For SIA licensing to be trusted by the public - and for it to work well - it is vital to have an effective compliance and enforcement strategy. This will ensure that licensing requirements are met by individuals and companies throughout the private security industry.
The Private Security Industry Act 2001 created several offences concerned with engaging in designated licensable activities without the correct SIA licence and deploying an unlicensed person to carry out licensable activities.
Penalties for offences under the Private Security Industry Act 2001
- For those working in a licensable role without an SIA licence the penalties are:
- upon summary conviction at a Magistrate's Court, Sheriff Court or District Court, a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
- For those supplying unlicensed staff the penalties are:
- upon summary conviction at a Magistrate's Court, Sheriff Court or District Court, a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
- upon conviction on indictment at Crown Court, High Court of Justiciary or Sheriff and jury trial, an unlimited fine and/or up to five years imprisonment.
Prosecution is not our preferred option: we aim to encourage compliance with the law in the first instance and will do all we can to help organisations meet their obligations. However, in appropriate cases we have the will and capability to prosecute offenders, and to seek the confiscation of assets that have been obtained as a result of criminal activity.
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