Indiana's Parkview Health employs more than 100 security officers, many of whom are retired police officers or sheriff's reserves and a survey by an online security magazine recently ranked Parkview as one of the most secure hospitals in the nation, according to an article on the SFGate website.
Parkview also uses more than 200 cameras trained on various doors, hallways and open spaces throughout its six main campuses plus two other sites. Still, the health network is taking advantage of a new law to beef up its security even further.
It may become the first hospital in Indiana to have its force if a bill allowing hospitals to have a police force is passed. The bill calls for security officers to have full police powers while on hospital grounds.
The creation of such a police force comes at a time when the city has seen a near-record number of homicides - mainly due to gun violence, according to a report on The Journal Gazette.
"Our vision is to be the gold standard in health care security," said Tom Rhoades, the health network's director of security.
Read the article.