Analysis of the Private Security Industry
June 2013
Private Security Industry
2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/20120
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000 9,364
1,125
Registered Private Security Compan-ies
2002 - 2012
Private Security Companies Police Stations
8 private security companies for every 1 police station
Private Security Industry
3 active security guards for every 1 police person
2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/201250,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000 427,174
157,380
Registered Active Security Guards2002 - 2012
Private Security Guards Police Officers
Policing Duties of Private Security
CPA s 24 Private security guards are allowed, as ordinary citizens, to search premises they occupy or are lawfully in charge of and the persons therein if they suspect stolen or illicit goods and no police officer is present
Stop and Search
Security guard doing a bag search
Policing Duties of Private Security
CPA s 49 Private security guards are allowed to arrest suspects without a warrant, and even use force to effect the arrest if the person resists provided the action is reasonable
Security guards arresting a cable thief
Arrests
Security guards beat protesters
Security guards severely beat an alleged shoplifter
Security guards shoot taxi driver in fit of road rage
Security guard uses company firearm to kill lovers mom
In the Media
Bill of Rights s 12(1)(c) ‘everyone has the right to freedom and security of the person’
including
‘to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources’
Civil Rights
Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001
S 2(1) establishes the Private Security Industry regulatory authority (PSIRA)
S 3(a) – (q) lays out primary objects of PSIRA:Promote industry that behaves in line with Constitution and other lawsPromote professional, open, accountable, equitable and accessible industryDetermine and enforce minimum standardsEnsure registration of guards is open, fair, objective and concluded timeouslyPromote high standards of trainingEnsure security companies comply with legislation through active monitoring and investigation
Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001
S 23(3) PSIRA may cause any inspection as it deems fit at the cost of the security company to determine if security providers meet the requirements of the act
S 24 PSIRA must keep a register, including the name and particulars, of every security company
S 31(1)(b) The PSIRA council must appoint inspectors as staff members of PSIRA
S 34(1) An inspector may at any reasonable time and without notice inspect any premises
Selected PSIRA RegulationsPSIRA regulation, ‘Uniforms, insignia, badges and firearms,’ par 3(b)
Guards uniform must clearly display
Company logoName of companyGuards nameGuards registration no.
Armed guard outside Gauteng South High CourtNo visible identification
Selected PSIRA RegulationsPSIRA regulation, ‘Uniforms, insignia, badges and firearms,’ PSIRA Regulations 13(5)(6)
Guards are not allowed to use their personal firearms
Breach of this regulation may result in a fine or imprisonment of up to 2 years
20120
20
40
60
80
100
120
106
2019% 13
12%
PSIRA Firearm Compliance Investigations
2012
Armed Guards investigatedCarrying personal firearmsNot competant
Selected PSIRA RegulationsPSIRA regulation, ‘Keeping of records and documents,’ par 7(f)
Companies must keep daily logs of activities, including:
If a guard was given a firearmThe type of firearmThe firearms id numberAmmunition provided
“there are no figures available on the rate of diversion [of firearms]… [nor] on firearm violence perpetrated by PSCs…this data (if indeed it is even collected) is not available publicly.”- Flying Below the Rader?
The armed private security sector in South Africa, N. Jaynes (2012)
Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000S 3 Guards can only be issued with a firearm after training and a competency certificate has been issued
S 4(1) Guards are not allowed fully automatic or military style weapons
S 125(1)(a)-(g) Central Firearms Registry must maintain a database of all firearm information
Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000S 102 If a security provider deregisters it must inform the CFR of all its firearms and how it will dispose of them
If arms are not disposed of within 90 days SAPS must confiscate and destroy them
Sometimes companies register and then deregister in order to obtain licensed firearms.
Licenses are not being automatically cancelled.
- Eugene Vilakazi, Director of PSIRA (2003)To Parliament
PSIRA Compliance Investigations
Head/regional offices and their jurisdictions
HeadOffice
WesternCape
KwaZulu-Natal
Eastern Cape
Operational Inspectors
Compliance Unit 22
Enforcement Unit 15
Total 37
Security providers per inspector 253
Inspectors have to travel very far in order to regulate the industry
PSIRA Compliance Investigations
2011/20120
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
876
11914%
12314%
10612%
11413%
10312%
12915%
PSIRA Investigations of Security Providers
Total investigationsDeploying unregistered guardsDeploying untrained guardsFailure to pay annual feesRegulation 10 DocumentsFailure to pay minimum wagesNon-compliance with provident fund
PSIRA Compliance Investigations
2011/20120
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
2955
57820%
50817%
94432%
48016%
PSIRA Investigations of Security Guards
Total investigationsUnregisteredUntrainedNon-compliance with PSIRA ID cardsNon-compliance with uniform
PSIRA Criminal Investigations
2011/20120
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
240
117
771
ReportedFinalisedPending
PSIRA Financial Affairs
2010/2011 2011/2012
-R 25,000,000
-R 20,000,000
-R 15,000,000
-R 10,000,000
-R 5,000,000
R 0
-R 23.8 million
-R 9.3 million
PSIRA Budget Deficit
PSIRA Financial Affairs
Overview of Selected Salaries (excluding benefits)
Position Number of employees Average monthly salary
Director 1 R 120 164
Chairperson 1 R 85 426
Director’s PA 1 R 26 630
Chairperson’s PA 1 R 26 630
Senior Investigators 2 R 26 630
Operational Investigators 35 R 23 547
PSIRA Financial Affairs
Financial mismanagement straining capacity
Parliament has referred the financial situation of PSIRA to SCOPA
2011/2012 Annual Report was withdrawn as Parliament insisted that PSIRA correct the
financial information
Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill
Key Amendments:PSIRA must promote partnerships between the industry and the policeRequires PSIRA to report to the Minister of Police quarterly rather than annuallyForeign ownership of security companies limited to 49%Central Firearms Register must keep database of every firearm issued to security companiesProvides for parliamentary funding
Questions & Comments
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