Security officer at City Square Residences injured after alleged group assault

SINGAPORE: A security officer was left injured after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of individuals at City Square Residences, said the Security Association Singapore (SAS) on Monday (May 8). 

The officer, a security supervisor from Security Agency Trek Investigations and Security Management Services, was performing his regular entry checks when the alleged attack took place around 6.30am on Sunday, said SAS.

"The attack was caught on CCTV footage and has been shared with the authorities," said the association. 

In the footage, two men can be seen confronting the officer outside the guard post of the Farrer Park condominium. 

The duo then proceeded to assault the officer, who tried to escape before falling backwards onto a car gantry barrier.

According to SAS, the officer was injured in the attack and is now recuperating. A police report has since been made, while the incident has also been brought to the attention of the Union of Security Employees.

In response to CNA's queries, the police said they were alerted to the assault case on Sunday morning, with a 56-year-old man taken to the hospital while conscious. 

"Two men, aged 26 and 58, are assisting with investigations into an alleged case of voluntarily causing hurt to security officer," the police added.

Investigations are ongoing. 

Trek Managing Director Suresh Ponniah said: "Our company takes the safety and security of our employees very seriously, and we are deeply concerned about this incident.

"We are 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.”

Following the incident, the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) of City Square Residences provided immediate support to the officer. 

"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," said MCST Chairman Barathan Pasupathi. 

"We emphasise zero tolerance for any verbal or physical abuse to all frontline teams including security personnel."

He added that MCST will fully support the authorities in their investigations and extend its duty of care to the injured officer. 

"We should collectively condemn this abuse and ensure the maximum extent of the law and enforcement is served," added Mr Pasupathi. 

The latest incident comes after a string of abuse cases against security officers, with three reported in April. 

A survey by the Union of Security Employees (USE) last year showed that four in 10 security officers have faced abuse. 

Despite the Private Security Industry Act being amended last year to enhance the protection of security officers by creating specific offences with enhanced penalties for abuse and harassment of security officers, SAS said "the results are consistent year-on-year". 

Verbal abuse constitutes the majority of abuse cases, with the recently publicised events being "the most egregious cases", the association added.

On Monday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in a written reply to a parliamentary question that there were on average about 23 abuse or harassment cases reported each month in the first three months of 2023.

In contrast, there was an average of 13 reported cases per month between 2018 and 2021, before the Private Security Industry Act was amended.

"Anecdotally, there is higher awareness among security officers of the protections afforded to them," said Mr Shanmugam, adding that this encouraged the officers, their employers and the USE to come forward to report incidents of abuse or harassment. 

SAS said it has been working with security agencies to provide legal assistance to abused officers, and also asked its members to display the anti-abuse decal and to provide body cameras as a deterrent.

The association will also be issuing a set of guidelines for building owners and facility managers on what can be done to reduce abuse against officers next month. 

This includes educating residents and tenants on treating officers professionally and fairly, as well as on the penalties for abuse.

"Security officers should be treated with respect, and the abuse of security officers will not be condoned," said Mr Shanmugam. 

"Perpetrators must know that security officers have both the protection of the law and the fullest support of the industry."