An Evaluation of the Required Arrangements for Comprehensive Regulation of the Private SECURITY Industry

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the checks and balances that would provide the ideal setting for the best-practice arrangement and regulations governing the private security industry. This article assesses and highlights the desired industry governance principle through the best-practice model under the three Cs criteria; that is, complete national criminal history checks, compulsory training, and continuous monitoring. These criteria are discussed together with possible regulatory strategies that have progressed over the past decades in parallel to optimize the overall monitoring and enforcement system. Overall, this article is constructed around three discussion areas: 1)rationale for the study; 2)the recurring conduct problems associated with the private security industry; and 3)recommendations for the mandated minimum regulatory standards. The concluding chapter that follows reiterates these insights, emphasizing the need for comprehensive-minimum regulation. The findings revealed that the regulation of private security has evolved through piecemeal changes in response to recurring and emerging scandals that challenged the inadequacies in regulatory coverage and lapses in regulatory arrangements. Further, formulated responses are often characterized by a reactive approach. The findings of this study have suggested that what works in one setting does not necessarily translate into effective regulation in another state, and information about regulatory impacts is incomplete. The comprehensive approach to regulation holds that a strong research-based practice should inform judgments about either under- or over-regulation. A research unit, industry advisory board, regular consultation with stakeholders, and accountability mechanisms are all important to best utilize and mobilize the growing power and influence of the industry. To achieve this, implementation of measurable performance indicators and promotion of consistent standards are crucial to this process in order to ensure adequate depth of regulation and to avoid cycles of scandal and reactive reform.