More Employers Looking for Armed Guards

PHOENIX - Many worries come with tough times, and some employers right now are scared the economy could lead to more violence in the work place, and they're taking action.

One valley security agency said the troubled economy is driving businesses to ask for armed guards because they are concerned about what some desperate, unemployed people could do. FOX 10 spent the day at an intense training camp.

Bullets thundered in the desert Saturday as men and women trained to become armed security personnel for valley businesses.

Out at the Ben Avery Shooting Range, Lyle Rapacki, director of training for Anderson Security, said the security company has seen a 35 percent increase in calls that appears to be coinciding with the number of layoffs.

He said losing a job can make a person feel hopeless, and when strapped for cash, a person can become desperate.

In early August, a disgruntled employee at a beer distributor in Connecticut fired off a round of shots killing eight of his co-workers before he turned the gun on himself. The Anderson Security Agency said businesses are concerned a tragedy like that could repeat itself in the valley.

Their officers are taking part in an intense 2-day study, both inside the classroom and outside of it. They are taught when they reach for their weapon, they need to shoot to kill.

The Anderson Security Agency said it is getting calls from construction companies, hotels and even a local college, asking for armed security personnel.