[kwflatbed]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A female security guard at Mercy Medical Center was brutally beaten Saturday morning.

Springfield Police Sgt. Henry Gagnon told 22News that a homeless man allegedly struck the 46-year-old woman repeatedly with her walkie-talkie.

According to Gagnon, officers charged 35-year-old Rafael Cruz Jr. with assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Gagnon said Cruz had been seen trespassing in the hospital and when the guard confronted Cruz on the third floor near the intensive care unit, he began beating her with the walkie-talkie.
Cruz was arrested in the lobby a few minutes later.

http://www.wwlp.com/global/story.asp?s=9003284&srvc=developing

 

[Kilvinsky]

That is a job that is totally under appreciated. I hope and pray she's ok.

 

[7costanza]

We had a post a week or so back about QMC.. and Ill say it again I wouldnt work those jobs without training,oc,handcuffs,baton...scumbags see a badge, they hate people with badges and I think they hate Security even more than LEOS...I hope shes ok...

 

[KozmoKramer]

I agree Kil - 7. How much more would it cost a hospital to train their security staff in OC?
I say whatever the cost, it would be far more beneficial to include it in the training than to have one of their employees beaten to death by some scumbag with nothing to lose.

 

[Kilvinsky]

These are not jobs where you're walking around an empty office building or warehouse, this is a position where you never know what you might encounter. Ok, you don't want cops with guns, fine,whatever I can understand that, but at least train and equip your personnel to be able to defend themselves if/when the poop hits the air circulator. Common sense will tell anyone who has it, that hospitals are vulnerable to crime. Scuzbags looking for drugs, scuzbags who's violent scuzbag friends are taken to ERs and scuzbags who are patients.

Giving a Hospital Security Officer a badge and a detex clock and saying, "There you go, you're official now." is irresponsible and dangerous.

 

[PearlOnyx]

I've gone from being a hospital security guard, to corrections officer, to being a cop, and I have to say the hospital leads the pack when it comes to hands on fights and assaults.

 

[DJM1968]

I used to work for Longwood Security at BIDMC West, and that was the sum total of our training--a radio, a detex clock, and a badge. All the classes that LSSI put us through didn't prepare you for the Palmer 5/Deaconess 4 patients who went Code Grey--I'll never forget the time a guy from Deaconess 4 tried to take a bite out of my arm. Since the security went in-house, I understand that things are slightly better. I wish nothing but the best for my former colleagues, and for all the others out there who stand the watch.

 

[Hb13]

I hope for a speedy recovery for her.