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Texas Private Security Board:An Inventory of Private Security Board Records at the Texas State Archives, 1969-2008
Agency HistoryIn 1969 the Texas Legislature created the Texas Board of Private Detectives, Private Investigators, Private Patrolmen, and Private Guard Watchmen (or Private Guards and Managers), to examine, license, and regulate persons working in the field of private security (Senate Bill 164, 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969). A revision of the law in 1971 changed the agency's name to Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies (Senate Bill 768, 62nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1971). This law expanded the board's jurisdiction to include the regulation of burglar alarm companies, courier companies, armored car companies, guard dog companies, and the security departments of private businesses with armed guards. In 1983, unarmed security guards, alarm installers, security salespeople, and security consultants were added to the list of those regulated; in 1987, guard dog trainers; in 1989, alarm systems monitors; and in 1993, alarm systems engineers. In 1999 the name was changed once again, to the Texas Commission on Private Security (House Bill 2617, 76th Legislature, Regular Session). In 2003, the commission was abolished (House Bill 2, 78th Legislature, Regular Session), and in 2004 became the Texas Private Security Board under the Texas Department of Public Safety. The regulatory duties of the board include the licensing, commissioning, and registering of persons and companies in the private security professions, as well as the approving of schools and instructors to train security officers. In 1975, authority was granted to establish training requirements and criminal history background checks for armed private security personnel. The board, through field investigators established in 1991 in Arlington, Austin, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio, also investigates complaints from law enforcement agencies, consumers, and the general public. Beginning in 1999, the board consists of ten members: the director of the Department of Public Safety, who serves as an ex-officio member; five public members, who must be U.S. citizens; one member licensed by the board as a private investigator for at least 5 years; one member licensed as an owner or operator of an alarm systems company for at least 5 years; one member licensed as an owner or operator of a guard company for at least 5 years; one member who holds a license, a security officer commission, or a registration issued by the board for at least 5 years. From 1971 to 1999, the board consisted of eight members. The attorney general and the director of the Department of Public Safety (or their designated representatives) were the two ex-officio members. The other six were appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms (increased from two-year terms in 1971). Two of the appointed members must have been engaged as a private investigator or security services contractor for five consecutive years; one must have owned or operated a guard company for five consecutive years; and three were members of the general public. (Until 1971, the board consisted of only seven members, which included one city or county law enforcement officer, and only one citizen member, who served as chairman.) The governor names the chair, and the board appoints an executive director. (Vernon's Ann. Civ. St., Article 4413(29bb)) In FY 1994, the board received 3,279 company license applications, 41,713 registrations, 14,216 security officer commission applications, and 5,005 complaints; 197 training schools and 366 instructors had been approved by the board; 3,991 cases of complaints were closed (including 1,266 revocations of licenses, etc., and 1,855 uncontested suspensions); and 25 criminal cases were filed in court. As of 1995, the agency was organized into five divisions: Administration, Automated Services, Licensing, Investigations, and Hearings. The total staff numbered 46 full-time equivalent employees. In 2003, the Texas Legislature abolished the Texas Commission on Private Security, transferring its functions to the Texas Department of Public Safety (House Bill 2, 78th Legislature, Regular Session), effective September 1, 2003. Effective February 1, 2004, it became known as the Texas Private Security Board under the Texas Department of Public Safety. (Sources include the appraisal reports produced by Texas State Archives staff; the Guide to Texas State Agencies, 8th edition (1998) and 11th edition (2001); the agency's Strategic Plan for 1995-1999; and the enabling legislation, 1969, 1971, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1999, 2003.) Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Contents of the RecordsThe Texas Private Security Board examines, licenses, and regulates persons and companies working in the field of private security. Minutes document the decisions made at meetings of the board and its predecessors--the Texas Board of Private Detectives, Private Investigators, Private Patrolmen, and Private Guard Watchmen (1969-1971); the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies (1971-1999); and the Texas Commission on Private Security (1999-2003). Minutes date 1969-2008. The bulk of the minutes include reviews of staff recommendations and board actions on new licenses, suspension orders, reinstatement orders, revocations, denials, reprimands, requests for waivers, other proposals for decision, requests for rehearings, reconsiderations and related issues. Also included in these minutes are summaries of board discussion and public comments on proposed rule changes; discussion and board action on new budgets; legislative updates; attorney general opinion reviews; etc. Some of the early minutes also include transcripts of hearings, the texts of proposed rules and rule changes, copies of correspondence and memoranda relating to board business, and other addenda or attachments. Agenda of these meetings are filed by the agency with the minutes, but were usually not included in the copies transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Legislative Reference Library, or directly by the board. A small number of agenda date 1975 (for the Ad Hoc Committee on Training) and 2007-2008. One press release (also for the Ad Hoc Committee on Training) dates 1975. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsRestrictions on AccessMaterials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room. Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members. Restrictions on UseMost records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.). Technical RequirementsNone. Return to the Table of Contents
Return to the Table of Contents Related Material
Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationPreferred Citation(Identify the item), Texas Private Security Board records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Accession InformationAccession numbers: 1996/067, 1996/068, 1997/022, 1998/084, 1999/119, 2000/069, 2001/156, 2002/079, 2003/064, 2004/062, 2004/066, 2005/122, 2006/016, 2006/124, 2007/037, 2008/026, 2009/059 These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies on February 28, 1996; October 15, 1996; February 18, 1998; March 12, 1999; and December 1, 1999; by the Texas Commission on Private Security on August 31, 2001; November 14, 2001; October 21, 2002; and November 14, 2003; by the Texas Department of Public Safety's Private Security Board on March 7, 2005; September 15, 2005; October 6, 2006; September 25, 2007; and November 12, 2008; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on November 17, 2003; and January 18, 2006. Processing InformationAccession summary (including all series appraised as archival) by Tony Black, September 1996 New accessions of minutes added by Tony Black, February 1998 New accession of minutes added, and archival publications removed from inventory by Tony Black, March 1999 Finding aid encoded by Tony Black in EAD Version 1.0, November 2001 New accessions of minutes added by Tony Black, November 2001 Finding aid converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by TARO using the conversion stylesheet v1to02.xsl, July 22, 2003 New accessions of minutes added by Tony Black, November 2003 New accession of minutes added, and corrections and further encoding to DACS standards by Tony Black, April 2005 New accessions added, and further corrections by Tony Black, February 2009 Appraisal InformationTexas State Archives staff completed an appraisal of the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies records in March 1996, with a supplemental appraisal in December 1998. (These appraisal reports are available online at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/privateinvest.html and http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/appraisal/privateinvest98.html, and also in the search room of the Texas State Archives.) Five series on the agency’s retention schedule were determined to be archival: Minutes and agenda, Litigation files, Biennial budget requests, Organization charts, and Strategic plans. The archival requirement for the biennial budget requests, strategic plans, and organization charts is fulfilled by sending copies of the biennial budget requests (which contain organization charts) and strategic plans to the State Publications Depository Program of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The Texas Documents Collection holds biennial budget requests/legislative appropriations requests dated 1970 (for FY 1972-1973) and 1980-2000 (for FY 1982-FY2005), and strategic plans for the years 1992-1998, 1995-1999, 1999-2003, and 2000-2005, received via the State Publications Depository Program. Litigation files have so far not been transferred to the Texas State Archives. AccrualsMinutes are transferred to the Texas State Archives on a regular basis. Location of OriginalsThe record copies of minutes and agenda are maintained by the Texas Private Security Board. Return to the Table of Contents Detailed Description of the Records
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