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The
history of ASSIST
By Susan
Griswold
Coming into this profession in the early 1980�s, not knowing anyone else that owned or operated a security company, things were quite difficult. I looked for many ways to learn about this profession and how TBPIPSA worked. Finally in the late 80�s I received an invitation from ASSIST to a symposium held at the old Alabama Theatre in Houston. The guest speaker was Clema Sanders, director of TBPIPSA. There were about 250 people there. I was one of 10 females attending. It was very intimidating to say the least but I did learn a lot from the experience and shortly thereafter became a member of ASSIST.
The first local meeting I attended was when Bailey Elkin was the out going local President and Carol Bunton was starting her term. I met some wonderful people at this meeting and have developed some great alliances as well as life long friendships. Becoming a member of ASSIST has enhanced who I am as well as how I do business. Today as I continue my membership with ASSIST, the association as a whole has definitely changed over the years. When attending State Conventions and local meetings I am not only one of 10, I am one of about 40% of our profession. The women in our profession have stood up and been heard by all! Women like Ev Burke (TOS Security), Ann Ball (All State Guard), Kathy McReynolds (Texas Industrial Security), Belinda Woods (Certified Security Plus) Kim Villarreal (Armadillo Security) and Lisa George (Weiser Security) to only name a few, have all stepped up and helped our profession grow to what it is today.
Over the course of my career, I have seen a drastic improvement in the level of professionalism in our field. Gone are the days of rogue security companies that can operate �under the radar� with no fear of being held accountable for their actions. Through the transition of TBPIPSA to TCOPS, and then to the PSB, I have witnessed a renaissance amongst our peers. Under the direction of Cliff Grumbles, the state governing agency began enforcing the state rules and bringing security companies much closer to compliance than ever before. Quite frankly, our streets have been much safer since Cliff�s work to overhaul the TCOPS and the PSB, as more and more unlicensed providers are shut down. Security companies that hire felons, fail to license officers properly, or the worst offense, arm officers that are not commissioned, now must look over their shoulders at every turn. This change has been a benefit to legitimate providers, and the general public at large.
I am proud to say I watched and participated heavily as ASSIST played a key role in the changes that have been brought forth by the State. We lobbied heavily during the 90�s and early part of this century to make the changes in Austin, and at the regional levels, to raise the standards of our profession. ASSIST played an integral part to securing the appointment of Cliff, without whom the PSB may not be as fine tuned as it is today.
Today ASSIST is one of the most well known security associations in the state. Our members old and new continue working together to improve our profession by passing laws that will enhance the services we provide, protect the personnel we hire and the clients we serve.
As a longtime member (19 years and counting) of ASSIST, I can only thank the other members and those who regulate our industry for the honor of standing with them to fight for our profession. Our profession can not grow and succeed on its own. We all must work hard to make our profession better each day.
Looking to the future, I am excited about the ability ASSIST has to continue effecting change for the security profession. We are a vast and powerful membership, representing business interests from the Sabine River to the West Texas Mesas, from the Panhandle to the Valley, and all points in between. Under the new Captain, RenEarl Bowie, we will reach heights not even imagined when I joined all those years ago. I implore each and every one you to take pride in the communities you serve, the officers you employ, and the clients that rely on your services, and to continue your support of ASSIST through the years to come.
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