La. denies TigerSwan application

TigerSwan, a private security firm known for military-style tactics against protesters of the Dakota Access pipeline, is appealing the decision of the Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners’ March 30 denial for application to work in the Pelican State, where Energy Transfer Partners is building the Bayou Bridge pipeline. In November, several environmental groups opposed to the Bayou Bridge pipeline attempted to intervene in the application process stating that some of its members would be vulnerable to TigerSwan’s security and surveillance practices. But the state board denied the firm’s request for application. During the process, the board had denied another security license application from a TigerSwan employee, who failed to disclose her employment with the firm after TigerSwan’s application was rejected. The board's deposition of the employee, obtained via a public records request, was included in the request to interview in TigerSwan’s case by 350 New Orleans, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, Gulf Restoration Network, L’eau Est la Vie (“Water Is Life”) Camp, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West. (Source: DESMOG blog 03/30/18)