HAPPY wrote:
SINGAPORE : Private security officers will soon be licensed individually.
Currently, such officers are given approval through the companies they work for.
The government is reviewing existing regulatory controls to enhance the professionalism of the security industry.
Under the new licensing scheme, officers will not be tied to the firm they work for.
The qualifications for the new licence will be similar to the current training requirements.
Securing key infrastructures like the airport is no longer just the job for the police or Singapore Armed Forces.
The work of private security officers is becoming increasingly important.
Private security officers in Singapore outnumber the Singapore Police Force by three times.
With 36,000 private security officers, the industry is also fast becoming a key strategic partner in ensuring national security.
Several major infrastructures are also protected by private security forces.
Speaking at a security conference on Monday, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee said governments are realising they alone cannot deliver a country's every security need.
To keep up with the changing security environment, the Singapore government is also looking at revising the regulatory framework.
Associate Professor Ho said, "The focus of the new legislation will now extend beyond just ensuring that undesirable persons do not enter the industry, to building a more professional, well-trained and disciplined private security industry.
"Another move to improve the professionalism of the industry is the introduction of a grading system to provide an objective and authoritative assessment of security agencies. The comprehensive set of grading criteria was drawn up in consultation with the industry, and will serve to motivate existing security agencies to raise their security and service standards."
Khoo Boon Hui, Commissioner of Police, said, "For the future, as we look ahead to the construction of the two Integrated Resorts which will have casinos and a third airport terminal, there will be tremendous opportunities for the private security industry. The demand for more sophisticated security services is expected to rise significantly."
Since 2005, the industry has grown by about 25 percent.
With the expected continuing demand, a career advancement framework will also be introduced in the middle of this year. - CNA/ms
So, more jobs will be created for the local. Cheers!!!
What is the big deal about upgrading security guards?
It seems to me that any training so provided is a mere hog-wash.
Look at the quality of security guards after passing the training - any different from their previous level of competency?
It is just a grand public relation again to tell the world that we are top-class without any practical tangible results.
I still see the same security guards day in and day out without the needed alertness level to apprehend any potential criminal or terrorists.
The reverse seems to be happening now as I see it. Because the training course is aimed at literacy, guards who are less literate in English seem to be weeded out of the professions and many security firms are now experiencing great manpower shortage due to disappearance of the non-English literate guards.
So costs of hiring security guards have gone up and many security firms are not pricing the fees upwards or foregoing tenders or terminating contracts.
Does the minister know all these negatives being created by his so call accreditation scheme which is creating labour shortage or downgrading of profession instead with the gradual disappearing of more alert but non-English literate guards.