Yay!!!...No more security at the Expo Center Shows

[Dolomite_supafly]

I went to an expo show a couple months back and it was KPD officers. I know as I checked in with my Judge and I talked to the guy as he put the zip tie on it. I was looking for a holster that day and I found one.

They were not KPD officers at the Expo center. I have been to every show at the Expo Center for the last year and KPD has never been there checking firearms before this weekend. At the Chilhowee show they use, and have been using, KPD officers but not at the Expo Center.

The ones at the Expo Center were security officers with uniforms similar to Knox County Sheriff's Department uniforms. They would portray themselves as police officers when asked if they were security or officers. When asked if they were security the response was always "Its none of your business if I work for the sheriff's office".

You probably need to trust me on this one.

I have been fighting to have that particular security company (Knoxville Contract Security Division) either fired or arrested for over a eyar now. I am doiong it because of them taking people's private property without due process. They are in fact stealing from people under the guise of a posted sign which they cannot legally do. I contacted the local DA and they confirmed they were breaking the law as well. I have contacted the state and started the complaint process. I was gonig to finish it this weekend if they were still there. They cannot take people's private property without a court order to do so but they would then act as though they were officers and make threats of arrest.

Here is their information:

Knox Contract Security Division - Knoxville, TN (Tennessee) | 865 740-6660

The owner, Gene Farmer, is a well known and not in a good way.

Dolomite

[dlm37015]

gorden is right show was much better with kpd over the security co

[JAB]

The ones at the Expo Center were security officers with uniforms similar to Knox County Sheriff's Department uniforms. They would portray themselves as police officers when asked if they were security or officers. When asked if they were security the response was always "Its none of your business if I work for the sheriff's office".

Dolomite

My impression was that they were attached to the Sheriff's Department, kind of like (maybe even the new name of) the 'schools division'. Before the 'schools division' name, the guys in that division used to just be called 'special deputies' - I had a buddy who worked for them as security at the Knoxville Zoo years ago when they were still called 'special deputies'. Kind of a weird arrangement where they are a private, contract security business that is somehow still 'part of' the Sheriff's Department. I think the idea is that they are Knox County Deputies but (like 'special deputies' in other counties) they aren't paid a regular salary from taxpayer moneys. At least that is the way it used to be. When I worked at the Knox County Public Library, the security guys at the downtown branch were 'schools division' guys (pretty nice guys, actually) and they explained it to me a couple of times but I never completely understood how the connection to the KCSD worked. In addition to working security at the Public Library, one or two of those guys also sometimes worked as night-time security at various Knox County schools (sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot) so I am not sure if there was some cross-over between being private security and actually working KCSD posts or if the security company, due to their connection with the KCSD, had some county security contracts.

Edited December 12, 2011 by JAB