Enhancing protection of our security officers

SPEECH BY MELVIN YONG (MP FOR RADIN MAS SMC) AT THE 2ND READING OF THE PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY (AMENDMENT) BILL ON 4 OCT 2021

1. Madam Deputy Speaker, I stand in support of the Private Security Industry (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to enhance protection accorded to security officers.

Abuse of security officers on the rise

2. Madam, as a former police officer and a current trustee of the Union of Security Employees (USE), I have many regular interactions with security officers, who share with me candidly the various forms of abuse that they face regularly throughout the course of their work.

3. As guardians of the premises where they are deployed, it is common for them to have to deal with difficult stakeholders who could have malicious intent, are uncooperative, or are just plain rude.

4. Members in this House may remember several high profile cases of abuse towards security officers, such as in 2019, when a viral video emerged of an investment banker verbally abusing a security officer working in a condominium over a $10 parking fee for visitors. Unfortunately, for every case that goes viral and captures public attention, countless more go unreported.

5. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse. In a joint survey conducted by USE and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), cases of abuse against security employees have surged by as much as one-third since the pandemic started.

6. We must send a clear message that any abuse of security officers will not be tolerated. I therefore fully support the proposed enhancements to the Act, which will introduce new offences to address common types of harassment and abuse faced by our security officers in the course of their duties.

Is it time for Security Officers to don body worn cameras?

7. Madam, the same survey by the Union and SUSS found that 40 percent of officers surveyed had faced some sort of abuse in the course of their work. I would like to ask on average, how many reports does the Police receive annually, with regards to security officers being abused?

8. Although abuse of security officers may happen frequently, my sense is that the number of police reports made against abusers are few and far between. And possibly only a tiny handful of abusive incidents ever translate into arrests and prosecutions. Why is this so?

9. One key issue is likely to be a lack of clear evidence. How can we get past the usual impasse of one person’s word against the other? What can we do to enhance current procedures to make it easier for security officers to take abusers to task, especially considering the proposed new offences?

10. My suggestion — body-worn cameras. These cameras have shown to be effective in breaking the deadlock, allowing organisations and individuals to report incidents with confidence.

11. The Police introduced body-worn cameras for its frontline police officers back in 2015. These cameras capture both audio and video, and are worn in a visible manner on the front of the officer’s uniform.

12. Madam, I think it is time for security officers to put on similar cameras, much like our regular police officers today. The cameras can serve as a deterrent against potential abuse of our security officers. The footages can also serve as evidence for police reports to be made against the offender.

Expanding the pool of security officers

13. Madam, in addition to protecting our security officers, we must also address the acute manpower shortage faced by the private security industry. According to a report by the TODAY newspaper, many security officers work up to 12 hours a day, which is the limit under our labour laws, due to insufficient manpower.

14. The lack of manpower has an impact on the safety of the premises that our security officers protect. Overworked and tired officers may miss out on threats due to fatigue. The lean workforce also means that security officers sometimes must patrol alone and may not be able to call for timely help if they are attacked.

15. I would like to ask the MOS what is being done to attract more to join the private security industry. As a Member of Parliament, I sometimes receive appeals from residents whose application for a security officer’s licence was rejected by the Police because they had a past conviction.

16. I would like to ask, on average, how many appeals for a security officer’s licence were made by ex-convicts in the past 5 years, and what is the average success rate for such appeals.

17. Madam, perhaps, as highlighted by Mr Yip Hon Weng in his speech, there is a case to be made for persons previously convicted of minor offences to be given a chance to take on the role of security officers. I hope that the Ministry can review this without compromising on the stringent selection criteria for our security professionals.

Conclusion

18. Madam Deputy Speaker, our security officers play a very important frontline role in protecting the premises where they are deployed. They help keep us safe.

19. While we make the timely legislative amendments to enhance the protection of our security officers, it is also important for us to consider other measures to improve the safety and well-being of our security professionals. The ability to prosecute abusers is one crucial deterrent, but just as important is the ability to de-escalate situations before they become unacceptable or unlawful behaviour.

20. With that, I support the Bill.