1 in 3 security officers has experienced abuse: Survey

One in three security officers recently surveyed said they have experienced physical or verbal abuse or both in their course of work, with verbal abuse the most common.

Also, the older a security officer, the more likely he is to be abused, the survey found.

The survey - the first public survey of its kind - is a collaboration between the Union of Security Employees (USE) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), to study the working conditions, well-being and salary issues of security officers.

A total of 707 security officers were interviewed between January and February. They were approached at USE while collecting their security officer identity cards, which are issued after they renew their licence every five years. USE, an affiliate of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), has about 14,800 members.

The survey came after several incidents of abuse and harassment of security officers in Singapore made waves online last year. These include a security officer at a Whampoa condominium who was abused last October by a resident upset that his guests had to pay parking fees.

USE executive secretary Steve Tan said the union has been tracking anecdotal feedback on abuse of security officers, and decided to collaborate with SUSS to find out the "real level" of abuse through an empirical study.

The findings were presented by Associate Professor Leong Chan-Hoong from the SUSS Centre for Applied Research yesterday during a virtual media briefing.

He revealed that while 32 per cent of security officers said they have experienced verbal or physical abuse before, age plays a factor.

Among security officers aged 29 and younger, only 15 per cent said they have experienced abuse. However, this went up to 39 per cent among security officers aged 70 and above - the highest percentage among all the age groups.

When asked to comment on this, Security Association Singapore president Raj Joshua Thomas said this may be because the public sees older officers as "easier victims to intimidate to try to get their way".

Security officers said verbal abuse was the most common, followed by both physical and verbal abuse, then physical abuse. They said the most common source of abuse is from the general public, followed by residents and contractors.

Mr Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of NTUC, said he was shocked by the survey findings.

He said the labour movement has been calling for more protection under the law for security officers, regardless of where they work.

In March, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it was looking to amend the Private Security Industry Act next year, to better protect security officers from harassment or abuse.

Mr Desmond Choo, also assistant secretary-general of NTUC, said yesterday that security officers at work should be met with respect, especially during the Covid-19 situation, when they are on the front line. He added that Singaporeans and employers need to stand up for security officers when they witness them being abused, or the situation would not improve.