Owner of Ridesharing App Black Wolf Loses License Over Security Concerns

I don’t normally use ridesharing apps unless I am out of town and in a place where really don’t need to rent a car. I prefer to set my own schedule and enjoy freedom of movement, but we have used them before. It really is an act of faith. On one hand, the driver is trusting that his or her passenger is not a criminal or psychopath. The passenger is also taking it as a matter of faith that the same holds for the driver, and there have been plenty of news stories and videos that have chronicled how rideshare drivers have been victimized by customers.

Let’s face it, it’s a scary world out there, and it is only getting worse. With that in mind, back in May, Kerry KingBrown launched the Black Wolf rideshare app in New York and Atlanta. Unlike Uber or Lyft, Black Wolf drivers come from military and security backgrounds and may be carrying a weapon. In an article in Forbes, Brown was quoted as saying, “What I’m creating is a necessary evil. It’s a necessity.”

In the Forbes piece, the service is referred to as executive protection for people with safety concerns. KingBrown says his background includes work as a private investigator and a bodyguard. The article said that Black Wolf offers three levels of service: Armed Executive Protection, Unarmed Executive Protection, and School Executive Protection. On the website, the company says it offers services for “corporate executives, high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, women, school kids, and regular people who want peace of mind in this crazy world.”

I grew up in a neighborhood that was in decline, so I’m used to locking every door and every window and looking up, down, and all around wherever I am. And since I grew up in an atmosphere where drug deals and gunfire were becoming commonplace even back in the ’80s, I always think about the potential for danger whenever I leave the house, even more so in this day and age.

Why? Look at the headlines with the never-ending litany of shootings, muggings, and random acts of violence. Remember the last summer of riots? You don’t need to go looking for danger. Danger is often perfectly capable of finding you. So the idea that my driver has a background in security, has been vetted and trained, and is packing is pretty appealing, which is unfortunate, but it is also reality. Until we have real laws with real penalties and a population that can control itself, it will remain the reality.

But KingBrown is facing a problem. Fox 5 Atlanta reports that he has lost his security license. The issue is over whether or not Black Wolf is providing security. The state regulates companies and people who are paid to provide protection; the company and all of its employees need to be licensed. KingBrown maintains that he is not providing personal security. He says that Black Wolf is a tech company, not a security company. The piece by the station quoted KingBrown’s comment to NewsNation, “I don’t want people to focus on the world ‘armed.’ I want them to focus on the security this app will bring.”

During an interview with Fox 5, KingBrown said that he was licensed through Loyd Investigations in Thomaston, Ga., and that the company was onboard with the Black Wolf app. The station talked with Don Warrington, who owns Loyd Investigations, and Warrington said that KingBrown’s operation violates Georgia law. He stated, “He knew better. He can’t open a company, carry guns and transport people and tell them it’s a tech company.” Warrington terminated KingBrown’s license, and the State Security Agencies Board has turned the matter over to the state attorney general.

Black Wolf says that its employees are trained, but Obie Bryant of Bryant Safety and Security Solutions in Decatur, Ga., told the station, “The person you’re in the car with who’s carrying a firearm has not been properly trained,” he said. “And someone ends up getting seriously hurt or maybe fatally” [sic]. KingBrown claims to only hire state-licensed security officers, but under Georgia law, a license holder can only work for the company that licensed them. He says that prior to creating the app, he tried to get Black Wolf licensed through the state but struggled with the written test.

The site is still active, and KingBrown says that his driver is still picking up customers. One hopes that the state will work with KingBrown to sort out the issues and allow Black Wolf to operate within state regulations because like it or not, the demand for services like the ones offered by Black Wolf will probably only increase.