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Bouncers key to war on drugs
By Jason Dowling
August 15, 2004
Security staff at hotels and nightclubs would detain people suspected of dealing illegal drugs and patrol neighbouring streets reporting suspicious activity to police, if radical new proposals suggested by the Australian Federal Police were adopted in Victoria.
Federal Agent Juani O'Reilly has published a paper in The Journal of the Australian Federal Police calling for law enforcement agencies to "engage with others and co-ordinate efforts to control illicit synthetic drugs".
Specifically, Ms O'Reilly calls for partnerships in which security staff patrol streets in the vicinity of a nightclub and report suspicious activity to police.
Victoria Police has already started moving in this direction with its five-year plan titled The Way Ahead. Under the plan, Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon outlined the intention to strengthen Victoria Police's relationship with private providers of policing services, including the security industry.
The move is sure to be controversial following the death of cricketer David Hookes earlier this year after an altercation with security staff, but senior police said they were committed to the private security industry having greater influence.
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The first phase of the partnership was rolled out in the Collingwood and Fitzroy area with the formation of a joint committee, called PolSec, between security providers and police.
Committee chairman Assistant Commissioner Trevor Thompson said PolSec was at an early stage and a detaining role for security staff was yet to be discussed. "If that is happening overseas, then that is something we will no doubt look at," he said. "We are quite open-minded about looking at anything that will reduce the use of drugs."
The PolSec partnership will focus on the exchange of information and intelligence between police and security operators, but the role of the security personnel is expected to grow.
Mr Thompson said: "With about 30,000 licensed security personnel operating throughout Victoria, this provides us with thousands of additional eyes and ears on the streets."
Terry Breheny, assistant secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, said it was logical for hotel security staff to be monitoring the area around the hotel as well as inside the hotel.
He said it would "make a lot of common sense if security staff were also responsible for the vicinity, rather than just the venue".
But Mr Breheny warned increased responsibility for security staff would require changes to security licences and legislation. He said the increased powers given to licensed security staff could be similar to the situation for shoplifting, with retail security officers able to detain people until police arrived.
Mr Breheny also said there would need to be improved training and probity checks of security workers and security companies. "It is 10 days' training to get your security crowd controllers licence, and three days is medical training. There is no refresher training," he said.
Peter Johnson, from the Australian Security Industry Association, said security industry personnel already monitored the goings-on outside venues, but their priority was to prevent assaults, not the sale of drugs.
He said it was difficult for security staff to be certain a person was dealing in illegal drugs and only police had the authority to detain a person on suspicion of having committed a crime.
But Mr Johnson, who is a member of the new PolSec committee, said there was a need for an expanded role for private security providers.
Mr Johnson said the "security industry is going to co-operate with police on whatever they request". He added: "The industry will always look for commercial opportunities. If those commercial opportunities involve roles working with police, then that's great."
Mr Thompson said he would attend the Organised Crime Strategy Workshop to be held in Melbourne on August 24 and 25
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/14/1092340534646.html
By Jason Dowling
August 15, 2004
Security staff at hotels and nightclubs would detain people suspected of dealing illegal drugs and patrol neighbouring streets reporting suspicious activity to police, if radical new proposals suggested by the Australian Federal Police were adopted in Victoria.
Federal Agent Juani O'Reilly has published a paper in The Journal of the Australian Federal Police calling for law enforcement agencies to "engage with others and co-ordinate efforts to control illicit synthetic drugs".
Specifically, Ms O'Reilly calls for partnerships in which security staff patrol streets in the vicinity of a nightclub and report suspicious activity to police.
Victoria Police has already started moving in this direction with its five-year plan titled The Way Ahead. Under the plan, Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon outlined the intention to strengthen Victoria Police's relationship with private providers of policing services, including the security industry.
The move is sure to be controversial following the death of cricketer David Hookes earlier this year after an altercation with security staff, but senior police said they were committed to the private security industry having greater influence.
Advertisement Advertisement
The first phase of the partnership was rolled out in the Collingwood and Fitzroy area with the formation of a joint committee, called PolSec, between security providers and police.
Committee chairman Assistant Commissioner Trevor Thompson said PolSec was at an early stage and a detaining role for security staff was yet to be discussed. "If that is happening overseas, then that is something we will no doubt look at," he said. "We are quite open-minded about looking at anything that will reduce the use of drugs."
The PolSec partnership will focus on the exchange of information and intelligence between police and security operators, but the role of the security personnel is expected to grow.
Mr Thompson said: "With about 30,000 licensed security personnel operating throughout Victoria, this provides us with thousands of additional eyes and ears on the streets."
Terry Breheny, assistant secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, said it was logical for hotel security staff to be monitoring the area around the hotel as well as inside the hotel.
He said it would "make a lot of common sense if security staff were also responsible for the vicinity, rather than just the venue".
But Mr Breheny warned increased responsibility for security staff would require changes to security licences and legislation. He said the increased powers given to licensed security staff could be similar to the situation for shoplifting, with retail security officers able to detain people until police arrived.
Mr Breheny also said there would need to be improved training and probity checks of security workers and security companies. "It is 10 days' training to get your security crowd controllers licence, and three days is medical training. There is no refresher training," he said.
Peter Johnson, from the Australian Security Industry Association, said security industry personnel already monitored the goings-on outside venues, but their priority was to prevent assaults, not the sale of drugs.
He said it was difficult for security staff to be certain a person was dealing in illegal drugs and only police had the authority to detain a person on suspicion of having committed a crime.
But Mr Johnson, who is a member of the new PolSec committee, said there was a need for an expanded role for private security providers.
Mr Johnson said the "security industry is going to co-operate with police on whatever they request". He added: "The industry will always look for commercial opportunities. If those commercial opportunities involve roles working with police, then that's great."
Mr Thompson said he would attend the Organised Crime Strategy Workshop to be held in Melbourne on August 24 and 25
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/14/1092340534646.html
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