On 7 March 2011 David Ford, Justice Minister in Northern Ireland, agreed that work should be taken forward to establish a body of research, evidence and opinion so that policy options for the future regulation of the private security industry could be developed for Northern Ireland.
The consultation document Future Regulation of the Private Security Industry in Northern Ireland formed an important part of that work. The document was published on 17 May 2012 and focused on three main areas:
- A review of the impact of SIA licensing since its introduction in December 2009. The primary issue considered was how effective the licensing regime has been in reducing criminality and improving standards within the industry and reducing the fear of crime for the general public.
- Options for future regulation of the private security industry in Northern Ireland. This section explored options for how the private security industry in Northern Ireland should be regulated. These options were to do nothing; transition to a new United Kingdom wide regime; self-regulation and Northern Ireland specific regime.
- Northern Ireland specific issues. Since 2009, various issues have arisen in relation to the regulation of the industry here, including: interoperability within the United Kingdom and with the Republic of Ireland; the treatment of individuals with conflict related convictions; training for door supervisors; regulation of private investigators and vehicle immobilisation on private land.
The closing date for this consultation was Friday 24 August 2012.
Download the consultation response document (download size: 223kb)