The Parliament Portfolio Committee on Police has raised concern that the proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill could further worsen the country’s crime rate. The committee says the stringent regulations in the amendment will prevent private security firms from carrying out their duties effectively. The committee warns that this could leave a gap for criminals to increase their criminal activities.
Committee Chairperson Ian Cameron says the private security industry faces extortion issues due to weak enforcement of regulations.
“There is a rogue element in the private security industry, we especially see this with regards to extortion. But it’s not because of a lack of regulation, it’s a lack of enforcement of current regulation and legislation. So, what we are saying is enforce what we have properly before we just make the current legislative or regulatory move. You see what happens when you make these kinds of moves, is that usually the rogue elements continue to do what they do and it is the so called good guys that then get punished in the process and eventually we start losing the good in an industry,” says Cameron.
VIDEO | Outcry over proposed Firearms Control Amendment Bill
