Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesProfessional AV

Black Wolf: Examining the Pros and Cons of Armed Ride-Share Drivers

Mike Matranga, CO of M6 Global Defense and host of the SecurED Podcast, and Mike Monsive, CEO of ASAP Security and co-host of the SecurED Podcast, discuss Black Wolf, distinguishing itself from Lyft and Uber by offering armed ride-share drivers. The idea presents pros and cons, especially considering drivers may have other jobs and liabilities….

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Professional AV teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

Promoted content from ASAP Security on MarketScale.

Share

Free workspace

Turn your Professional AV expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI in a free MarketScale workspace. Qualifying companies also get one professional video edit a month. No credit card.

Try it Free

Mike Matranga, CO of M6 Global Defense and host of the SecurED Podcast, and Mike Monsive, CEO of ASAP Security and co-host of the SecurED Podcast, discuss Black Wolf, distinguishing itself from Lyft and Uber by offering armed ride-share drivers. The idea presents pros and cons, especially considering drivers may have other jobs and liabilities.

While the concept seems intriguing, concerns arise regarding liability for individual drivers. The CEO actively recruits law enforcement, military, and experienced security personnel. However, this doesn’t guarantee the drivers possess the necessary skills and mindset for the role.

Viewing the concept through a risk-oriented lens reveals potential dangers. Criminals may exploit the availability of armed drivers, leading to weapon theft and additional security concerns. Despite law enforcement or security backgrounds, anyone can be vulnerable.

To secure things, both experts agree on the importance of looking at the concept from various angles. While having an armed guard in the vehicle may seem appealing to consumers, evaluating risks is essential to prevent potential misuse.

In conclusion, the idea of Armed ride-share drivers raises complex considerations. Ensuring safety and minimizing potential risks should be a top priority when exploring such services.

The Full Length Podcast Will Be Available July 24th.

Video TranscriptExpand ↓

Why don't you tell us a little bit about Black Wolf and how it separates itself from Lyft and other rideshare? Companies like Uber. So according to the CEO of Black Wolf, very similar as far as the functionality and the requesting of a ride, like you would with a with an Uber or a Lyft app. However, you can request a driver who is armed. And so, you know, I wanted to talk about it because there's there's pros and cons to this. And I know on the surface sounds pretty good. Right? Like, you know, hey, yeah, I'm gonna have a driver there and, you know, he's he's gonna have a gun. But as somebody who is former law enforcement who carried a duty weapon, uh-huh, and you know, many of the, Uber drivers today have full time gigs or jobs, and they they do this for extra money. Right? So I think in the interviews is that we actually saw, today, the CEO specifically said that he had been contacted by a slew of officers already. So, you know, it makes makes you wonder about a whole host of questions. Yeah. As a as a a a duly licensed officer employed by an agency, and you are now doing this side gig of driving on a rideshare app, picking up who knows who. And where's your duty to protect begin and end Absolutely. You know, and I think that's, you know, part of me wants to think that this is a genius idea, but the other part of me You know, being cautious thinks that it could be terribly bad. You know, from a liability standpoint, especially not necessarily for the CEO of the company, but for the individual drivers. Right. You know, because in the interview that we watched on Fox News today, He specifically stated that he's work actively recruiting law enforcement and military. And so that goes to security personnel with five years of experience or more. Yeah. But that doesn't mean anything. I mean, you you and I both know, and it's not meant to be sparaging, but it is disparaging is sometimes you get what you pay for and just because someone's been in a security industry as a licensed security or doesn't mean that they really have the skills or the mindset to actually carry out, their duties. Which is why maybe they're in security instead of law enforcement. So, you know, we have to have these open and honest conversations. I mean, what do you what do you thought I mean, let's let's dig a little bit deeper. Well, in order to secure things, we always look at things at a different angle than most people. Yeah. Right? Consumer looks at it and goes, hey, I would love to have an app and have an armed guard. You know, in my vehicle, that sounds like a good concept. But when you look at it through the the other lens that you and I often look at risk through. You know, the the bad mic on this shoulder over here whispering in our ear, you know, going, well, look, I just got to the city and I need a weapon. Now I don't even have to go find one just take it off. Yeah. I'll just go ahead and sign up under this app and have this guy come in here. And while he's driving his back to me, and he can't defend himself, I know that there's a weapon in the car. I'm just gonna take it. Right? And if I take the weapon from the guy, now I got a car and a weapon, And there's a lot of people, regardless of your skill set and law enforcement or even in security. There's a lot of people walking around as daily that have the knowledge and skills and capability to take those weapons.

ASAP Security

Part of this channel

ASAP Security

Physical security expertise for facilities, campuses, and commercial properties.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Professional AV starts with a company putting its integrators, design engineers, and product specialists on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

When a spec writer or facilities lead searches this category, your integrators are what they find instead of a competitor.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.
B2B Weekly

The week in Professional AV, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Professional AV: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Professional AV buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free plan

You just read one Professional AV expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your integrators, design engineers, and product specialists into the articles, video, and social content Professional AV buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale workspace, up to 10 people
One professional video edit a month for qualifying companies
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
$0. No credit card. Company confirmation required.

More Professional AV Insights

Neat says Zoho Cliq joins Neat Open Apps on Neat devices

Neat says Zoho Cliq joins Neat Open Apps on Neat devices

Zoho Cliq has joined the Neat Open Apps ecosystem. According to Business Wire, the integration runs across Neat’s Generation 2 device portfolio and is centrally managed through Neat Pulse.

  • 01According to Business Wire, Zoho Cliq is joining the Neat Open Apps ecosystem, and Neat said it is the first hardware partner to support Zoho Cliq.

Sep 22, 2026

AV Access AnyCo V100 offers 100W charging, 1GbE and 4K@60 sharing over one USB-C

AV Access AnyCo V100 offers 100W charging, 1GbE and 4K@60 sharing over one USB-C

AV Access says the AnyCo V100 video bar is now available. The company says one USB-C cable connects a laptop to the camera, microphones and speaker, while also supporting screen sharing up to 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 on compatible USB-C hosts, 1Gbps wired networking and up to 100W charging.

  • 01According to AV Access’ Sept. 15 Business Wire release, one USB-C cable can connect a laptop to room AV, screen sharing, wired networking and laptop charging.
  • 02AV Access says the same USB-C cable supports screen sharing up to 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 on compatible USB-C hosts, provides 1Gbps wired network access and delivers up to 100W charging.
  • 03AV Access says 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 screen sharing is supported on compatible USB-C hosts, and that the same USB-C connection can deliver up to 100W charging.

Sep 22, 2026

End users made up 37% of InfoComm 2026's 28,132 attendees

End users made up 37% of InfoComm 2026's 28,132 attendees

AVIXA reports InfoComm 2026 drew 28,132 verified attendees from 94 countries to Las Vegas, with end users making up 37%. Microsoft and Cisco keynotes centered on AI agents for the meeting room. For enterprise workplace and IT teams, the June attendance mix and cross-platform AI pitches are timely as fall buying decisions approach.

  • 01A 37% end-user share at a pro AV trade show is a usable benchmark: more than one in three badges belonged to organizations that deploy the equipment, suggesting exhibitors may be demoing more directly to customers.
  • 02A sharper question to put to a collaboration vendor before the demo is which platform an AI meeting feature actually runs on. According to AVIXA, Cisco framed intelligent systems and open collaboration ecosystems as working across platforms including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom, while Microsoft tied its voice agents to Teams Phone and Teams Rooms.
  • 03The 170-meter Cat5e reach BZBGEAR's Matt Richards cited to CE Pro for the XTREME-PRO, part of the XLink-ONE family that took Best of Show at InfoComm 2026 from AV Technology, is a manufacturer spec, not an independent test; for facilities with runs past 100 meters it is worth a bench check before fiber is designed out.

Sep 18, 2026

Explore More Professional AV Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Professional AV.

Browse Professional AV Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Professional AV and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512