Security in and Around Philipsburg: A Growing Concern

For some time, I have been observing developments in and around our capital that raise serious safety concerns. With years of experience as a security expert and consultant, I believe the public should understand the clear difference between a trained Security Officer, an untrained Security Guard, and a certified K9 Handler. These distinctions matter, especially when dogs are being placed in public spaces.

A Security Officer is someone who has attended formal training and received certification to carry out security duties in a professional and lawful manner. A Guard, in many cases, is hired quickly and placed on a post without structured training or certification. A K9 Handler is someone who has completed specialized schooling to work with trained dogs. These dogs are prepared for specific duties such as narcotics detection, explosives detection, patrol work, or protection. Each dog must be paired with a properly certified handler who the animal listens to and responds to on command.

Many store owners are hiring different guards each day, rotating personnel who often appear untrained and who are being posted with dogs. This raises an important question: are these individuals certified K9 handlers? Public safety must be the priority. It is difficult to find examples anywhere else in the world where attack trained dogs are allowed to roam among shoppers and tourists on public sidewalks.

The law stipulates that security personnel have no legal authority on public sidewalks or streets. Only police officers have the power to act on public property. Yet guards with dogs are stationed on Front Street, Back Street, and near schools. I recently saw a guard with a dog outside a drugstore near Sundial School, exactly where children wait for the bus. If that dog bites a child, a tourist, or any resident, the security company is entirely liable.

This also represents a threat to our tourism product. The Minister of TEATT must consider the damage that one dog bite could cause. A single incident could become an international headline that harms our reputation. The law states that any security company using dogs must apply for a license from the Ministry of Justice. A dog is legally considered a weapon, and a separate license is required for every location where the dog is deployed. Based on what I am seeing on the streets, I strongly doubt that these requirements are being followed.

I am calling on the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Tourism to address this matter urgently and remove unlicensed attack dogs from public spaces. Store owners should also take responsibility. Many of the guards I see are sitting on wooden benches at entrances. This weakens their authority and contributes to an untidy appearance in Philipsburg.

Instead, install a double door system and place the guard between the two doors. The guard opens the first door to let customers in, while the second is operated freely by the customer. This places the guard on private property, gives them proper control over who enters, increases security, reduces theft and robbery, and keeps untrained guards from blocking public sidewalks.

Philipsburg is the heart of our tourism economy. We must protect it, not only from crime, but from unsafe and unregulated security practices. It is time to act and ensure that our capital remains safe, professional, and welcoming for residents and visitors.

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