Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So in my Member's statement today, I spoke about the fact that private security firms are unregulated in the NWT, meaning there are no territorial standards or licensing for security guards; however, many agencies and departments of the GNWT do currently contract private security to protect government-run operations and staff and clients, everything from public housing units to the day shelter, the hospital, counselling services, etcetera. So my first set of questions are for the Premier.
Does the GNWT currently have a policy that requires all government contracts with private security services to mandate trauma-informed training, training in cross-cultural awareness, and de-escalation techniques? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not aware of any GNWT-wide policy that does such things; however, I did have a look at what RFPs are out there right now, and I see an RFP for security guard services, and in that it requires that all employees performing professional security guard services must have cultural sensitivity training, such as but not limited to, the GNWT Living Well Together, and it goes on.
And it also states that proponents shall be responsible for response and management of all physical and verbal violence within the facilities using approved crisis prevention, institute non-violent crisis intervention techniques.
So while there is not a government-wide policy, departments are putting these provisions into the RFPs that govern the contract with the security guard providers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So that helps to start to eliminate what the current practices may be. I am not sure how consistently they're applied, but.
Secondly, does the GNWT currently have any policy or standard regarding what would be the limits on appropriate use of force or restraint by contracted private security services such as what weapons or equipment security guards should be allowed to use and whether they should be handcuffing or arresting people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So security guards, as was mentioned, are unregulated so they are private citizens. And so the same rules that would govern you or I when we're out in public would govern security guards. So the Criminal Code is the legislation I would look to for that. There are provisions in the Criminal Code allowing for a citizen's arrest and those allow for reasonable force to be used, as well as detention. So that is -- that's in the federal realm. That's in the courts and, you know, any type of force that is used would be tested against that standard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Okay. And so just following up on that, then, can the Premier then clarify, or make it crystal clear, does the GNWT specify whether or not its private security contractors should or should not be conducting a citizen's arrests or handcuffing people, or is that left completely up to, you know, the individual or the private security firm that we're contracting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't see it in the RFP here. I believe I saw something in there so I don't have the information at hand, but this is a publicly available document that speaks about the expectations for how security guards will behave in environments where they're providing their services. There is an expectation that if there is the need to physically detain someone to protect the staff, protect the other residents at a facility or patients in a health centre, that that would be within the scope of the duties of the security guard, all while remaining within the scope of the -- or ensuring that what is done is what's allowed under the Criminal Code. If there are concerns with a security guard provider about the behaviour of staff and how they're exercising their duties, then that's a conversation to be had between the proponent and the government who holds that contract. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
