Unlicensed security agencies have a free run in city

CHENNAI: There are several private security agencies operating in the city without the mandatory registration, posing a serious threat to the firms and organisation to which they provide security'. Friday's arrest of three such fake security personnel for robbing people has raised serious questions about unlicensed agencies and their unmonitored activities.
Private security agencies had mushroomed across the city in the last decade, after terrorism made its presence frequently felt in the country and the government agencies not being able to meet the demand for security at every establishment.When such agencies started taking over the security for major IT parks and industrial establishments, the government felt the need for regulating these agencies so that they could work well under a legal frame. Hence the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act was enacted in 2005.
However, implementation of the rules has been bad. In Tamil Nadu, the inspector general of police, welfare is the nodal officer for granting the licence of operation to private security agencies. As per the norms laid out in the Act, those who wish to start a private security agency should first register their names at the DGP's office and then collect an application form from IG welfare office. They then pay the prescribed fee and submit the application with relevant details. No persons with any criminal background can get the licence. When the licence is finally granted, the agency is also provided with a syllabus which says the personnel they hire should undergo mandatory training.
"Our rule says that nobody without a valid licence should drive vehicles. Still we have so many driving on the roads without the licence. It is impossible for the police to catch each one of them. There could be some security agencies working without valid licences. We can stop this by carrying out periodical checks by each police station in their respective jurisdiction," Sanjay Arora, additional commissioner, crime and headquarters said.
Though the police has a role in awarding or refusing licence to private security agencies, they practically do not have any mechanism or authority to monitor the kind of personnel recruited by these agencies. "We do not know anything about the personnel recruited by these agencies. However, if something goes wrong, the licence holder of the agency is held responsible," Arora said.