Home Ministry plans to train 50 lakh private security guards as police force multiplier

NEW DELHI: India’s 50 lakh private security guards may man corporate offices and malls all over, but almost all of them are barely trained, unarmed and of little use in emergencies. Coach these 50 lakh to act as ‘eyes and ears’ of India’s 15 lakh police personnel and, may be, allow private security guards to carry arms. That’s the home ministry’s ambitious plan, make private security, post-training, a force multiplier for cops.

India has only 50% of the number of policemen it needs to serve 1.2 billion citizens. The private security industry, despite its generally poorly trained men, is worth Rs 22,000 crore and is expected, according to a FICCI study, to grow to Rs 40,000 crore by next year. “Police can coach private security guards…police will also sensitise them to spotting threats in typically crowded areas…guards standing at shopping malls and ATMs can also act as intelligence gatherers… criminals tend to drop their guard at such places …especially when they see cops in khaki are not present,” a top ministry official told ET.

Elaborating on the plan, the official added, “If a police station has 100 cops, it will have at least 500 private security guards working in the area under its jurisdiction…if guards are coached by the police…especially before a festive season… this can be a big help”.
The ministry official, who spoke on the condition he not be identified, said the plan was at an early stage but was a “serious proposal”. The ministry, ET has learnt, may also consider a longstanding demand from private security agencies that they be allowed to possess arms licences.

Security agencies have argued that urban environment threats are now serious and frequent enough for the government to amend its earlier position. Another government concern is unregistered private security agencies handling cash management — the ministry plans to launch mandatory registration for all security agencies.

Agencies have asked for rules that allow arms licences with built-in accountability clauses for holders. Home ministry officials told ET the demand is being “closely examined”. Armed personnel in private security agencies are now restricted to employees who possess individual arms licences. This severely restricts effective security provision, agencies have argued.

Some of the broader issues concerning private security agencies will be discussed at a FICCI seminar on Saturday. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju is the chief guest, and FICCI has communicated the private security agency sector’s demands to the government.

The industry chamber has argued that in view of the spread of MNCs in India, demand for better-trained and better-equipped private security far outstrips supply and that quick official remedial action was needed. Tackling the problem of unregistered security agencies is urgent, ministry officials said, because three-quarters of agencies are not registered despite a decade-old central law on private security making registration mandatory.