September 10, 2018 - securitylinkindia

Report

Private Security Industry Job Creation and Skill Development

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaSeptember 10, 2018November 14, 2024350 mins

The demand for security services is increasing due to rising urbanisation, the real and perceived risks of crime and terrorism, belief that public safety measures are insufficient, and the growth of a middle class with assets to protect and means to pay for supplementary security measures. The security service market is also supported by an improved economic environment and building construction activity. The private security sector has emerged as a major industry by virtue of the employment of large manpower, both skilled and unskilled, to meet the burgeoning demands of the corporate sector. With national security assuming greater criticality and lower police to people ratio in the country, private security industry can act as extended arms of the law enforcement agencies. This will help relieve police forces from non-critical duties to focus on core areas. With the anticipated growth of the industry, the employment opportunities are tremendous. Since, majority of the workforce employed is in the unorganized sector, the potential for skilling is evident. Current time requires private security personnel to multitask and use technology to perform security, safety and facilitation functions. Skill development, especially Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), reskilling and upskilling are key issues, and therefore, investment in human capital is vital in preparing this industry to take on greater responsibilities. The regulatory framework governing this industry also needs proper enforcement. Unorganized segment has largely remained unchecked and players usually skip adhering to mandatory compliance requirements, which creates a detrimental impact for all stakeholders including employees and clients. It is imperative for the governments to ensure strict enforcement of the regulations that will improve service delivery quality levels as well as work environment for the security personnel. – DILIP CHENOY Secretary General, FICCI The Indian personal security market was estimated at INR 57,000 crore (USD 8.8 billion) in 2016 and is likely to touch INR 99,000 crore (USD 15.2 billion) by 2020, and INR 1.5 lakh crores (USD 23.1 billion) by 2022. Apart from revenue growth, the private security industry (PSI) is also evolving in its employment practices. Leading industry players are setting new standards by focusing on training and skill development of their people and customer satisfaction, establishing employee. welfare funds, ensuring timely payment of salaries, and defining career progression paths for high-performing employees. The Indian economy, as per the latest World Bank figures, is now the world’s 6th largest economy, and is expected to grow at 7.4% in 2018 and 7.8% in 2019. With the economy and businesses growing, security needs are also expanding, which is further necessitated by the ever-increasing security risks and related threat perceptions. Deployment of specialised personnel and systems to prevent and manage security risks and threats including accidents and incidents are vital for peaceful operations at a place. Therefore, the need for implementing security measures and systems at public places such as airports, railways and metro stations, shopping malls and markets, hotels and public utilities, as well as industrial complexes, commercial spaces, offices and residential blocks has risen multi-fold. Indian Private Security Industry (PSI) has also expanded at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 20% over the last decade by adding new players in the field as well as scaling their operational capabilities. In fact, private security in India is the 2nd largest sector, after agriculture, in terms of employment, with close to 9 million employees. Traditionally, it has been an unorganised sector with only around 40% of the market share with the organised players. However, the industry is progressing towards being organised as the consumer demand for security is gradually evolving from a mere guard to a professional and skilled guard, trained for movement of men and material, fire incidents, medical exigencies etc. Further, technology is progressively playing an ever-increasing role in the valueaddedd services being offered by the industry that include artificial intelligence, internet of things, hi-tech surveillance systems, biometric technologies, remote sensors, cyber security etc. – CDR GAUTAM NANDA Leader – Aerospace, Defence & Security Associate Partner – Government Advisory, BDO India LLP The private security industry is amongst the largest employers in India, employing almost 8.9 million people, with the potential to employ 3.1 million more by 2022. The PSI also has a unique distinction of being the largest corporate tax contributor to the national exchequer. As per a study by The Guardian, the global market in the year 2017 was USD 180 billion and is expected to be worth USD 240 billion by 2020. In contrast, the Indian private security industry (PSI) is expected to grow faster at about 20% CAGR owing to the changing landscape of the sector in India. However, there remains a shortfall of manpower of about 30% with a potential to generate a number of jobs for the rural and urban poor. Workforce size of PSI is more than the combined strength of the Army, Navy, Air force and Police put together. With 8.9 million security guards and 1.9 million police officers, India has 5 times as many private security guards than police officers. The sanctioned strength of police personnel (civil and armed) in 2016 was just 2,464,484, which the employment in the PSI far exceeds. The following table shows data derived from Forbes and Statista estimates, depicting the ratio of personnel employed in private security to that in police force in selected countries. The figures show that India whilst topping the list, far exceeds other countries in terms of the divide between personnel employed in PSI and police force. Clearly, there is a vast potential for the large workforce in PSI to provide allied police services along with the law enforcement agencies to fill up the current gap. However, it would require an appropriate policy framework. Some of the allied police services which are globally outsourced to private security are: Security of the outer periphery of prisons and transportation of prisoners. Senior citizen preventive security services. Street surveillance and video control room management. Assist police in handling emergencies and disasters. Background verification of employment applicants. Security management for…

Feature

Drone Technology: Security Threats and Benefits for Police, Focus of INTERPOL Forum

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaSeptember 10, 2018November 14, 202409 mins

The drone whizzed over the heads of the crowd seated in the auditorium of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore, performing aerial manoeuvres displaying its ability to operate in enclosed indoor spaces. A second demonstration showcased drones designed for use in outdoor spaces, highlighting the benefits and also challenges of deploying such technology in public areas. Drone technology was front and centre at the IGCI during the Drone Expert Forum, a three-day (28-30 August) conference which brought together nearly 100 experts from law enforcement, academia and private industry to demonstrate how drones can at the same time be a threat, particularly for critical infrastructure, a tool and source of evidence for police worldwide. Organized by the INTERPOL Innovation Centre and Counter-Terrorism unit with the support of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Netherlands Police, the conference was a first step towards developing the global capacity to deal with the emerging threat posed by ‘unmanned aerial systems’ known as drones. To this end, continued engagement with experts in the field will assist INTERPOL in facilitating information exchange, as well as developing a set of guidelines and operational procedures for first responders to follow in the event of a drone incident, and to assist forensic examiners in extracting data from drones to support investigations. “The impact of drones on law enforcement activities around the world continues to increase. Daily, I hear of new agencies considering how to use them in law enforcement activities; weekly, I hear of agencies receiving them in connection with active investigations; and it seems that every month a new twist on the drone threat emerges,” said Steve Watson, Chief Executive Officer of VTO Labs, who gave the keynote address. “The INTERPOL Drone Expert Forum has assembled a world-class group of experts and practitioners on the topic of drones and their intersection with law enforcement activities. INTERPOL continues to find ways to exercise leadership and inspiration on new technology topics,” he concluded. Drones as a threat The potential use of drones in a terrorist incident, or attack against a critical infrastructure and soft targets is a growing concern for law enforcement as the availability of drone technology becomes more widespread globally. As drones become less expensive and their potential applications continue to expand, it is expected that countries will witness an increase and evolution of this threat. Recent examples include terrorist groups using drones in surveillance activities and delivering chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive materials in conflict zones, and an environmental group which repurposed a hobby drone to enter the secure airspace of a nuclear site and crash into a building highlighted the current reality of the threat posed by the illicit use of drones. In this respect, experts from the FBI, NATO, the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, national police agencies and the private sector underscored the need for a coordinated global law enforcement response which combines the expertise and developments made by various countries, military agencies and private industry to counter the threats posed by the nefarious use of drones. “The rising threat of terrorist groups using drones to attack critical infrastructure and soft targets has created a pressing need for the global law enforcement community to exchange information and share best practices. INTERPOL is committed to assisting its member countries protect their critical infrastructure by raising awareness, sharing best practices and facilitating information exchange on terrorist incidents involving drones,” said INTERPOL’s Director of Counter Terrorism, Patrick Stevens. A tool for police While drones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, they are also a valuable tool for law enforcement. Participants heard how drones can be used by police to reconstruct a crime scene by using a drone to take pictures of the site from all angles, then feeding the data into a 3D printer. Drones can also be used by law enforcement to conduct surveillance, assist with traffic accident investigations, survey natural disaster sites and more. The conversion of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) technology offers additional benefits to enhance current police capabilities, from increasing officer safety and productivity to livestreaming of incidents. A source of evidence Drones can also be a significant source of evidence to support investigations and prosecutions. Analysis of digital data such as speed, height, GPS coordinates and flight records can reveal information about the criminals involved, while physical data such as fingerprints and DNA can also be present. Through further development of these capabilities, INTERPOL seeks to support member countries in increasing information sharing on drone incidents and developing their abilities to conduct effective forensic examinations of seized drones. “Different countries view drone technology in different ways – some define drones as a weapon, while others categorize them similarly to airplanes. On top of that, police are starting to use drones as a tool in their daily operational work,” said Anita Hazenberg, Director of the INTERPOL Innovation Centre, “This conference has helped to bridge these different perceptions, identify similarities and exchange best practices amongst the global community on how to simultaneously address drones as a threat, tool and source of evidence in police investigations.” The conference builds upon the outcomes of INTERPOL’s Drone Working Group meetings in late 2017 and early 2018, which laid the foundation for the gathering of knowledge on the challenges and opportunities drones pose for the law enforcement community. Police innovation and technology will also be high on the agenda of the INTERPOL General Assembly session in Dubai in November.