, protecting your personal information, and contacting organizations through trusted phone numbers, you can help protect yourself from scams without missing important communications from the organizations that serve you.

Quick Safety Reminders.

  • Be cautious with unexpected calls, texts, or emails.
  • Never share passwords, PINs, or one-time verification codes.
  • If you’re unsure, hang up and contact the organization directly.
  • To verify communications from The Police Credit Union, call us at 800.222.1391 or 415.564.3800.
  • Legitimate businesses will support your decision to verify before taking action.
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Aley Moyer

THE CALIFORNIAN 2026 Q3 – THE HIDDEN COST OF DISCONNECTED WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT IN SECURITY OPERATIONS

,

The Hidden Cost of Disconnected Workforce Management in Security Operations

Gurmit Dhaliwal, Celayix, CALSAGA Associate Member

For many California security companies, workforce management is still viewed primarily as a scheduling function. The objective is straightforward: fill every post, account for employee availability, and respond to call-offs.

That approach may have been sufficient when operations were smaller and staffing challenges less pronounced. Today, however, security firms face a far more complex operating environment. Labor shortages, increasing client expectations, rising wage costs, and California’s regulatory requirements have transformed workforce management into a strategic operational discipline.

The question is no longer whether every shift is covered. It is whether the entire workforce is being managed in a way that supports operational performance, financial stability, and long-term growth.

Operational Complexity Continues to Increase

Contract security has always required balancing competing priorities. Companies must maintain continuous coverage while controlling labor costs, meeting client service expectations, and complying with employment regulations.

Those challenges have become more difficult.

Security firms often manage hundreds of employees working across multiple client locations, each with its own staffing requirements, certifications, schedules, and reporting expectations. Last-minute absences, changing client demands, and fluctuating workloads require constant adjustments throughout the day.

At the same time, supervisors and schedulers must ensure that qualified officers are assigned to the right posts, that overtime is managed appropriately, and that payroll records accurately reflect the work performed.

Each of these responsibilities is manageable on its own. Together, they create a level of operational complexity that is increasingly difficult to coordinate through disconnected processes.

Why Manual Workforce Management Falls Short

Most security companies have established procedures for scheduling, timekeeping, payroll, and employee communication. The challenge is not the absence of processes. It is the lack of integration between them.

Scheduling information may reside in one system, while time records are maintained in another. Supervisors communicate through text messages or phone calls. Payroll teams reconcile discrepancies after shifts have ended. Managers spend valuable time updating spreadsheets or responding to routine administrative questions rather than focusing on operational oversight.

These disconnected workflows introduce unnecessary friction.

An open shift may not be identified until the last minute. A qualified employee may be overlooked because availability is not visible in real time. Overtime charges can accumulate gradually before anyone recognizes the financial impact. Minor scheduling adjustments often require multiple manual updates across different systems.

What appears to be an isolated administrative issue is frequently a symptom of a broader operational challenge.

Workforce Management Is About Connecting Operations

Effective workforce management extends well beyond creating schedules. It connects the activities that influence workforce performance throughout the employee lifecycle.

Scheduling determines who is assigned to each post. Time and attendance confirm when work is performed. Employee communication ensures staff receive timely updates. Compliance processes help organizations meet labor requirements. Payroll and reporting provide the financial records that support billing and compensation.

When these functions operate independently, managers spend significant time reconciling information instead of making informed operational decisions.

When they work together, organizations gain a clearer understanding of workforce activity as it happens.

That visibility allows supervisors to respond more quickly to staffing changes, identify potential coverage gaps before they become service issues, and make decisions based on current information rather than after-the-fact reports.

Better Visibility Supports Better Decisions

Security operations are dynamic by nature. Schedules change throughout the day, employees become unavailable, client requests evolve, and unexpected events require immediate attention.

Managing these situations effectively depends on having accurate, timely information.

Real-time visibility into staffing levels, employee availability, labor costs, and scheduling exceptions enables managers to address issues before they affect service delivery. Rather than reacting after problems occur, organizations can intervene earlier and allocate resources more effectively.

This operational awareness also supports stronger financial management.

Labor represents one of the largest operating expenses for most security companies. Even small improvements in scheduling accuracy, overtime management, and administrative efficiency can meaningfully improve profitability while maintaining client coverage.

The objective is not simply to reduce costs. It is to deploy resources more effectively without compromising service quality.

Compliance Benefits from Connected Workforce Management

California employers operate within one of the nation’s most comprehensive labor regulatory environments. Accurate recordkeeping, reliable time tracking, and consistent workforce processes are essential components of compliance.

These responsibilities become more manageable when workforce information is connected rather than fragmented.

Integrated workforce management helps organizations maintain more consistent documentation, improve payroll accuracy, identify scheduling exceptions earlier, and create stronger operational records. Rather than relying on manual corrections after shifts have ended, managers have greater visibility into workforce activity as it occurs.

The result is not only improved administrative efficiency but also greater confidence in the accuracy of operational records.

Preparing for Sustainable Growth

As security companies expand, operational complexity increases faster than headcount alone would suggest.

New clients introduce additional schedules, site requirements, certifications, supervisors, and reporting obligations. Administrative workloads grow alongside field operations, placing additional pressure on schedulers, operations managers, and payroll teams.

Organizations that continue relying on disconnected systems often find that growth creates proportionally more administrative work.

By contrast, companies that establish integrated workforce management practices are better positioned to scale their operations while maintaining consistency. Standardized workflows, improved visibility, and connected workforce information help reduce manual effort and support more informed decision-making across the organization.

Growth becomes easier to manage because operational processes are designed to scale with the business.

Workforce Management Has Become an Operational Discipline

The security industry has evolved considerably over the past decade, and workforce management has evolved with it.

What was once viewed primarily as an administrative responsibility now plays a central role in operational performance. Scheduling, communication, time tracking, compliance, payroll, and reporting all contribute to an organization’s ability to deliver reliable service while controlling labor costs.

Treating these functions as separate activities creates unnecessary complexity. Managing them as connected components of a broader workforce strategy provides greater visibility, stronger operational control, and better support for both employees and clients.

For California security firms navigating increasing operational demands, workforce management is no longer simply about filling shifts. It has become an essential capability for building more resilient, efficient, and sustainable security operations.

Gurmit Dhaliwal is the CEO of Celayix, which delivers shift management for workforce operations and helps ensure every shift is covered. His 25 years of experience in employee scheduling and time-and-attendance software help improve shift management for the security guard industry. He understands the complex requirements of the industry, such as compliance with California State Laws and integrating best-of-breed tools to simplify workflows and accelerate operations.

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