PLRD Security Officer Duties — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary role of a security officer in Singapore?
- To act as a police officer
- To protect life and property, maintain order, and prevent crime and security breaches at assigned premises (Correct answer)
- To investigate crimes
- To issue fines to offenders
Correct answer: To protect life and property, maintain order, and prevent crime and security breaches at assigned premises
Security officers protect assigned premises by deterring criminal activity, monitoring access, patrolling, responding to incidents, and maintaining a safe environment for occupants and visitors.
Question 2: Which authority regulates the private security industry in Singapore?
- Ministry of Defence
- Police Licensing & Regulatory Department (PLRD) under the Singapore Police Force (Correct answer)
- Ministry of Manpower
- Land Transport Authority
Correct answer: Police Licensing & Regulatory Department (PLRD) under the Singapore Police Force
PLRD, a division of the Singapore Police Force, regulates the private security industry including licensing of security agencies and officers under the Private Security Industry Act (PSIA).
Question 3: What licence must a person hold to work as a security officer in Singapore?
- A police badge
- A valid security officer licence issued by PLRD (Correct answer)
- A driving licence
- No licence is required
Correct answer: A valid security officer licence issued by PLRD
Under the PSIA, all security officers must hold a valid licence issued by PLRD. Working without a licence is an offence for both the officer and the employing security agency.
Question 4: What are the key duties of a security officer during a patrol in Singapore?
- Only walking around the premises
- Checking for security breaches, unauthorised access, fire hazards, suspicious persons or objects, and ensuring all doors and windows are secure (Correct answer)
- Only watching CCTV monitors
- Only greeting visitors
Correct answer: Checking for security breaches, unauthorised access, fire hazards, suspicious persons or objects, and ensuring all doors and windows are secure
Patrol duties include checking for security vulnerabilities, unauthorized persons, fire hazards, environmental hazards, suspicious packages, broken locks or windows, and reporting all observations.
Question 5: What should a security officer do upon discovering a suspicious package at a Singapore premises?
- Open the package to check its contents
- Do not touch or move the package, evacuate the immediate area, report to the supervisor and police, cordon off the area, and await bomb disposal experts (Correct answer)
- Throw the package away
- Ignore it if it looks harmless
Correct answer: Do not touch or move the package, evacuate the immediate area, report to the supervisor and police, cordon off the area, and await bomb disposal experts
Singapore takes bomb threats seriously. Never touch suspicious packages. Evacuate the area, cordon it off, report to security management and the police (999), and wait for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team.
Question 6: What is the 'duty of care' that a security officer owes to people on the premises?
- No duty of care exists
- A legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and security of all persons on the premises (Correct answer)
- Only a duty to the employer
- Only a duty to VIPs
Correct answer: A legal and ethical obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and security of all persons on the premises
Security officers owe a duty of care to everyone on the premises — employees, visitors, and even trespassers. They must act reasonably to prevent foreseeable harm.
PLRD Security Officer Duties
What is the primary role of a security officer in Singapore?