Police ditch security firm due to guards with criminal past

Police have suspended links with a security company after it supplied two staff with criminal convictions to monitor a prisoner.

Police Minister Annette King said today that she and Police Commissioner Howard Broad agreed it was "totally inappropriate" for the Wellington company to provide guards who had not been properly vetted.

New Zealand First MP Ron Mark told Parliament yesterday a gang member with a record, which included serious offences against women, had been hired by the police to watch over a suicidal female inmate.

Ms King called for an immediate report, and said today Mr Mark had been proved correct.

"One of the men assigned to monitoring a woman prisoner, assessed as being at high risk of committing suicide, had gang links and convictions for rape and serious assaults, while the guard doing the second shift had dishonesty convictions," she said.

Ms King said Wellington police had been using security guards for many years, and the business arrangement with Specialised Guard Services Ltd (formerly First Contact Security) was six months old.

"Police have been advised by the company that checks had not been conducted on these two men, and they feel badly let down by a company that was regarded as a trusted partner," she said.

Wellington City Area Commander Inspector Peter Cowan said he was very concerned that a reputable security firm sent two unlicensed male officers to monitor a high risk female prisoner in the remand cells overnight on Sunday June 11.

"We're staggered and disappointed that two people with clearly inappropriate backgrounds were sent to work in a police station environment," he said.

"It's not acceptable and I'll be taking every step to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Police in the Wellington District have for several years used private security firm staff to monitor high risk prisoners. They said this freed up police officers deal with emergency calls.

Casual temporary jailers are also employed to work in the cellblock during busy periods. Full background vetting checks and training is provided on all these temporary staff before employment is offered, police said.

- NZPA, HERALD ONLINE STAFF