20 June 2006
Security Industry Seeks Licensing
The security industry hopes concerns raised in Parliament today will bring about changes in the licensing of security
guards.
The New Zealand Security Association (NZSA) has been calling for revision to the 1974 Private Investigator and Security
Guard Act for many years.
“Licensing has been a major issue for a long time,” says Barrie Cooper, Executive Director of the NZSA.
Mr Cooper was commenting on an oral question in the House by New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark in
which he revealed that within the last month, private security employees with a history of serious offending were
employed to perform “suicide watch” where inmates deemed as being a high risk of committing suicide while in custody are
placed under 24 hour supervision.
“It is exactly this kind of risk situation the NZSA has been highlighting to the Ministry of Justice for many years now.
Maybe now we can hope for some legislative action,” Mr Cooper said.
ENDS