The summer of 2025 saw some B.C. hospital security workers speak out about how they are allowed to deal with violence and drug use.

That includes a relational security officer, or RSO, who approached 1130 NewsRadio with his frustrations over how he’s allowed to deal with aggression, violence, and drug use in Fraser Health hospitals.

The worker, whose identity was protected so he could speak out, claimed he could not actually remove aggressive people from hospital property or stop anyone from smoking illicit substances, adding he can only ask them to stop and wait for the police if the person is non-compliant.

He was also concerned that a plan to provide security officers with handcuffs had not materialized, and questioned the quality of training provided to officers.

Fraser Health defended the RSO program as effective, emphasizing trauma-informed practices and cultural safety, though it admitted plans to issue handcuffs to RSOs haven’t happened yet.

The BC Conservative public safety critic at the time, Elenore Sturko, told 1130 NewsRadio she’d heard similar complaints from RSOs concerned about the limitations of their roles.

Sturko has pushed for an increased level of training and licensing for hospital security officers, or placing police officers in high-risk hospitals.

1130 NewsRadio’s original story led to several other current and former RSOs speaking out, including claims about the quality of equipment guards are issued, in particular, protective vests.

The supplier did not list specs from safety testing or certification, prompting worries from some.

After 1130 NewsRadio’s investigation, the company eventually responded, posting test reports from the Chinese manufacturer.