1. The amendments to the Private Security Industry Act (“PSIA”), which were passed in Parliament on October 5, 2021, will come into force on May 1, 2022.
2. The PSIA is the primary legislative instrument that provides for the regulation of the private security industry. The amendments will improve the protection of security officers and streamline the regulations.
Improve the protection of security guards
3. Security guards play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of the premises and the occupants of the premises where they are deployed. Due to the public nature of their work, they face a significant risk of confrontation with people in the performance of their duties.
4. The Home Office takes harassment and abuse by security officers seriously. Although there are laws that provide protection to all victims of harassment and abuse, such as the Protection from Harassment Act and the Penal Code, there are no enhanced protection provisions for security guards performing their duties. The scope of the PSIA has therefore been expanded to provide targeted enhanced protection to security officers performing security functions stipulated in the PSIA, in order to send a clear and deterrent signal against the abuse and harassment of security officers. security.
5. With amendments to the PSIA coming into effect from May 1, penalties will be increased for offenses committed by persons who a) intentionally cause harassment, alarm or distress to; (b) assault or use criminal force; and c) willfully injure; security agents.
6. These offenses are summarized as follows:
|
Offenses |
Current Penalties in Existing Laws to Protect Members of the Public |
New penalties in PSIA to protect security guards |
|
Intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress |
Protection from Harassment Act: up to $5,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail |
Up to $5,000 fine and/or up to 12 months imprisonment |
|
Assault or use of criminal force |
Criminal Code: up to $1,500 fine and/or up to three months imprisonment |
Up to $7,500 fine and/or up to two years in prison |
|
intentionally injure |
Criminal Code: up to $5,000 fine and/or up to three years in prison |
Up to $10,000 fine and/or up to five years in prison |
Streamlined Regulation of Security Consultants
7. The Amendments will remove persons who provide only security consulting services from regulation under the PSIA. This will encourage a move towards industry-led security consultant accreditation under the Security Consultant Accreditation Scheme, launched by the Association of Certified Security Agencies and the Security Association Singapore.
8. For more information on the PSIA changes, please refer to Appendix A.
Annex A
Press release on the first reading of the Private Security Industry (Amendment) Bill
Second Reading Speech on the Private Security Industry (Amendment) Bill
Summary Speech on the Private Security Industry Bill (Amendment)
