CHAPTER 1

Introduction to the
Security Industry

TOPICS
This chapter covers the following topics:

1.1 Structure and Role of Police Services in Canada

1.2 Difference Between Private Security and Public Police

1.3 Occupations Within the Security Profession

1.4 Security Guard Duties

1.5 The Legal Authority of Security Guards

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TOPIC 1.1

Structure and Role of

Police Services in Canada

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Describe the role of the police in Canada (CGSB 12.3.b)
Describe the authority of the police in
the enforcement of law and the maintenance
of order on public and private property (CGSB 12.3.c)
Describe the organizational structure of
police forces in Canada (CGSB 12.3.a)

Need to Know
In Canada, public police officers carry out activities that:
• prevent crime,
• detect crime,
• catch those who break the law,
• enforce laws,
• maintain public order, and
• protect people and their property from harm or loss.

The main role of the police is to enforce the law.

There are several different kinds of police forces in Canada. The Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is our federal police force. In some
provinces—such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba—the
provincial government hires the RCMP to serve as the provincial police as
well. Other provinces have separate provincial police forces, such as the
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Ontario. While many Canadian cities and

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municipalities have their own municipal police forces, some hire the
provincial police to serve as the municipal police. In very small towns and
rural areas across Canada, the provincial police are usually the only police,
though some have their own small police departments.

Although there are variations among police forces in Canada, the basic rank
structure in most is more or less the same. Most of the uniformed police
officers who carry out police patrol duties hold the basic rank of constable,
while the officers who provide direct supervision to groups of other officers
on a day-to-day basis may hold the rank of sergeant. Officers who conduct
investigations are called detectives, and may either be detective–constables
or hold higher ranks. Police officers who hold the rank of staff-sergeant or
higher carry out administrative and executive leadership roles. The most
senior officer in most police organizations is called the chief constable, or
just chief of police. The head of the OPP and the head of the RCMP are both
called commissioner.

SAMPLE QUESTION 1
Most uniformed police officers in Canada hold the rank of:
(a) detective
(b) sergeant
(c) staff-sergeant
(d) officer
(e) constable

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 3

TOPIC 1.2

Difference Between Private

Security and Public Police

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Describe the difference between
private security and the police (BC 2)

Need to Know
The role of a security guard is different from that of a police officer. The
main role of a police officer is to enforce the law. The main role of a security
guard is to provide protection against harm or loss. Police serve the
community as a whole. Security guards provide their services for the benefit
of a specific employer or client. Police officers are public law enforcement
officers. Security guards are private employees with no special status or
authority under law.

Security guards provide protection against harm to or loss of:

• people
• property and buildings
• movable goods and assets, including money
• information
• their employers’ reputations
• their employers’ general interests.

There is considerable overlap between the work done by the police and the
work done by private security. Like security, police play a role in protecting
people and their property from harm or loss, and security sometimes
provide assistance to the police in the task of enforcing the law. In many
places and in many ways, police and private security work closely together.

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(For more information on how private security work with police, see
Chapter 12.)

A police officer or law enforcement officer has a duty to enforce the law, but
a private security guard does not. A private security guard is not a law
enforcement officer. Under certain circumstances, security guards have the
legal authority to act in the enforcement of the law and carry out acts such
as making arrests, but they have no legal duty to do so.

There is an exception to the general rule that private security guards have no
duty to act in the enforcement of the law. Under s. 129 of the Criminal Code
of Canada, it is a criminal offence for a security guard to either obstruct the
police in their efforts to enforce the law or fail—without reasonable excuse—
to assist a police officer in carrying out his or her duty after having
reasonable notice that he or she is required to do so.

Some private security guards are given appointments—such as special

constable appointments—that result in them being security guards and law
enforcement officers at the same time.

SAMPLE QUESTION 2
The difference between the role of public police and the role of private
security is:
(a) Police officers can carry firearms while security guards cannot.
(b) Police officers can make arrests while security guards cannot.
(c) Police officers enforce the law on behalf of the public while
private security guards provide protection against harm or loss
to a particular employer.
(d) Security guards can go onto private property but police officers
cannot.
(e) Police officers can investigate both federal and provincial
offences but security guards can only investigate provincial
offences.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 5

TOPIC 1.3

Occupations Within the

Security Profession

LEARNING OUTCOMES
List the types of jobs that security professionals
could do (BC 2)
Describe and compare the different jobs in
the security industry (ON 1)

Need to Know
Some of the different occupations within the private security field include:
• security guard;
• door person (“bouncer”) (primary duty is to control access to an
establishment where alcohol is served);
• retail loss prevention officer (primary duty is to catch people who are
trying to steal from a store);
• close protection guard (“bodyguard”) (primary duty is to protect a
particular person from violent attacks by others);
• armoured car guard (primary duty is to transport cash and/or valuables
from one place to another using an armoured vehicle);
• pre-board screening guard (primary duty is to screen people and
luggage in order to keep weapons and explosives off airplanes);
• private investigator;
• security consultant;
• alarm installer; and
• locksmith.

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Security guards can be assigned to carry out a variety of different
occupational functions, including:
• fire watch (guard is assigned to remain in a particular location or patrol
a particular building or structure for the primary purpose of raising
alarm if a fire breaks out);
• fixed post static site duty (guard is assigned to carry out security
duties while remaining at a particular “post,” such as the front desk of a
building, a gatehouse, or a security control room);
• static site patrol duty (guard is assigned to work on a particular “site”
or property that is being protected but will patrol around the property
in order to carry out his or her duties);
• mobile vehicle patrol;
• bicycle patrol;
• alarm monitoring;
• alarm response;
• dog handler; and
• bylaw enforcement officer.

The term contract security refers to security guards (and/or other security
professionals) who are employed by security businesses to provide security
services to others on a contract basis. The terms proprietary security and
in-house security refer to security guards (and/or other security
professionals) who work directly for and provide security services to
employers who are not security businesses.

SAMPLE QUESTION 3
Which of the following is not an occupation within the private security
profession?
(a) locksmith
(b) alarm installer
(c) private investigator
(d) customs officer
(e) retail loss prevention officer

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 7

TOPIC 1.4

Security Guard Duties

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Give examples related to the protection of people
from the security duties defined in this topic (CGSB 2.3.a)
Give examples related to the protection of property
from the security duties defined in this topic (CGSB 2.3.b)
List the basic duties of security professionals (BC 2)
List the types of incidents to which security
professionals might have to respond (BC 2)
Describe the basic elements of security (ON 3)
Describe the different duties of security guards (MB 1, SK 2)
Describe the job specifications, activities, and
demands of a security guard (ON 1)
Give examples of how security guards protect people (MB 1, SK 2)
Tell how security guards protect property (MB 1, SK 2)

Need to Know
Some of the basic duties of a security guard may include:
• patrolling a site or particular area;
• standing guard at a particular post;
• observing, detecting, and reporting
– safety hazards;
– illegal activity or signs of illegal activity;
– violations of rules, regulations, policies, and/or procedures;
– dangerous situations; and
– unusual or suspicious activity;

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 • inspecting and operating physical security systems;
• maintaining control systems for locks, keys, and access cards;
• controlling access to a property, building, or area within a building;
• maintaining records and logs;
• receiving lost property;
• inspecting and/or testing security, safety, and emergency equipment;
• enforcing rules, regulations, policies, and/or procedures;
• maintaining order;
• monitoring alarm systems and/or closed-circuit television (CCTV)
surveillance systems;
• responding to alarms;
• responding to emergencies;
• providing first aid and CPR;
• directing vehicular traffic;
• conducting crowd control;
• responding to incidents;
• de-escalating confrontational situations;
• removing trespassers;
• making arrests;
• securing evidence;
• assisting police and emergency services personnel; and
• completing incident reports;

SAMPLE QUESTION 4
Safety hazards, signs of illegal activity, and violations of rules and
regulations are all examples of:
(a) things it would be the duty of a security guard to observe and
report
(b) violations of provincial trespass-to-property legislation
(c) sensitive issues under provincial human rights legislation
(d) grounds for a security guard to make a citizen’s arrest
(e) union issues rather than security issues

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 9

TOPIC 1.5

The Legal Authority of

Security Guards

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Discuss the legal authorities provided to security
guards by provincial, territorial, and municipal
legislation in the jurisdiction of work (CGSB 4.3.f)
Explain the legal status of security guards
under the Criminal Code (CGSB 4.3.a)
List the federal and provincial statutes that
provide a legal framework for security
professionals’ duties and powers (BC 3)
Describe the security professional’s powers and
limitations under the law (BC 3)
Identify other legislation that has a direct
impact on security professionals (BC 3)
Outline the relevant sections of the
Provincial Offences Act (ON 8)
Discuss municipal bylaws (ON 7)
Explain the legal status of a security guard (MB 3, SK 4)
Tell how the Criminal Code relates to the
work of a security guard (MB 3, SK 4)

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Need to Know
The legal authority of security officers to do what they do comes from a
number of different sources in law.
1. Provincial private security licensing legislation
Most security guards in most provinces are subject to provincial
private security licensing legislation. This legislation does not confer
any special or additional legal authorities on security guards. On the
contrary, in most cases it imposes long lists of restrictions on their
actions.
2. Federal legislation regulating security activities in certain sectors
Security guards who work in certain sectors of the security industry
or who provide security services in particular environments may be
subject to regulation as security guards under various federal statutes,
including:
• the Firearms Act,
• the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority Act,
• the Aeronautics Act,
• the Nuclear Safety Act, and
• the National Energy Board Act.
3. The Criminal Code
Under the Criminal Code, a security guard has the same legal
authorities as any other private person. This means that security guards
may have the legal authority—under certain circumstances—to do the
following:
• keep trespassers off or remove them from the properties they are
protecting,
• arrest persons found committing certain types of criminal offences,
and
• use reasonable force if necessary to
– protect themselves and/or others from assault,
– prevent serious crimes that are about to be committed,
– keep trespassers off or remove them from properties they are
protecting, and
– make arrests.
4. Provincial legislation related to property rights
Many provinces have trespass-to-property legislation under which
property owners and/or their representatives or agents (including the

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 11

 security guards who are charged with protecting their properties) have
the legal authority to remove trespassers from their property and/or to
arrest them and hold them for the police. Provincial liquor control and
gaming control legislation prohibits certain categories of individuals,
such as minors, from entering onto certain kinds of property. The
security guards who work on such properties have a degree of authority
to enforce these laws.
5. Provincial legislation under which security guards receive appointments
as special constables
Most Canadian provinces have statutes that allow provincial
governments to appoint particular individuals as special constables.
Special constables are given a limited range of police-like powers and
authorities for the purpose of enforcing the provisions under one or
more provincial statutes. Security guards may be appointed as special
constables to allow them to carry out some of the duties they are
assigned. For instance, private security guards may be given the
authority to enforce certain municipal bylaws.
Some security personnel who are appointed as special constables are
assigned duties that make their work more like the work of regular
police than like that of other security personnel—for example, the work
of many campus security personnel. The work of some special constables
is almost exclusively law enforcement work—for example, the work of
special constables on a mass transit system. Some people would classify
such individuals more as public law enforcement officers than as private
security personnel.
Special constables may have the authority to issue “tickets” under the
legislation under which they are appointed. Under provincial offences
acts in many provinces, special constables may be appointed as
provincial offences officers and given the authority to charge
individuals with provincial offences through issuing them certificates of
offence.
6. Provincial human rights legislation and the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedoms
Security guards are subject to and must comply with the provisions
set out in the human rights legislation in the province or territory in
which they are working. This is particularly important given the role
that security guards play in controlling access to properties and
buildings. In many circumstances, security guards who make arrests
may be subject to the provisions under the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms relating to the rights of persons who are being
arrested.

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 SAMPLE QUESTION 5
Private security guards derive their authority to make arrests from:
(a) the Criminal Code
(b) provincial private security licensing legislation
(c) the Firearms Act
(d) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
(e) the Provincial Offences Act

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the Security Industry 13