the Watchmen Ordinance (Chapter 299) which applies to persons employed to protect property or to prevent crime or to maintain order, there is no legislation to regulate security and guarding services. The Watchmen Ordinance, which was enacted in 1956 to deal with the problem of protection rackets, was not meant for comprehensive control of a wide variety of security and guarding services. Furthermore there are no standards specified for watchmen or for companies supplying watchmen. Registration is granted to virtually any applicant who is of good character and has no criminal record. Hence the standard of service offered by
companies varies greatly.
5
With the development of the security business into a large and sophisticated industry providing a wide range of services, both operators and Government recognise that some form of regulation and control is necessary, both to ensure that approved operators attain a reasonable standard and to safeguard consumers' interests.
6
The Fight Crime Committee (FCC) decided in 1986 that the only way to regulate and control the security industry effectively was through legislation. An advisory committee on the regulation of the security industry was established in 1987, under the FCC, to consider the feasibility of introducing such new legislation. So far the committee has had ten meetings; draft legislation is being prepared.
7
Briefly, the current proposals are that both security companies and their employees should be licensed.
They would have to satisfy criteria and standards laid down by a Board established for this purpose.
The suggested criteria for security officers would cover age, health, and the absence of a criminal record.
For security companies, the suggested criteria would cover the adequacy of equipment and vehicles, the adequacy of training for employees, the adequacy supervision, financial position, and insurance coverage.
(b) the General Upward Trend in Criminal Activity
8
of
The Police gave the FCC a presentation on the overall crime situation on 26 May 1990. Below is a summary of the trend of crime over the past ten years, the causes of the recent upward trend and the measures being taken to tackle the problem.
G.F. 324
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