By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIVATE security chiefs are pressing the government to arm guards and overhaul outdated rules, while a senior official has rejected calls to open the industry to foreign workers even as he concedes the law is out of date.

The push for reform was aired at the Ministry of National Security’s recent annual Private Security Awareness and Protection Seminar, where company heads renewed demands for firearm use and salary standardisation across the sector.

Samuel Smith, manager of the Private Sector Security Service Unit at the Ministry of National Security, said feedback from security firms is being gathered and will shape the committee’s recommendations to the minister. Private security firms and government officials are expected to meet in early January to discuss the proposals in detail.

Key among those proposals is allowing some guards to carry guns.

Christopher Adderley, head of Westech Security, highlighted what he sees as unequal treatment between private security officers and law enforcement.

“As you can clearly see, we are from the same as they say pool and yet, security officers are treated much differently,” he said. “I think that is an avenue that we have to look at, and yes, it must be at the level of lethal weapons.”

Kenton Rolle, of Diplomat Security, Consultant and Training Services, also backed allowing security officers to use force, but stressed that this must be tightly controlled.

“There have to be ongoing training to ensure that the officers are capable, and it has to be legislated,” he said.

Arlene Anderson, manager of AJA Security Services, said she has mixed feelings about putting guns in the hands of guards but believes introducing lethal weapons is necessary given the current climate. She said it is a discussion worth having and moving forward on.

Under existing law, only Bahamian citizens can be employed as security guards or inquiry agents. Some companies say they are struggling to recruit enough Bahamians and want the law changed so they can hire foreigners.

Mr Smith said he opposes this and suggested some firms seek foreign hires to cut their wage bill.

“No country in the world brings foreigners into their security field. No country,” he said. “If you look at the police force, the defence, you have to be a Bahamian. I believe that area is designed for Bahamians and for Bahamians alone.”

Still, he acknowledged that the private security framework is outdated and said the ministry aims to update it through amendments that would align standards with practices in the Caribbean, the United States, and Europe.

When asked to elaborate, he pointed to rapid shifts in technology and surveillance.

“For instance, you’re aware now, everyone is using technical or digital equipment to obtain information, to do reconnaissance and so on down the line so these are some of the things we are looking at in the act to make sure that these security guards are well equipped when they are going on a job.”

Mr Smith said he supports giving guards access to non-lethal weapons and confirmed that this is under serious review.

“Some of those things we are looking at, and we have been speaking to a lot of the security guard companies in that regard and like right now, we are going through the Act,” he added.

Asked recently about amending the law to allow firearms for private security companies, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe was non-committal. He said the government listens to concerns from the private sector but ultimately makes policy decisions after consulting relevant stakeholders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force.