Should security officers wear body cameras to deter abuse?

SINGAPORE: Verbal abuse against security officers is common and technology is one way to tackle the problem, according to industry experts.

Abuse against security officers has been going on for a "very long time", said Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, president of Security Association Singapore. Verbal abuse is “very common” while physical abuse takes place from time to time, he said.

"It’s always been happening. It's not something that's new or something that just increased recently," he told CNA938’s Tech Talk on Friday (May 26).

Such ill-treatment of security personnel was once again in the spotlight earlier this month after a security officer was left injured following an alleged assault by a group of individuals at City Square Residences.

In the latest survey by the Union of Security Employees in December last year, four in 10 officers were found to have been mistreated by the public.

Mr Ardi Amir, president of the Union of Security Employees, said that in his experience, the abuse cases boil down to people getting frustrated over not being able to get the convenience they want.

“When I attend to the abuse cases, the key thing I felt is (the need for) convenience. I think people want to do something because it's convenient and then they tend to break the rules,” said Mr Ardi, who was on the radio segment along with Mr Thomas. 

TACKLING THE PROBLEM 

Technology like body cameras can alleviate the issue, said Mr Thomas, a lawyer who was previously the CEO of a security firm. 

“Body cams are useful in that they act as a form of deterrent. I think when a member of the public sees that there’s a body cam and footage is being taken, they may be a little bit more careful in how they behave with a security officer,” he said.

“But it's also a form of collecting evidence in case we need it for future prosecution.”

He added that the industry wants officers to wear and learn how to use them. They should turn the camera on when the situation calls for it, and inform those they are dealing with that they are being recorded, he said.

He added that there are other ways to use the technology. He gave an example of a security agency that was tasked to protect a statue that did not have any barriers as the intention was for it to be looked at up close.

To manage the possibly of damage, the security firm put cameras around the statue that activated an automated warning if visitors got too near. 

People tend to be more open to hearing warnings from an automated voice instead of from a security officer, Mr Thomas said. 

“He (a security officer) may be trying to be a bit more firm. People may take offence to that,” he said. 

THE FUTURE OF THE SECURITY JOB

The industry can do away with security officers having to conduct patrol on foot, Mr Thomas said.

Instead, CCTVs with video analytics can replace this aspect of the job, he said.

“(Video surveillance work) 24 hours. It doesn't get tired. It's perpetual, and security officers then become response personnel instead of being the enforcers on the ground,” he said.

For this to happen, customers engaging security services have to change their mindsets, Mr Thomas noted. 

“They have to be prepared to accept that a CCTV looking at an entrance or an exit can actually do a better job than a security officer,” he said. 

Echoing Mr Thomas’ view, Mr Ardi said that while there are still those who may prefer the presence of a security officer over video surveillance, the industry is working on encouraging customers to embrace technology.

“There's a lot of mindset change that we have to keep pushing (for). We have to keep telling everyone that … the machine can do just as well as the officers,” he said.

“We are already facing a shortage of officers as it is. So injecting technology can help that. (It would) not just help the (customers) but help us the workers as well.”

The changes have to be made step by step, Mr Thomas said. Among the measures is getting firms to propose a combination of manpower and technology to achieve their security outcomes, he said.

He added that security officers are also receiving training that will allow them to use technology competently.

“I wish that buyers will start looking at the security industry as a technology industry instead of a manpower industry,” Mr Thomas said.

Tech Talk with Daniel Martin airs weekdays, 3pm on CNA938.