UNLICENSED SECURITY AGENTS/CONSULTANTS/INSTALLERS-RAISING COMMUNITY AWARENESS

Published: Tuesday, 30 April 2019 at 4:52:45 PM

Consumer Protection and the WA Police Force are alarmed at the high number of incidents of home owners utilising the services of unlicensed security installers, and may be unknowingly inviting criminals into their home. These dodgy businesses and individuals advertise their services on websites such as Gumtree as well as on social media, offering to install alarm systems, CCTV cameras, security doors and locks, often at below market prices.

Consumers and businesses are putting the security of their home and premises at risk by not checking if they are licensed by the WA Police Force. Checks carried out by Police as part of their compliance and audit process reveal that there are many unlicensed operators in the marketplace who are unqualified, have a criminal record or are persons of interest to Police. More than 50 unlicensed operators have been identified advertising their services in the past two years.

In WA, people who provide installation, repair or maintenance services for security alarm or CCTV systems, security doors or locks are required to hold a Security Installer’s Licence issued by the Licensing and Enforcement Division of the WA Police Force.

To obtain a Security Installer’s Licence, a person is required to complete either a training course or pass a pre-licence test, depending of the type of licence, prior to submitting an application form.

Before getting security installed, check if someone is a valid licence holder by visiting the WA Police Force website and searching the Current Licence Holders list.

If you are concerned that an unlicensed security agent may have completed work at your home, contact the WA Police Force Licensing and Compliance Unit by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1300 171 011.

Consumers who experience problems with tradespeople and are having difficulty resolving them, can contact Consumer Protection by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1300 304 054.

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