The Signal at 1810 Chestnut St. was cited to the Chattanooga Beer Board for the failure to allow two Hamilton County Sheriff deputies in the building during the East Hamilton High School Senior Prom on April 29. The Signal provides security for events at the venue, but on this night, the school hired two School Resource Officers for additional security. The SROs are also deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. Other SROs come from the Chattanooga Police Department, but guns are part of all their uniforms.
Attorney Ginna Burrell and owner of the Signal Josh Billue told the Chattanooga Beer Board they knew the additional security would be there, but were unaware they would have guns. That night around 6:45, when the SROs arrived, the manager on duty told them they would not be allowed inside with firearms. The two contacted their supervisor and left.
City Attorney Emily O’Donnell said the Chattanooga City Code specifies that access cannot be denied to any portion of the premises to any police officer, regardless if the business has a beer permit or not. Mr. Billue and attorney Burrell told the board that having no firearms inside is a condition of their insurance policy. They said their policy requires that all security guards who work there have to come from Axis Security, their approved vendor. This insures that the insurance company knows that they are properly trained.
Board member Brooke King noted that the business put its insurance policy over what the city does to help keep people safe. SROs are police officers or deputies and they all carry guns.
The security personnel from Axis do not carry guns. Officials from The Signal told the beer board members that they were unfamiliar with SROs and that they are armed. The board was told, in hindsight, that had they known ahead of time, their insurance company could have been contacted to ask if it was permissible. But that night, the manager made a decision just an hour before the prom. Since this incident, the Signal has established a plan with their insurance carrier. The agreement is that with prior notification, armed security officers from the Police Department and Sheriff’s Department will be allowed inside whether they are acting as officers or private security. Attorney Burrell said this has been a lesson learned.
The Chattanooga Beer Board passed a motion to issue a letter of reprimand to The Signal on a vote of five in favor and three opposed.