Manitoba faces calls to increase training for security guards
Experts in the field are now calling for additional training for security guards in Manitoba before they can begin working, focused on de-escalation.
A 24-year-old security guard was stabbed on Friday after attempting to stop a man from leaving a store with unpaid items. The victim survived and was upgraded to stable condition at the hospital. On Sunday, police arrested a 23-year-old suspect facing multiple charges. Recent incidents like this have prompted calls from security experts for increased training for guards in Manitoba, focusing on de-escalation techniques.
Peter de Beer, a consultant in the field, asserts that with insufficient training, guards are prone to overstepping their bounds, using excessive force, or employing inappropriate tools. To become a security guard in Manitoba, one must complete a 40-hour training course and score at least 75% on a provincial exam. However, a loophole exists allowing temporary licensing for six months without completing the training.
De Beer believes the training should be extended and more in-depth, covering topics like safety awareness, crowd control, and scenario assessment. The current curriculum is about 20 years old. Manitoba's Justice Minister Matt Wiebe acknowledged that the province is considering changes to the security training program, with a stronger emphasis on de-escalation.
He emphasized the need to "build out the curriculum and then ensure it gets rolled out by training the trainers" but stressed that more work is required to implement these changes province-wide. Updates to the security training program are expected in the coming months.
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