Glendale police have arrested two men in an investigation into an armed private-security group that authorities say used police-style equipment while threatening and detaining people at teen parties across the West Valley and Phoenix.
The arrests were made this week, and police released additional details Wednesday, Sept. 9. The allegations span events in Glendale, Buckeye and Phoenix. Investigators say the inquiry remains active and that more charges or arrests are possible.
The accusations have not been proven in court. The two men face criminal charges, but neither has been convicted in connection with the incidents described by police.
How the investigation began
According to Arizona’s Family’s initial report, a Glendale Police Violent Crime Impact Team officer found social-media advertising for a teen party near 51st Avenue and Camelback Road. Investigators connected the promotional material to accounts associated with a group calling itself Desert Protection Security.
Police said social-media videos showed armed members chasing people into roadways, pointing rifles and handguns at people in vehicles and threatening others with Tasers. One video, reportedly recorded using Meta glasses, showed a young woman being chased, ordered to the ground and handcuffed.
The alleged conduct was not limited to one location. Police said a group member chased a teenager from a Buckeye party and pointed a rifle at him on July 11. Investigators also described a July 4 encounter in which a firearm was allegedly pointed at people in a vehicle even though police say they had not displayed a weapon.
On Sept. 6, investigators found group members providing armed security at another teen party in Phoenix, according to a follow-up report published Wednesday. Police said a consensual vehicle search recovered a rifle, additional security equipment and police-style gear.
Charges and licensing questions
Police said one man was booked on allegations that include participating in a criminal syndicate, aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment and impersonating a peace officer. The other faces multiple aggravated-assault allegations and one count of impersonating a peace officer. A judge set bonds of $7,500 and $50,000 at their initial court appearances, Arizona’s Family reported.
Investigators also found video showing one of the men wearing what appeared to be a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Posse uniform. The Sheriff’s Office told Arizona’s Family that he had volunteered with the program but did not complete its initial requirements and was released.
Arizona’s private-security industry is regulated by the Department of Public Safety. The DPS Licensing and Regulatory Bureau processes agency and guard credentials, handles complaints and enforces state security-industry laws and rules. The department also maintains a public license-status search.
Arizona’s Family reported that DPS records showed one of the men had held a security credential that expired this week and that the department had no security-license record under the other man’s name. Police also said the group had multiple licensing and conduct violations.
What remains unresolved
Police have not announced a final count of potential victims or said how many events the group worked. It also remains unclear whether party organizers or property owners knew the group’s licensing status.
Glendale police are asking anyone who believes they encountered the group, or who has video or other information about similar incidents, to contact the department. Authorities have said the investigation is continuing.
Image: Original editorial illustration created for West Valley Post. It does not depict the accused men, any victim, an actual law-enforcement agency or the events under investigation.