Security Industry Seeks Licensing

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

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