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What do you mean by Google Police? Can they use force? Throw me into prison? What are their laws? (If you can't answer that, can you me some hints for direction

What do you mean by Google Police? Can they use force? Throw me into prison? What are their laws? (If you can't answer that, can you me some hints for direction?)

vel0city 2y ago
I don't exactly know the situation at Google, but it's not entirely uncommon for orgs with large campuses to hire licensed peace officers instead of basic "security guards". A licensed peace officer is essentially the same as a police officer, with the power to arrest and carry weapons and what not. So instead of your security guard only being able to call for police, they can take police-like action immediately. Ever drive past a large event or like a church after Sunday service and see cops out in the street directing traffic? Often those are off duty cops serving as paid peace officers. In Texas, to have a large event where you serve alcohol (like say a wedding reception) you legally need to hire a peace officer for your security. Often people hire off duty cops, but you could hire someone who isn't a cop day to day. Anyone with a valid peace officer license can do it. I've known people who went through all the training and decided being a cop wasn't for them. They then took jobs like "security guard" but we're paid a lot more because of their peace officer license.
- snowpid 2y ago
  "Ever drive past a large event or like a church after Sunday service and see cops out in the street directing traffic? Often those are off duty cops serving as paid peace officers. " Nope because like many folks on HN I don't live in the US. In Germany I've never heard that Volkswagen or BASF (two companies with huge company owned areas) do have a security service which can arrest people and very likely never used their weapons. I see now, where cyberpunk dystopia got their inspiration from. Thank you for the insight.
  - vel0city 2y ago
    I don't exactly see how a security guard licensed by the state actually being able to arrest a trespasser or vandalizer instead of having to call the city police to show up well after the crime to take pictures and write some notes makes anything a cyberpunk dystopia. They're not doing investigations. They aren't enforcing laws outside of what the state has made. They have far more liability concerns than regular police officers do because they aren't acting on behalf of the state. They don't have any sovereign immunity protections. Practically the only difference is they can do arrests on the spot and they can potentially still carry weapons in places where its normally prohibited when serving the duties as a peace officer. It is not like Google would have their own Google Police enforcing Google Law. And I imagine all the security guards at Google have also never used their weapons outside of a shooting range or hunting.

What do you mean by Google Police? Can they use force? Throw me into prison? What are their laws? (If you can't answer that, can you me some hints for direction?)

vel0city 2y ago

I don't exactly know the situation at Google, but it's not entirely uncommon for orgs with large campuses to hire licensed peace officers instead of basic "security guards". A licensed peace officer is essentially the same as a police officer, with the power to arrest and carry weapons and what not. So instead of your security guard only being able to call for police, they can take police-like action immediately. Ever drive past a large event or like a church after Sunday service and see cops out in the street directing traffic? Often those are off duty cops serving as paid peace officers. In Texas, to have a large event where you serve alcohol (like say a wedding reception) you legally need to hire a peace officer for your security. Often people hire off duty cops, but you could hire someone who isn't a cop day to day. Anyone with a valid peace officer license can do it. I've known people who went through all the training and decided being a cop wasn't for them. They then took jobs like "security guard" but we're paid a lot more because of their peace officer license.

snowpid 2y ago
"Ever drive past a large event or like a church after Sunday service and see cops out in the street directing traffic? Often those are off duty cops serving as paid peace officers. " Nope because like many folks on HN I don't live in the US. In Germany I've never heard that Volkswagen or BASF (two companies with huge company owned areas) do have a security service which can arrest people and very likely never used their weapons. I see now, where cyberpunk dystopia got their inspiration from. Thank you for the insight.
- vel0city 2y ago
  I don't exactly see how a security guard licensed by the state actually being able to arrest a trespasser or vandalizer instead of having to call the city police to show up well after the crime to take pictures and write some notes makes anything a cyberpunk dystopia. They're not doing investigations. They aren't enforcing laws outside of what the state has made. They have far more liability concerns than regular police officers do because they aren't acting on behalf of the state. They don't have any sovereign immunity protections. Practically the only difference is they can do arrests on the spot and they can potentially still carry weapons in places where its normally prohibited when serving the duties as a peace officer. It is not like Google would have their own Google Police enforcing Google Law. And I imagine all the security guards at Google have also never used their weapons outside of a shooting range or hunting.