Some residents of the Island's hospitals are not impressed, concerned that they will not get the level of security they are used to. "Ninety-eight per cent of the hospital residents are not going to feel safe if they bring in private security personnel," said Gilchrist Bowman, the President of the Resident Council. "The current hospital police are trained, know the problems of the patients and can tackle emotional outbursts. The new people may not be well-trained. We will not know which walk of life they come from. They will be working for less money and may be picked up off the street. They will be working for the minimum wage. They will not care about us."

"These fears are completely unfounded. The welfare and safety of patients is our biggest concern," said the HHC official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We would never take a step to undermine the security of our patients, or jeopardize them in any way. A lot of time and effort has gone into this decision and a lot more will go into choosing the right agency."

"This is our only home and we would not feel safe if we are not familiar with the staff here," said Sterlie Wilson, a member of the Community Advisory Board at Coler and the Chair of the Patient Care Committee. "Arguments and fights break out all the time. People here have attitudes. They squabble over cigarettes and people kicking wheelchairs. People could snap anytime. We have been through a lot of physical and emotional trauma. We want to feel safe. We like the current hospital staff."

"Sometimes change is a hard thing for people to accept," said the HHC official.