Closer look at security industry needed to raise standards

Presently, a licenced private security officer has the option of being registered with separate security agencies.

In such cases, there is no full-time permanent employment contract and these part-timers are often paid as daily rated employees, without the benefits that are offered to full-time staff.

This means there is no commitment or responsibility on the part of the security agency with regard to the security officer.

Likewise, the officer is usually not bound by any code of ethics whereby he will be taken to task when he breaks rules or professional ethics.

And when a client reports cases of non-compliance by the assigned part-time officer, the officer is simply taken off that assignment and deployed elsewhere, and any disciplinary issue is not tackled at all.

Such cases disadvantage the client the most, as they pay for security services and yet have to put up with unprofessional service.

There is no recourse for these clients except to terminate their contracts, and look for another service provider. There are also cases of officers who lack the relevant qualifications being assigned to act as officers.

Clients should not be shortchanged in this manner. The Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (PLRD) should do more to address the various issues, and providing more information on the experience of the agencies and what services they provide is also important.

Can the PLRD also impose strict penalties on errant security agencies, to deter bad practices? Changes are needed in the security industry, and this can only be achieved if the PLRD, being the regulatory body, does its part judiciously.