PRESS RELEASE: NZSOA expresses reservations over proposed security bill.
New Zealand Security Officers Association Monday 7 July 2008
The New Zealand Security Officers Association today expressed reservations about Associate Justice Minister Clayton
Cosgrove’s Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Bill designed to overhaul the legislation governing the
security industry that was announced yesterday and is expected to be ready to be introduced into Parliament within the
next few months.
The NZSOA was particularly concerned about pre-licensing training and the exclusion of in-house security guards under
the proposed bill.
Clayton Cosgrove said, “People will be obliged to complete any mandatory training before they are issued with a full
certificate of approval or a licence. After an initial Police check for convictions is undertaken, but before the full
objections process and training are completed, applicants can be issued with a temporary certificate of approval, valid
for three months.”
Spokesperson for the New Zealand Security Officers Association, Mr Darryn Loveridge said, “Mr Cosgrove appears to
support the introduction of compulsory training for security officers. While he presents a sound argument that security
officers require training to better protect the public and themselves, in a bizarre twist he has concluded that
employees need not undertake training for up to three months.
Mr Loveridge said, ‘Supervisors in the security industry are well aware that the majority of problems arise from new
employees who are often put in uniform and “turned loose” without any training whatsoever. This appears to defeat the
objectives for introducing pre-licensing training.
“Clayton Cosgrove really needs to look at the results of effective pre licensing training introduced in New South Wales,
Victoria and South Australia, which has produced professional and accountable security personnel in these respective
jurisdictions,” he said.
The New Zealand Security Officers Association also commented on the exclusion of in-house security guards from the
proposed legislation. Under the proposed changes, staff employed directly by a business to perform security work will
not need to be licensed.
Spokesperson Darryn Loveridge said, “Many of the reported cases of dishonest guards stealing from their employer have
been in-house guards. It seems a foolhardy move on the Governments part to allow such a large loophole in the proposed
legislation when this is considered,” he said.
ENDS