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Comparison of strategic and operational good practice for private security personnel in the night-time economy and the Cairns City model

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Abstract

Private security personnel are the guardians of patrons in the night-time economy (NTE). However, there is a disconcerting lack of research concerning issues for private security personnel specific to the NTE. Such issues include the duty of care, a risk management approach to staff and patron care, code of conduct, interactions with other service agencies, data and information sharing, incident reporting and functions and resource procedures for private security personnel. There is also little research concerning the ability of security personnel to contribute to reducing alcohol-related harm and injury in the NTE through strategic and operational good practices. To fill this gap, interviews and focus groups were carried out in order to document these strategic and operational practices. These were compared with available models in the literature. It was found that the Cairns City model exceeded recommended good practice, particularly through the industries involvement in a community crime prevention frame-work in the NTE.

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Notes

  1. The legislation can be found at the following web address: www.legislation.qld.gov.au/OQPChome.htm.

  2. It should be noted that training standards in Australia vary between States and Territories; however the Office of Fair Trading is moving toward National Licensing Standards. See www.spaal.asn.au/page/national_news.html for information on these changes.

  3. In the United Kingdom and Canada, this is called Responsible Beverage Service.

  4. This is Australian dollars.

  5. Liquor Accords are community committees made up of licensed venue owners and managers, security personnel, police officers and OLGR officers responsible for liquor regulation and compliance who address local issues relating to alcohol-related violence, harm and injury.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the support and co-operation of the three Community Committees and their associated members, the operational security personnel in Cairns and the Director and Operations Manager of the Queensland Security Providers. The authors also wish to thank the independent reviewers for their considered and constructive feedback on this article. Aspects of this research were partially funded by the Australian Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, James Cook University, Cairns, 4870, QLD, Australia

    Charmaine S. Hayes-Jonkers, Shane Pointing & Alan R. Clough

  2. School of Arts and Social Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, 4870, QLD, Australia

    Charmaine S. Hayes-Jonkers

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  1. Charmaine S. Hayes-Jonkers
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  2. Shane Pointing
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  3. Alan R. Clough
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Hayes-Jonkers, C., Pointing, S. & Clough, A. Comparison of strategic and operational good practice for private security personnel in the night-time economy and the Cairns City model. Secur J 25, 326–341 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2011.24

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