Bill 117 2003

An Act to amend the
Private Investigators and
Security Guards Act
to require a minimum level of
training for licensees and to
require that uniforms and
vehicles of security guards
be readily distinguishable
from those of the police

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1. Subsection 7 (1) of the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Investigation of applicant

(1) The Registrar or any person authorized by him or her may make such inquiry and investigation as is considered sufficient regarding the character, financial position and competence of an applicant or licensee.

Training requirement

(1.1) Before an applicant is licensed, the applicant shall satisfy the Registrar that he or she has a minimum level of training in private investigation and security.

Same

(1.2) The Registrar may accept as a minimum level of training,

(a) proof of successful completion of a training course or examination in private investigation and security provided by a college of applied arts and technology established by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities under the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act, or a predecessor of that Act;

(b) proof of successful completion of a training course in private investigation and security from an institution in Canada, if the Registrar is satisfied that the training course is the equivalent of one referred to in clause (a);

(c) proof of successful completion of training courses provided by the Ontario Police College continued under the Police Services Act; or

(d) proof of successful completion of training courses in policing from an institution in Canada, if the Registrar is satisfied that the training is the equivalent of the training referred to in clause (c).

2. Section 27 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Same

(2) The uniform that a security guard wears shall not so closely resemble the uniform of a police officer in style, colour, insignia or other marking that it is likely to confuse or mislead the public.

3. The Act is amended by adding the following section:

Identification of vehicles

28.1 If a security guard uses a motor vehicle during the course of his or her employment, the motor vehicle shall not,

(a) be equipped with a siren;

(b) except while the vehicle is in use on an industrial site where a flashing light is required by the site owner or operator for the safety and security of the vehicle's operator, be equipped with a flashing, rotating or similar light other than turn signals and hazard warning flashers that are installed by the manufacturer as standard equipment;

(c) be equipped with a roof-mounted light bar or interior mounted light that resembles those used on police or other emergency vehicles; or

(d) have markings that by design or colour cause the vehicle to resemble a police or other emergency vehicle.

Commencement

4. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

5. The short title of this Act is the Private Investigators and Security Guards Amendment Act, 2003.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill requires that applicants for licensing as private investigators and security guards have a minimum level of training before being licensed. The Bill also requires that the uniforms worn by security guards and the vehicles that are used by security guards in the course of their employment can be readily distinguishable from those of the police.