The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN security provider is backing the Government’s bid to “take the bull by the horns” and crack down on rogue providers with this nation “lagging behind” Caribbean rivals on industry regulation, standards and service quality.

Gamal Newry, president of Preventative Measures, told Tribune Business he “totally agrees” with the Ministry of National Security’s enforcement and compliance drive following last week’s warning that unlicensed private security providers and unauthorised guards, together with non-payment of due fees, will no longer be tolerated.

He argued that, because the training of officers and guards is not presently mandated by Bahamian law, there are “widespread problems” within the Bahamian private security industry when it comes to service standards and the ability of providers to deliver what they promise to customers - crime prevention and asset protection that safeguards data, properties, staff and customer.

Praising Myles LaRoda, the newly-appointed national security minister, for “picking up the baton” from his predecessor, Wayne Munroe KC, Mr Newry told this newspaper that upgrading and modernising the Private Security Act 1970 - legislation that is 56 years-old and dates back before Bahamian independence - is “the only way” to place the sector on a similar self-regulatory footing to the likes of attorneys and accountants.

Warning that Bahamian security providers presently face exposure to significant “civil and criminal liability”, stemming from the actions or inactions of poorly-trained security guards in a sector that lacks “minimum standards”, training and proper oversight, the Preventative Measures chief added that Caribbean competitors have bypassed this nation on regulation.

He cited the examples of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, both of which have private security regulatory authorities, and possess “far more teeth” than The Bahamas when it comes to industry oversight, setting service standards and licensing/training of officers.

Revealing that he was also a presenter at last Friday’s Freeport event, where Mr LaRoda affirmed the Government’s push to upgrade the private security sector, Mr Newry told Tribune Business: “I definitely agree with that. I definitely agree we need to crack down on unlicensed and unregistered providers, and this will definitely be a good step in improving standards and service deliverables for the security guard product. “We want to regulate the industry and make sure the providers are meeting some standards. That is the only way it’s going to be able to happen. It’s definitely needed. It’s definitely more than needed. I am surprised we’ve been able to go so far into 2026, and allow it to go on for as long as it has” without vastly upgraded and enhanced regulation. Mr Newry said that, while he is unable to provide “exact numbers” for the total number of persons employed as security officers in The Bahamas, the profession outnumbers Royal Bahamas Police Force officers and is in the thousands. There are some 12,000 security firms in The Bahamas.

And he added that the importance of properly trained security guards is often overlooked despite, in effect, having the role of “first responders on the front line” who make law enforcement’s job “a bit easier”. And their role in protecting communities and businesses, and “securing customer and staff well-being”, further increases the need for proper regulation and service quality benchmarks.

“We need to make sure these individuals meet quality standards to do the work,” the Preventative Measures chief explained. “It’s long overdue. Certainly, the former minister [Mr Munroe] and the new minister have taken the bull by the horns, and are making some efforts to improve the standards.

“Kudos to the Private Sector Security Services Unit in the ministry, led by Samuel Smith. They are certainly doing something. This is their third initiative in three years. They are doing a lot at the Ministry of National Security to raise awareness of what the needs are, and are making some effort to change the status quo. You have to give them credit for that.

“The problem is that because it’s not mandated; because the training of staff or security officers is not mandated in law…… this problem is widespread and impacts the service or product a customer will be getting. That should not be.” Mr Newry said that while some private security firms have introduced their own minimum standards and training , “the vast majority are not trying to train and improve the quality of officers they are hiring”.

“The client is buying a service, meaning a high-quality service, and not getting that,” he added. “One of the biggest problems is exposure to potential criminal and civil liability. There’s an expectation as a customer. I’m going into a secure and protected environment, but you could unintentionally be exposing clients, their customers, their assets to crime.

“These officers’ actions, if they are not trained or qualified, could create civil liability from what they did or did not do. These are the biggest challenges. You, the client, are hiring companies to provide crime prevention services and they are not able to deliver. The customers are not getting what they paid for.”

Supporting the Government’s efforts to overhaul the existing Private Security Act, Mr Newry said it will “provide the framework for the structure, the licensing, the training. You are now telling them they need to have trained officers and have to be licensed by law. It’s critically important.

“The law has to be put in place to mandate security service providers are at the standard they need to meet,” he added. “It will only happen if the law is put in place. We see it from attorneys to accountants to jet skis - there are laws in place to ensure they meet a minimum standard and, unfortunately, that has not been happening for the security industry.

“It’s definitely a weak spot. It goes back to deliverables. You are hiring me to deliver a good service, but there is no requirement for me to do anything other than put a man there. I don’t have to train them. I’m not mandated to give a high quality product. That does not really trickle down to the ground.”

Mr Newry said The Bahamas is falling behind Caribbean competitors on private security regulation. “In The Bahamas, we are lagging behind,” he told Tribune Business. “In Jamaica, Trinidad, they have a private security regulatory authority. They have different grade levels and minimum standards to be security officers that the Authority enforces. It’s similar to what the Ministry of National Security has now - but far more teeth.”

The Preventative Measures also urged companies, government agencies and all those considering hiring private security firms to do the necessary due diligence on potential candidates and, in particular, investigate whether they have training programmes for staff and set minimum standards they must meet.

Mr LaRoda last week said his ministry’s Private Sector Security Services unit has stepped up compliance and enforcement, collecting more than $156,000 in licence fees and removing 150 inactive firms and 200 unauthorised guards from the system.

The ministry is also preparing amendments to the Security Guards Act to impose tougher penalties for unlicensed operations, strengthen training and conduct standards, and improve oversight of security companies.

“The days of treating non-compliance as a manageable inconvenience are over," Mr LaRoda said. "We are protecting the public and protecting compliant companies from unfair competition.” He added that the Government is also introducing a new security guard licence with enhanced safety features, including a magstripe module and single laminator, to replace a system vulnerable to fraud.