Pa. House disarms security guards
Change follows firing of one with criminal history
HARRISBURG — Not so long ago, in the name of security, top state House leaders championed the need to give the chamber’s guards the power to carry guns. Not anymore. Top House officials quietly decided to strip the roughly 16 uniformed guards, who also act as the chamber’s sergeantat-arms, of their firearms.
This came after they discovered that one had been carrying a weapon for years despite a criminal history. That security officer was fired in early May, and three others who supervised him resigned shortly after, according to House records and interviews.
House Speaker Sam Smith, R-Jefferson, the top official in the 203-member chamber, would not talk about the matter. Also declining comment were other senior House officials, including one who contended the publicity would create the perception of a security risk.
But the incident has raised the question of whether the House’s security staff had sufficient policies in place for screening and background checks — and whether they should have been armed in the first place.
Security guards for the Senate, for instance, do not carry weapons. And the Capitol complex is already protected by the Capitol Police, an accredited police force whose officers receive extensive training in firearms,
emergency management, hazardous materials and riot control, among other areas.
“We are the first line of defense,” said Dave DeLellis, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 85, which represents Capitol Police officers and which has raised concerns in the past about House guards carrying weapons. “That is part of the core function we provide in the Capitol, and we consider ourselves to be the best at it.”
The House’s legislative security guards are supposed to protect people and property within the rooms and spaces occupied by the chamber, according to an official description of the job. They also are tasked with investigating complaints, accidents and any suspicious people or behavior. Salaries for uniformed officers range from $23,000 to $41,200.
In January 2006, House leaders armed the guards with .357-caliber handguns. The decision was made by the House’s five-member Bipartisan Management Committee, which at the time, included former Republican House Speaker John Perzel, and one-time Democratic House leaders Bill DeWeese and Mike Veon. All three have since been convicted on political corruption charges. The move was controversial. Coming just after the Legislature passed the hugely unpopular legislative pay raise, it was disparaged as evidence that lawmakers were simply frightened of the public outrage over the pay raise. Defenders countered the guards needed to be armed to protect against terrorism and prevent incidents such as the July 1998 incident at the U.S. Capitol in which two security guards were shot to death.
In an interview last week, the former director of security for the legislative officers, Phil Frederick, said he advocated arming the guards for years. When the decision was made to do so, Mr. Frederick said his officers received rigorous training in a specially designed program through Temple University.
Mr. Frederick was among the three people who resigned in May after it was discovered that House guard Brian Marhon had a criminal background. Mr. Marhon, hired as a House security officer in 2001, could not be reached for comment.
Court records show he faced simple assault charges in 1994, to which he pleaded guilty; DUI charges in 2003 and 2004, to which he also pleaded guilty; and aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment charges in 2008, after which he pleaded guilty to simple assault and harassment. In all cases, records show he received probation.
Mr. Frederick called Mr. Marhon “an exemplary employee.”
Mr. Frederick said he was aware of Mr. Marhon’s 1994 incident and the DUI charges, but said they were misdemeanors and did not disqualify him for the job. As for Mr. Marhon’s 2004 charges, Mr. Frederick said he thought they were related to a civil issue.
Asked to describe how prospective guards are vetted, Mr. Frederick said that, starting in 2006, all uniformed House officers underwent fingerprint and FBI background checks. Before that, guards underwent a state criminal background check, psychological testing, drug testing and a physical. There were no periodic follow-up checks.
And it wasn’t until 2009 that a policy was put into place that guards report any run-ins with the law, said Mr. Frederick.
Top House leaders and officials, including House Chief Clerk Anthony Barbush, first became aware of Mr. Marhon’s background in late April, according to two knowledgeable sources who asked not to be identified.
Those sources said Mr. Barbush immediately ordered that Mr. Marhon be terminated.