There are many security companies in practice and even some associations that bring them together. Is that true?

There are not a few associations in practice, including Mongolian Association of Security Guards, Mongolian Association of Social Security Organizations NGO etc.  

Some are even dysfunctional in terms of protection of interests and rights of their associate members when this should be the main commitment of any association. It has been a decade since Mongolian Association of Social Security Organizations NGO was established. Throughout these years, the association remained committed to protect the interests of its associate members. One of the co-founder of the Association is “Eagle Protection” LLC. In order to protect interests of our associates and listen to their voices, we organized meetings with security executives 2-3 times last year and thoroughly discussed our urgent issues. It has been 18 years since the private security sector was established. Contracted security providers accumulated a considerate amount of experience during this time.   I found “Eagle Protection” LLC in 2001 and am running it.

We don’t run any other operations. We solely focus on serving the needs of private security providers. According to the experience of our company, we have faced many challenges. Today we have relatively less problem. We are getting along with police organizations somehow.

In terms of profit, it is very low for the security companies. I imagine them just making ends meet. Many young security guards change their employment and go back and forth between the companies. From the experience of our company, 60-70 percent of applicants had been previously employed by other security companies. They explain it was because the employers overload them with work but delay payments. Actually, this is not solely those employers’ fault. It happens when employers are unable to get payment from their clients on time.

It has been many years since the Law on Contracted Private Security Service was enacted. I have heard from some layers and security company executives that there is need to adjust the law. What is your view on this subject?

There are many companies in practice providing security services. It is likely that those who have capacity and competent management will survive according to the market law. But instead of just waiting for the consequence, we must take necessary measurements.

       Some criteria were stated in the present law. In your opinion, do they meet the current situation requirements or not? What do you think?

According to the law, a person who is mentally and physically healthy and aged 20 or more is allowed to work in a security service organization. Seeing from this clause, even a person aged 80 may work in a security service organization. But, we should consider the education level of a young man aged 20. It means we should specify the age limit very clearly. To see the advertisings on TVs, many organizations are willing to employ the young men more than 170cm in height as security guards. In this case, we need to consider what the average height of Mongolian people is. The height of a person to work as a security guard is not specified in the law. Thus, the managerial level staffs of the security organizations have been talking a lot about the manned guarding. The issue of grading scale of “A”, “B” and “C” for those organization in consideration of number of staffing, staffs’ skills and security equipment and tools has been under discussion. For example, they state that they needed to have a standard specifying that a security company that has operated for more than 5 years, maintaining certain alarm system, having emergency preparedness and emergency response team comprising of professional and skillful security officers or guards as well as having patrol vehicles and a regular business office can be graded under “A” classification.                

       Is there any standard for the contracted security service organizations?

You know, there are various rumors about the security guards, namely the security officers and guards always carry the security equipment, guns and batons, and some of them wear the security uniforms in an inappropriate manner. Though it doesn’t matter now, we have to specify the national standard for the security organizations in the law. There is a word “alarm” in the law on contracted security services. But the alarm system has now become very advanced in conjunction with the technological development. In conformity with advanced alarm system technology, the Mongolian Association for Security Service Organizations has a national standard of alarm systems approved by the Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology. The standardization agency has 17 technical committees. After the approval, the security service organizations have been adhering to the standard. Now we have a complex standard specifying the requirements for models and types of security equipment and devices, fire detectors and motion sensors, as well as the requirements for using and installing these devices. The only thing we should immediately introduce is to maintain appropriate implementation of the standard. Our company has been providing security services for many objects by installing appropriate alarm systems. It means it was urgently and inevitably required to adopt an alarm system standard. Majority of security organizations import the alarm system equipment and devices from the People’s Republic of China. But the alarm system control panels are imported from Israel since the security services and alarm system technologies are well developed in that country. The alarm system control panels which are currently used in our country are manufactured in Israel. But the data are not repeated and each control panel has a secret code. If our customer (organization or company) refuses to cooperate with us and concludes a security service agreement with another company, the new security company cannot break our security alarm system. They must have the security alarm system disconnected by us. We won’t give our secret code. And the new security organization must set its own security program after our engineer removes our program.

       I think, the contracted security organizations should have a standard. Shouldn’t they?

Currently we have been working on formulation of a standard for contracted security service companies. And we are receiving standard research proposals from the security organizations. This new standard will clearly specify how many and what type of staffing, patrol vehicles and security equipment and devices the security organizations should have. In addition, the standard will specify the area size one security guard must monitor as well as period & type of security monitoring. The capacity of a security organization is also considered in the standard. According to the standard requirements, a security organization should be able to protect itself against any potential risks by setting up a risk foundation. Generally, a private security organization operates like a district police department. They are like police organizations in terms of the goal to maintain order and ensure safety and security. But there are some security organizations having one staff. Hence, we must develop all the necessary standards and adhere to these adopted standards. If we don’t take appropriate measure as soon as possible, anyone who wants to start business in this field establishes a security service company. But I won’t deny other qualified security service organizations.

       You mentioned about manned guarding previously. Why the law on private security service is not implemented?  

Though the law on private security service is adopted in 2001, the clauses are not definite. Although the law is adopted, there are not any related rules and regulations for maintaining appropriate implementation of the law. The issue is frustrated because of special security equipment and weapons to be used in security services. It is also because of a debate that everyone is allowed to carry a gun and everyone is allowed to conduct investigation. If there is a rule for the law, these security organizations will start private investigation. There are some security organizations preparing for private investigations.

       I remember, the Investigation department under the General prosecutor’s office had examined the weapons and guns used by the security organizations after the July 01, 2008 events (a riot broke out in UB). What would you say about this measure as a former police officer?

The force organizations couldn’t use a zone defense during the July 01 events even if they realized the upcoming riot. In that situation, the force organizations must have used zone defenses at first. I think, we could have dismissed the public within the zone after using the zone defense technique. At that time, I was wondering whether the police organizations would call the security organizations and companies as supplement forces. As I mentioned above, the police organizations and security organizations have the same goals. It is clear that we never attack to the public by carrying shields and batons. We would have taken any preliminary measure to prevent from serious risks, dressed like ordinary people. At that time, we used to protect diplomatic organizations. During that riot, we tightened our security for the diplomatic organizations at first.