If there’s one thing that all of us know, it’s that there is (unfortunately) no shortage of incidents that make our blood boil these days.
Like this recent incident of two men attacking a security officer when the latter was just doing his job in the wee hours of Sunday (7 May) morning.
When speaking about the incident yesterday (8 May), the Security Association Singapore (SAS) confirmed that the incident had indeed happened at City Square Residences, a condominium complex at Farrer Park.
“The attack was caught on CCTV (closed-circuit television) footage and has been shared with the authorities,” the association revealed.
What Happened
In CCTV footage released by SAS, two men can be seen approaching the security officer in a heated manner outside the guard house, with both men pointing fingers at the officer.
After getting up close with the security officer, the pair began physically attacking the officer, who kept trying to evade their attacks by walking backwards.
Unfortunately, he fell right onto a car gantry barrier, causing the barrier to break.
However, this did not deter the duo as they continued to chase after the security officer, who eventually fell to the ground.
Another video, which featured two other clips of passers-by trying to stop the pair from attacking the officer further, was also uploaded.
More About the Security Officer Who Was Attacked
In its statement, SAS further revealed that the security officer who was attacked was a security supervisor from Security Agency Trek Investigations and Security Management Services.
The officer, who was identified as Suraskumar, was carrying out his job by doing his regular entry checks when the two men physically assaulted him at around 6.30 am on Sunday (7 May).
As for how he is doing now, SAS disclosed that he was physically injured but is now recovering.
Police Report Has Been Made
Apart from that, SAS also mentioned it has since reported the incident to both the police and the Union of Security Employees.
When speaking to CNA, the police confirmed that they were made aware of the incident and that a 56-year-old man was conveyed to the hospital while conscious after it.
The police added that two men aged 26 and 58 are currently assisting with investigations regarding an “alleged case” of voluntarily causing hurt to a security officer.
Trek’s Response
When speaking about the incident, Suresh Ponniah, Trek’s Managing Director, highlighted that the safety and security of their employees are of the company’s utmost importance and that it is “deeply concerned about this incident”.
He added that Trek is “cooperating with the authorities to investigate the matter and identify the culprits responsible for this heinous act”.
“We are committed to ensuring that our employees can perform their duties safely and without fear of harm,” he mentioned.
Condominium Management’s Response
Since the incident, the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) of City Square Residences has also responded.
“At City Square Residences, we consider all staff and crew as members of our community. This incident clearly goes against our community values based on mutual respect, inclusivity, and harmony,” MCST Chairman Barathan Pasupathi emphasised.
Mr Pasupathi also revealed that MCST, which “[emphasises] zero tolerance for any verbal or physical abuse to all frontline teams including security personnel”, has been in touch with the security officer to provide him with the necessary assistance.
He added that MCST would cooperate fully with any investigations and that everyone “should collectively condemn this abuse and ensure the maximum extent of the law and enforcement is served”.
Another Elderly Security Officer Was Attacked in Potong Pasir Last Month
Unfortunately, it seems like such incidents have been on the rise as of late.
Just last month, a 74-year-old security officer was attacked on 14 April outside the guard house of a condominium complex in Potong Pasir by a male resident.
The elderly man ended up with extensive injuries as a result of the incident.
General Increase in Rate of Abuse Towards Security Officers
Beyond that, the Union of Security Employees (USE) conducted a survey revealing that 40% of security officers have encountered abuse before, with most cases involving verbal abuse.
This is despite heightened measures to protect security officers’ safety through the changes made to the Private Security Industry Act last year.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also pointed out through a written reply to a parliamentary question that despite amendments to the Private Security Industry Act, the number of security officers who have been abused has increased over the years.
His reply, which was published yesterday (8 May), revealed that there was a monthly average of 23 abuse or harassment cases reported from January to March this year.
This number is up from the monthly average of 13 cases from 2018 to 2021 before the Act was amended.
However, he added that the increase in reported cases is “anecdotally” due to the rise in awareness surrounding security officers’ rights.
In turn, this might have prompted officers, employers and the USE to be more willing to report security officers’ experiences with abuse.
As for what’s next, SAS revealed the different measures it has taken to try and increase safety in the workplace for security officers.
Apart from collaborating with security agencies to provide abused officers with access to legal assistance, it has also engaged in other measures like encouraging the display of anti-abuse decals and investing in body cameras.
A list of guidelines meant for building owners and facility managers to learn how to reduce abuse towards security officers will also be released by SAS next month.
The guidelines include how to educate others to treat security officers with respect and the relevant penalties regarding abuse.
Currently, individuals found guilty of assaulting another person or using criminal force against them may be fined up to $1,500 and jailed for up to three months.
However, the penalties may increase in the near future in an attempt to enhance the safety of security officers.
With the increased penalties, the same charge mentioned above may result in an individual being fined up to $7,500 or jailed for up to two years.