The Tribune

By Gaylord Taylor

Operations Manager

AGT Security

The need for a well-regulated private security industry seems to be self-evident. Yet the fact that the Bahamas is one of the leading Caribbean countries without a regulatory system in place for private security firms is distressing to say the least.

In my time within the private security field, I have seen persons start in the profession without training, or even a basic understanding of security concepts. Security guards are ill-equipped, ill-trained or, in most cases, just simply neglected with no thought as to their function within the company structure.

ASIS (The American Society of Industrial Security), the premier security industry trainer, has shown through various case studies that a well-trained security staff, including the administration and management team, produce a cost savings benefit to companies that invest in training.

But here at home, everybody is engaged in how to save that extra dollar. We have the looming implementation of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on top of already-fragile budgets. VAT will be added to security services, as mandated by law, so now companies must ask themselves: “Are we getting the bang for our buck?” Are companies doing effective screening? Are they training continuously? Are they utilising new technology to provide a more efficient service?

To a lot of these questions, I can tell you from mere observation that the answer is “No”. I see the fancy ads and signage. What I don’t see is the list of training after the basics, the criteria for hiring guards or the credentials of the owners and managers. Yes, some people will get upset and say I am throwing rocks, but others will smile as they are rock proof.

In the UK, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry. It is a non-departmental public body reporting to the Home Secretary (our version of the Minister of National Security), and was established in 2003 under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

The SIA has two main duties. One is the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities within the private security industry. The other is to manage a voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, which measures private security suppliers against independently-assessed criteria.

This can be easily duplicated in the Bahamas, as it would allow for the standardisation of examinations and develop a licensing criteria for companies. As we have seen recently, an industry that is active but not properly regulated can become so; it just takes a willing government to do so. You may ask why this would be necessary, considering that security companies are already licensed in the Bahamas. Well, anybody who actually read the Security Guard and Inquiries Agent Act would see how lacking it is in any fundamental substance when compared to even the basic standards of, say Florida or other close jurisdictions on the American continent. To take it a step further, Switzerland has authored an International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers to curtail human rights violations and improve practices and accountability in the industry worldwide.

The Bahamas touts itself as being ready for the global marketplace. In many respects, we are leaders in the hemisphere when it comes to development and growth but, sadly in others, we are sorely lacking. Take, for instance, the Private Security Regulation Authority of Jamaica, which is statutory body under the Ministry of National Security, charged with the responsibility to monitor and regulate the operations of: Contract Security Organisations; Proprietary Security Organisations; Private Security Guards; Private Investigators and Security Trainers. This body has led to security firms within Jamaica becoming international firms, as the standards and certifications are recognised throughout the hemisphere.

I think that the time is now for industry providers to get together and look at moving the security industry forward, upward and onward. We can only do it together.