How to check a security provider before you hire them
Anyone can print a badge. Before you hand your safety — or your family's — to a security provider, take a few minutes to confirm they are who they say they are.
1. Ask for the PSIRA registration number
Security service providers and their officers must be registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). Ask for the company number and the numbers of the officers who will be deployed, then verify them with PSIRA directly rather than relying on a certificate copy.
2. Look at the uniform
PSIRA's uniform regulations require private security uniforms to carry the employer's name and the officer's name and registration number, and prohibit uniforms that imitate the police, the military or other law-enforcement agencies. A provider that blurs that line is a warning sign.
3. Confirm firearm competency for armed officers
If you are paying for an armed officer, ask how the company ensures its officers are licensed and competent to carry the firearm they will be issued.
4. Get the scope in writing
A professional provider confirms officers, hours, rates, travel and responsibilities in a written quote and agreement before deployment.
5. Ask how your information is handled
Your itinerary and home address are sensitive. Ask who will see them, how they are stored, and how long they are kept — the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) applies.
