Bill 175, Safer Ontario Act, 2017 - GardaWorld Welcomes the Intention of the Government of Ontario Français
MONTREAL, Nov. 3, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Yesterday, the Hon. Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and Attorney General, Yasir Navqi tabled the Safer Ontario Act. This bill was long awaited by stakeholders in the security sector. GardaWorld welcomes the intention of the Government of Ontario regarding this act, and more precisely, its objective to "set clear parameters that outline police responsibilities and identify where the use of non-police personnel may be appropriate.''
For several months, GardaWorld and the private security industry have been clearly expressing their readiness to provide police support services to police forces. The private security industry can easily fulfill police support duties for which its security professionals are duly trained and regulated. "When we visit the dentist's office, the individuals working there are not all dentists. Reasons for this are seemingly obvious to us. Yet, in our police forces, trained and qualified police officers perform tasks beyond their essential duties – tasks for which their expertise are not at all required. Can we afford such a mismatch between duties and qualifications in our police services? No, we cannot." states the Hon. Christian Paradis, Senior Vice President at GardaWorld and former Federal Minister.
"Let us be clear: outsourcing of police support services does not suggest security guards performing work that requires full policing power. Outsourcing police support services means security guards performing support duties, so police officers can focus on their core duties, and therefore, better protect the public,'' added Mr. Paradis.
Canada's private security industry is subject to regulations, resulting in obligatory guard training. With more than 140,000 licensed guards, these security professionals are capable to perform police support functions while trusted organizations will be mandated to monitor their work. GardaWorld already provides cash services for financial institutions throughout Canada and United States and airport security, including pre-boarding screening, jointly with federal authorities. "These are great examples on which we can build on,'' explains Mr. Paradis.
Underlining that several other jurisdictions moved in the same direction and that an industry conference was held by the Chamber of Commerce of Canada last spring on the matter, Mr. Paradis is convinced that the Canadian population is ready for these amendments that will optimize the system, and most importantly, improve public safety.
In consequence, GardaWorld will follow the legislative process of the bill closely with a firm intent to participate to the parliamentary committee to express its proposals.
About GardaWorld
GardaWorld is the world's largest privately-owned security and cash services provider. Our 62,000 highly-trained, dedicated professionals serve clients throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. GardaWorld works across a broad range of sectors, including natural resources and critical infrastructures, retail, construction, telecommunications and manufacturing, and on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, governments, NGOs and humanitarian relief organizations. For more information, visit www.garda.com.
SOURCE Garda World Security Corporation
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