Non-Commissioned Security Guard and CHL

[Count]

a level 2 non-commissioned officer cannot carry any firearm legally.

So what's the point?
Basically a "level 2 non-commissioned officer" is just another guy on the street but he's wearing a uniform. He has no law enforcement authority, and no firearm.

Paul Blart needs a a job too.

[Excaliber]

a level 2 non-commissioned officer cannot carry any firearm legally.

So what's the point?
Basically a "level 2 non-commissioned officer" is just another guy on the street but he's wearing a uniform. He has no law enforcement authority, and no firearm. No wonder they get crap for pay. They can't even defend themselves, much less their employers' property under this law. Actually, under this definition, I am more capable of defending the non-com's property than he is. At least as a CHL civilian, I can carry.

You have that exactly right.

Unarmed security officers' duties are usually intentionally limited by their employers to the functions of observation and reporting. The hiring requirements for these folks in most companies are comparable to those for temporarily staffed manual labor positions. Some companies provide different levels of service for varying prices, e.g. folks who can just "meet and greet" vs. folks who can competently use computers, maintain databases, issue photo ID cards, etc., but at the basic level the skill set required is similar to that for a cleaning crew, warehouse, or grounds maintenance position. Although some security officers enter the field with higher level skill sets, many barely meet the minimum requirements. Duties must be configured so everyone in the position can successfully perform them without getting into trouble.

Despite the "sort of law enforcement looking" uniforms, unarmed security officers are not trained or equipped to anywhere near the level required to competently intervene in potentially violent circumstances. Most guard company training programs focus on the mechanics of the job and customer service, and often consist largely of watching videos on things like how to patrol a building, fill out forms, etc. with some instructor led modules added in. The material in the basic CHL training course is well above the conflict management and legal information that these folks are typically exposed to during their initial training.

Laws that prohibit Level 2 security officers from carrying on duty until they have been trained and certified to one of the higher armed category levels actually makes good practical sense because they are consistent with "observe and report" only duties, they remove the temptation to physically intervene in situations where they could be injured or killed, and they protect both their employers and the employer's clients from liability which could otherwise be incurred if security officers used force or attempted to make unlawful arrests during the scope of their employment.