Dakota Access security firm operated in ND without license, board says

A North Dakota regulatory board has accused a security firm hired by the company that built the Dakota Access Pipeline of operating in the state without a license.In a complaint dated June 12, attorneys for the North Dakota Private Investigative and Security Board said the agency denied an application to James Patrick Reese, the founder of North Carolina-based TigerSwan, to become a licensed private security provider earlier this year. But Reese “and/or” the firm have “illegally continued to conduct private investigative and/or private security services in North Dakota following the denial of their application of licensure.”The complaint said TigerSwan “maintains roving security teams” to monitor valve sites in North Dakota, and the firm’s personnel are armed with semiautomatic rifles and sidearms “while engaging in security services.” The firm continues to provide private investigative services, including “monitoring of persons affiliated with the DAPL protests,” the complaint alleges.The board is asking a state district court for an injunction against TigerSwan and Reese and for an administrative fine for each violation they have allegedly committed. Providing private investigative or private security services without a current license issued by the board is a Class B misdemeanor under state law.