New NYC bill in honor of mass shooting victim Aland Etienne would require better pay, training for security officers
There was a show of solidarity at City Hall on Thursday morning for a new bill that honors the life and legacy of a slain security guard.
Aland Etienne was killed on the job during the mass shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Midtown on July 28.
The 46-year-old was killed along with three others.
In his final seconds alive, Etienne tried to get to a control panel to lock down the elevators so that the suspect couldn't any further.
Smith Etienne says what his brother did was heroic.
"We all know Aland was shot in the back twice, if he had a bulletproof vest, he would have been with us today," Etienne said. "A security guard working at a building of that profile should be equipped with the right gear and equipment and the right training."
That's something New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is determined to make happen with the backing of 32BJ, the union representing thousands of private security guards in the in five boroughs.
Under a proposed bill, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would establish and enforce among other things higher pay standards and increased training, including more active shooter drills.
"The Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act will ensure our security officers have fair pay, safety and dignity because that is the very least they deserve for their sacrifices," Adams said.
According to a recent report, many of the roughly 81,000 private security officers are making an average of just over $40,000 each year.
The annual turnover rate is a staggering 77%.
"They really are the front line of security in this city working hand in hand with police officer and others who get much more training, we can make this stronger," said 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich.
It's a way to honor the man who put others before himself.
"We don't want the next son, the next father to be in the same position my brother was," Etienne said.
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