Private Security and Public Interest: Exploring Private Security Trends and Directions for Reform in the New Era of Plural Policing Rick Sarre and Tim Prenzler Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 7 ABOUT THE AUTHORS ............................................................................................................................. 7 1. CHAPTER ONE DIMENSIONS What are the growth patterns and dimensions of security industries in Australia? ................................................................................................................................................ 8 2. CHAPTER TWO REGULATION: What are the current and preferred models of private security regulation? ................................................................................................................................................ 33 3. CHAPTER THREE PARTNERSHIPS: What are the current relationships between public and private policing and what are the preferred partnerships that should be developed? ........................................ 82 4. CHAPTER FOUR LEGAL POWERS: What are the legal powers and responsibilities of private personnel and how should those powers be better ordered and legislated? ......................................... 103 5. CHAPTER FIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES: How best can policies and laws be developed to ensure security officer safety and public safety? .................................................................................... 117 6. REFERENCES and EXTENDED READINGS ......................................................................................... 136 7. RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS ARISING FROM THE PROJECT ........................... 145 ARC Report Sarre and Prenzler: Private Security and Public Interest April 2011 Page 1 Table of Tables Table 1-1 Number of Security Providers by Category, 1996-2006 ........................................................... 12 Table 1-2 Comparison of Regulatory data and Census data ................................................................... 13 Table 1-3 Australia – Rate per 100,000 population .................................................................................. 14 Table 1-4 Total Australia – numbers and % change from 1996 to 2006 .................................................. 15 Table 1-5 Percentage change Australia over the two relevant periods .................................................... 15 Table 1-6 Ratio of Security Providers: Police 1996, 2001 & 2006 Change in Security Provider Ratio .... 16 Table 1-7 Comparison of Capital Cities - Numbers and Ratio- 2006 ....................................................... 17 Table 1-8 Comparison of Large Country Towns – Number and Ratio - 2006 .......................................... 18 Table 1-9 Comparison of Small Country Towns – Number and Ratio - 2006 .......................................... 19 Table 1-10 Ratio – State, Capital City, Large and Small Country Towns - Security:Police - 2006 .......... 20 Table 1-11 Number of Security and Investigative Businesses by Business Size and Change for the Financial Year 2006-07 ............................................................................................................................. 21 Table 1-12 Number of Security and Investigative Businesses by Business Size and Change for the Financial Year 2003/04 ............................................................................................................................. 22 Table 1-13 Income by Full Time Employment – 2006 Total Australia ..................................................... 25 Table 1-14 Income by Part Time Employment – 2006 Total Australia .................................................... 26 Table 1-15 Total Australia – Education Level 2006 .................................................................................. 27 Table 1-16 Total Australia – Education Level 2001 .................................................................................. 29 Table 2-1 Relevant legislation for private security regulation in each jurisdiction .................................... 36 Table 2-2 Type of regulatory authority for each jurisdiction ...................................................................... 37 Table 2-3 Licence Categories for each Australian jurisdiction .................................................................. 40 Table 3-1 Competing principles of public policing and private security .................................................... 83 Table 3-2 Court Security Services Matrix Public and Private ................................................................. 100 Table 5-1 Rates of work-related homicides per 100,000 employed persons, Four US studies ............. 118 Table 5-2 Work-related injuries by occupation ....................................................................................... 121 Table 5-3 Gender of claimants by occupation ........................................................................................ 121 Table 5-4 Age at the time of injury by occupation................................................................................... 122 Table 5-5 Mechanism of injury to security and police officers, by occupation ........................................ 122 Table 5-6 Location of injury/disease due to occupational violence ........................................................ 123 Table 5-7 Lost time in hours due to occupational violence ..................................................................... 123 Table 5-8 Occupational violence over time ............................................................................................. 124 Table 5-9 Five highest-claiming occupations for work-related violence, 2007-08 .................................. 124 Table 5-10 Survey participants by gender and age ................................................................................ 125 Table 5-11 Main area of work in the past 12 months ............................................................................. 125 Table 5-12 Experiences of major physical assault in the past 12 months, by main area of work .......... 126 Table 5-13 Experiences of minor physical assault in the past 12 months, by main area of work .......... 126 Table 5-14 Experiences of verbal abuse in the past 12 months, by main area of work ......................... 127 Table 5-15 Experiences of verbal threats in the past 12 months, by main area of work ........................ 127 Table 5-16 Experiences of threatening or intimidating behaviour, past 12 months, main area of work . 128 Table 5-17 Experiences of violence over career .................................................................................... 128 Table 5-18 Observation of assaults ........................................................................................................ 129 Table 5-19 Types of physical injuries ..................................................................................................... 129 Table 5-20 Types of negative psychological experiences ...................................................................... 130 Table 5-21 Types of work-related accidents ........................................................................................... 130 Table 5-22 In the last 2-3 years security work in general has become .................................................. 130 Table 5-23 Effectiveness of the current system for training, licensing and regulating the industry(%) .. 131 Table 5-24 Suggestions on how to improve the security industry .......................................................... 132 Table of Figures Figure 1-1: Police Officers and Security providers, 1991 – 2006 ............................................................. 11 Figure 1-2: Police and Security Providers: Rate per 100,000 population – Total Australia...................... 14 Figure 1-3: Comparison of Capital Cities – Numbers - 2006 .................................................................... 18 ARC Report Sarre and Prenzler: Private Security and Public Interest April 2011 Page 2 Figure 1-4: Comparison of Large Country Towns – Number - 2006 ........................................................ 19 Figure 1-5 Comparison of Small Country Towns – Number - 2006 .......................................................... 20 Figure 1-6 Security Industry and Police by Age Group: 2006 Census – Total Australia ........................ 23 Figure 1-7 Security Industry and Police by Age Group: 1996 Census – Total Australia .......................... 24 Figure 1-8 Police and Security Percentage Income Range - Full Time: Total Australia 2006 ................. 25 Figure 1-9 Police and Security Percentage Income Range - Part Time: Total Australia 2006 ................ 27 Figure 1-10 Total Australia - Education Level - Percentage: 2006 ........................................................... 28 Figure 1-11 Security Industry and Police by Gender - 2006 Census - Total Australia ............................. 30 Figure 2-1 Percentage of respondents by jurisdiction. Total N=170 ....................................................... 54 Figure 2-2 Percentage of Respondents by Job Category .......................................................................