Question:
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether increased penalties have reduced occurrences of abuse towards security officers.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) takes a very serious view of abuse and harassment of security officers. In October 2021, MHA amended the Private Security Industry Act to enhance protections for them. New offences addressing the common types of abuse and harassment were introduced, with penalties pegged higher than if they were committed against general members of the public.
2. The amendments have been in force since May 2022. Given that it has only been six months since, it is too early to conclude on their impact. Nevertheless, anecdotally, the new legal provisions have enhanced awareness among security officers of the protections afforded to them, and have encouraged them and their employers to come forward to report incidents of abuse or harassment.
