New regulations to cover security guards and bouncers
All crowd controllers and personal guards will require a license to operate by the 1st of November, the Associate Justice Minister Nathan Guy has announced today.
“This includes bouncers and door staff working at bars, who will be regulated for the first time,” says Mr Guy.
“Licensing will involve a criminal background check on all applicants, and serious convictions for violence, drugs or dishonesty is likely to lead to disqualification.
“This is an important step in cleaning up the industry, improving standards and protecting the safety of the public. Bouncers and door staff often find themselves in volatile situations with the risk of violence. It’s important we have the right people working in this area.
“At the same time, we have been mindful of the potential impact on the Rugby World Cup. This is why we have set a start date of 1 November, after the tournament finishes. Any earlier and we would risk not having enough qualified staff to work in the hospitality industry, and not enough time to find replacement workers either.
“The major security companies providing services at World Cup venues already have certified staff, and they have committed to having their staff certified under the new regime before the tournament begins.
“I believe this is a common sense approach, and will deliver a safer industry and environment.
“The fees have been widely consulted on, and the new Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority will begin operation on 1 April. People should get their applications in as soon as possible.”
Background information
• These regulations have been made under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act, which became law in September last year.
• The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority is the new body set up to consider applications, which can be received from 1 April 2011. Crowd controller and personal guard applicants are strongly urged to submit as soon as possible to meet the 1 November deadline.
• The cost of a five-year certificate of approval (both new and renewed) for a crowd controller or personal guard will be $200 or $170 online.
• People who are currently licensed will still have to apply under the new Act, but have until 1 June 2011 to do so.
• The Ministry of Justice expects around 12,500 applications from current licensees and certificate holders and 9,000 new applications for crowd controllers.
• People wanting to work as crowd controllers or personal guards are urged to apply as soon as possible after 1 April. Certificate applications may take around a month to process (2 months for a licence) and longer if disqualification criteria apply or objections are made.
• Training requirements for crowd controllers, personal guards and property guards will be introduced at a later date once the transition to the new regime is complete. This means people working in the industry will have plenty of time to prepare for the changes and can work while they train.
• Further information is available at www.pspla.govt.nz.
“This includes bouncers and door staff working at bars, who will be regulated for the first time,” says Mr Guy.
“Licensing will involve a criminal background check on all applicants, and serious convictions for violence, drugs or dishonesty is likely to lead to disqualification.
“This is an important step in cleaning up the industry, improving standards and protecting the safety of the public. Bouncers and door staff often find themselves in volatile situations with the risk of violence. It’s important we have the right people working in this area.
“At the same time, we have been mindful of the potential impact on the Rugby World Cup. This is why we have set a start date of 1 November, after the tournament finishes. Any earlier and we would risk not having enough qualified staff to work in the hospitality industry, and not enough time to find replacement workers either.
“The major security companies providing services at World Cup venues already have certified staff, and they have committed to having their staff certified under the new regime before the tournament begins.
“I believe this is a common sense approach, and will deliver a safer industry and environment.
“The fees have been widely consulted on, and the new Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority will begin operation on 1 April. People should get their applications in as soon as possible.”
Background information
• These regulations have been made under the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act, which became law in September last year.
• The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority is the new body set up to consider applications, which can be received from 1 April 2011. Crowd controller and personal guard applicants are strongly urged to submit as soon as possible to meet the 1 November deadline.
• The cost of a five-year certificate of approval (both new and renewed) for a crowd controller or personal guard will be $200 or $170 online.
• People who are currently licensed will still have to apply under the new Act, but have until 1 June 2011 to do so.
• The Ministry of Justice expects around 12,500 applications from current licensees and certificate holders and 9,000 new applications for crowd controllers.
• People wanting to work as crowd controllers or personal guards are urged to apply as soon as possible after 1 April. Certificate applications may take around a month to process (2 months for a licence) and longer if disqualification criteria apply or objections are made.
• Training requirements for crowd controllers, personal guards and property guards will be introduced at a later date once the transition to the new regime is complete. This means people working in the industry will have plenty of time to prepare for the changes and can work while they train.
• Further information is available at www.pspla.govt.nz.