Yelm-based YARD Security Services aims to provide event safety, eventually grow into schools

Dustin Stephan, owner and founder of YARD Security Services, served nearly 20 years in the world of law enforcement and understands just how critical it is to keep highly attended event spaces safe and secure.

That’s why he launched the Yelm-based YARD Security Services (YSS), a private security company that focuses on unarmed and armed uniform personnel. Additionally, Stephan said YSS offers a training element to provide critical incident response training to organizations throughout western Washington.

YSS has recently served security at the King County Fair in Enumclaw from Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, July 19, and locally in Yelm at the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25.

“I approached the barbecue rally staff and board to offer our services this year, just as an added security,” Stephan said. “The typical response we get is ‘oh, we haven’t needed it. Everything’s OK.’ My response to that is, ‘until it’s not.’ The idea is that we are a deterrent and a resource to the families who are visiting the event.”

Stephan added that Yelm Police Department was also attending the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally event, and he described the department as being a great community partner. He also claimed that YSS is an additional resource and added benefit that ensured the barbecue rally ran smoothly.

“We’re doing a lot of other events too like the Enumclaw Rodeo and the Roy Rodeo,” Stephan said. “The long-term vision is to get into our schools, to be honest. The school security officer (SSO) program, I think, will be the next rendition of school security. As a former law enforcement officer, I love the school resource officer program — however, I think in Washington specifically, our per-capita cops to citizens is way down. We’re one of the lowest ranked in the country for officers per capita, and frankly, we need our officers on the streets.”

Stephan added that through the SSO program, he’d propose very similar services to what the police department offers through its school resource officer (SRO) program while being a “more dedicated service” than what YPD could provide.

“Our officers will be trained in being able to relate with the students via constant presence at the schools,” Stephan said. “A dedicated presence. All of our training will work around the school district time so we’re not having to work around holes in coverages.”

According to Stephan, YSS was able to staff the King County Fair in Enumclaw with 12 officers throughout the premises. At the Nisqually Valley Barbecue Rally — a much smaller setting than the King County event — YSS staffed the event with two-teams of two officers throughout the day. He said his organization was thankful for the opportunity to work the event in its hometown of Yelm.

“I’ve got almost 20-years in the law enforcement security industry now. An injury kind of took me out of that career field, but you don’t lose that knowledge when you leave a career field,” Stephan said. “With my time in the school district as an SRO, I realized there’s a spot for a private organization to run the school’s security organizations. That was my initial thought behind YSS, is that we want to lockdown and secure our schools.”

He added that YSS has the opportunity to start up as an event security organization, but the long-term focus will remain on getting into schools to protect students and teachers from any possible threat.

“Keep us in mind for any training element that your church, your school or your company would like as far as critical incident, first aid training, de-escalation tactics — any of that — that’s a secondary arm of the company,” Stephan said. “Keep us in mind when we’re talking about school security. Bring it up at the school board meetings. YSS has even offered to volunteer in the Yelm community, specifically, at events or even at the schools. We’re in the process now to see what that looks like. We’ve put that offer out front to the district and we would encourage the citizens to echo their thoughts on that and give us feedback.”

If you’re interested in learning more about YSS or inquiring about security services, visit the organization’s website at www.yardsecurityservices.com.