South Australian security staff quit over new laws

Hundreds of people are abandoning the South Australian security industry as tough new licensing conditions expose links to organised crime groups and outlaw motorcycle clubs.

More than 730 of the state's 7100 licensed crowd controllers have yet to renew their licences, following the introduction of compulsory fingerprinting. Another 153 voluntarily surrendered their licences since December.

Premier Mike Rann yesterday said the crowd controllers were not renewing their licences because of stringent new laws aimed at eliminating the involvement of outlaw motorcycle clubs in the security industry.

The laws were "unashamedly intended to combat the influence of organised crime gangs, such as outlaw bikies, that infiltrated our crowd-controller industry", he said.

Under the laws, licences must be suspended when a licensed security agent is charged with a criminal offence. All crowd controllers must submit to compulsory fingerprinting, national police checks and random drug and alcohol testing.

Mr Rann said the laws were introduced after police intelligence linked most of SA's crowd controller companies to outlaw motorcycle clubs.

"I was appalled when the police told us in mid-2002 that about 80 per cent of Adelaide's crowd controller firms had links to outlaw motorcycle gangs," he said.

"I am certain that the prospect of increased scrutiny by the Government and police has contributed to the decision by some of them not to renew their licences."

Twelve applications for security licences had been refused since December after applicants were found either to have been psychologically unfit, had criminal records, failed to provide fingerprints and/or provided false information.

More than 1150 security agents had been fingerprinted and subjected to police checks in the past six months, with a further 6730 yet to be processed by police.