Legislative assembly guards can get physical
Rules different than at Stanton where hospital staff say security can't intervene in physical confrontations
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 12, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
If the man who went on a rampage at Stanton Territorial Hospital last month had done the same at the legislative assembly, security guards there would have intervened as the violence unfolded.
That's according to Brian Thagard, the legislative assembly's sergeant-at-arms.
"We would always want our security guards to use non-violent intervention, but if a guard had to physically intervene, there is nothing stopping them from doing so," said Thagard.
"It's not really an issue here though. It has never really come up. In my time here as sergeant-at-arms since 2004, I can only think of two occasions where we had to call the RCMP to intervene.
Both times, they came and removed an intoxicated person."
The issue of security guard powers, or lack thereof, came to the forefront last week when it was revealed that security staff at Stanton are not allowed to intervene in potentially violent situations involving unruly patients because of a lack of territorial legislation concerning security guards.
On Nov. 20, a rampaging patient destroyed thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment and forced hospital staff to hide behind a locked door.
Dr. Anna Reid, medical director for the Stanton Territorial Health Authority, said because there is no territorial legislation governing how security guards can conduct themselves at the hospital, the guards were not able to physically restrain the man.
She said front line doctors and nurses are trained on how to de-escalate these types of situations but if the patient can't be brought under control then their only real option is to call the RCMP.
Thagard said staff at the legislative assembly are under no such direction. He said they would first try to get in between someone who appeared to be threatening a staff member and then they would try to remove the staff member before any altercation took place.
"But again, every situation is different and would be treated differently, but these types of situations have almost never presented themselves," said Thagard.
"Parliamentary privilege is what allows us to use physical force if we had to, but it's never been used during my time as sergeant-at-arms."
Thagard said there are three full-time security guards at the legislative assembly who are GNWT employees. The assembly also contracts out security guards from Twilite Security, the same company that provides security guards at Stanton, he said.
Twilite Security has turned down requests from Yellowknifer to describe what their officers are allowed to do and what they are trained to do and what their actual mandate when it comes to safety and security. A spokesperson at Twilite referred all questions about security at Stanton to hospital administrators.
At least two Yellowknife MLAs, Robert Hawkins and Daryl Dolynny, have said the situation at Stanton is unacceptable.
Dolynny has asked for a meeting with Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy for clarification on what security guards at Stanton are allowed to do.
Both MLAs said they are following the situation closely and are anxious to see if any changes can be made quickly to ensure the safety of front line staff at Stanton.
