Expert advice on hiring security guards, protecting your Perth business, WA security law and industry news — from the team at Inland Security Services.
When hiring a security guard or security company in Perth WA, the single most important thing to verify is their WA Police licence. Under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996, all security agents and security officers must hold a current licence issued by WA Police Licensing Services. Operating without one — or engaging an unlicensed operator — exposes your business to serious legal and financial risk.
There are two types of agent licences you should look for: a Security Agent licence (which allows the company to supply security officers, bodyguards, installers and monitoring officers) and a Crowd Control Agent licence (required if you need crowd controllers for events or licensed premises). Inland Security Services holds both — Licence No. 77523.
Beyond licensing, always ask for a current Certificate of Currency for Public Liability insurance. The minimum you should accept is $10 million — reputable companies carry $20 million or more. This protects you if an incident involving the security officer results in a claim against your business.
Finally, check whether the company is a member of ASIAL — the Australian Security Industry Association Limited. ASIAL members are bound by a Code of Professional Conduct and industry standards that go above the legal minimum. Membership ID can be verified on the ASIAL website.
Red flags to watch for: no verifiable licence number, unwillingness to provide insurance documentation, no physical address, no ABN, cash-only pricing, or guards who cannot produce their WA Police ID card on request. Your safety is too important to cut corners on.
Retail crime cost Australian businesses an estimated $9.4 billion in 2024, with Perth retailers reporting increased incidents particularly in after-hours break-ins and organised retail crime groups. If you run a retail store in Perth, here are seven evidence-based strategies to reduce your exposure.
1. Uniformed security presence. The most powerful deterrent is visibility. A uniformed security officer at the entrance signals to opportunistic thieves that your store is protected. Studies consistently show that stores with visible security experience 30–60% fewer theft incidents.
2. Strategic CCTV placement. Cameras at entry/exit points, high-value merchandise areas and registers are essential — but only if someone is actually monitoring them. A CCTV system with no monitoring is a recording tool, not a deterrent.
3. Plain-clothes loss prevention. For higher-risk retail environments, a plain-clothes loss prevention officer (LPO) operating on the floor can observe and gather evidence on suspected thieves without alerting them. LPOs must be WA Police licensed to lawfully detain a suspect.
4. Staff training. Your team are your first line of defence. Training staff in theft recognition behaviours, how to approach suspects, and when to call security — without confronting individuals directly — significantly improves outcomes.
5. Store layout and merchandising. Reduce blind spots, keep high-value items in locked cases or near the counter, and ensure clear sightlines from the registers to the floor. Small layout changes can dramatically reduce opportunity.
6. Know your legal obligations. In WA, the legal framework around detaining suspected shoplifters is strict. Only a licensed security officer has the legal authority to detain — your staff cannot. Attempting an unlicensed citizen's arrest without proper grounds exposes your business to liability.
7. Regular security reviews. Your security needs evolve with your business, your location and the seasons. A professional security company should review your risk profile at least annually and adjust their approach accordingly.
Construction site theft is one of the fastest-growing crime categories in Western Australia. WA Police reports consistently show that unattended building sites — particularly overnight and on weekends — are heavily targeted. Generators, power tools, copper wiring, scaffolding, and heavy plant are all prime targets for organised theft rings operating across the Perth metro area.
The financial impact goes beyond the value of stolen items. When critical equipment is stolen from a construction site, projects stall, insurance claims are lodged, premiums increase, subcontractors are delayed, and in some cases contract penalties apply. A single overnight theft incident can cost a site manager $20,000–$100,000 in combined losses and delays.
What makes construction sites vulnerable? Open perimeters, predictable unmanned periods, high-value portable assets, poor lighting, and no permanent on-site deterrent. Many site managers rely on fencing and padlocks alone — which experienced thieves can defeat in under two minutes.
The most effective deterrent is an on-site security guard. A uniformed, licensed guard stationed overnight and on weekends eliminates the window of opportunity that thieves depend on. Their mere presence — visible from the street — causes most would-be offenders to move on entirely.
For very large sites or sites across multiple locations, mobile patrol is a cost-effective alternative. A security officer makes regular timed and randomised patrols, checking the perimeter, recording observations and responding to any alarms. The unpredictability of mobile patrols is itself a powerful deterrent.
If you are tendering a construction project in Perth, consider including professional security in your project budget from day one. The cost of a security guard is a fraction of the cost of a single major theft event — and it keeps your project on schedule.
If you are organising a public event, concert, festival or function in Western Australia that involves a crowd, you need to understand your legal obligations around crowd control. Getting this wrong exposes you — the organiser — to significant personal and business liability.
Under WA's Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996, crowd controllers must hold a valid WA Police Crowd Controller licence. The company supplying them must hold a Crowd Control Agent licence. If you hire unlicensed crowd controllers and an incident occurs at your event, you may face personal liability as the event organiser — regardless of whether the security company represented themselves as licensed.
Always ask for the agent licence number before engaging a security company for crowd control. You can verify WA Police security licences by contacting WA Police Licensing Services. Do not accept verbal assurances alone.
The right crowd control team for your event depends on: expected attendance, venue type (indoor vs outdoor), whether alcohol is being served, the age profile of attendees, and the nature of the event. A professional security company will conduct a risk assessment and recommend the appropriate officer-to-attendee ratio.
Inland Security Services holds WA Police Crowd Control Agent Licence No. 77523. We provide fully licensed crowd controllers for events of all sizes across Perth and regional WA — from small private functions to major public festivals. Contact us for a free event security assessment.
One of the most common questions Perth business owners ask is: should I invest in CCTV cameras or hire a security guard? The honest answer is that they serve fundamentally different purposes — and the best security setups use both. But if budget is a constraint, understanding the distinction helps you prioritise.
CCTV is a recording and deterrence tool. Cameras capture what happens on your premises and can deter opportunistic offenders who notice them. They are invaluable for evidence collection after an incident, insurance claims, and reviewing suspicious behaviour over time. Modern IP camera systems with remote viewing capabilities mean you can monitor your Perth premises from anywhere. However, CCTV cannot physically intervene, cannot call police, cannot prevent a determined offender, and is only as useful as the person reviewing the footage.
A licensed security guard from Inland Security Services is an active, responsive presence. They deter offenders simply by being visible. They can access-control your premises, respond to an alarm in real time, de-escalate a confrontation before it becomes a fight, administer first aid, and call WA Police with a live situation report. Where CCTV watches, a guard acts.
The case for CCTV alone: low-risk premises with minimal foot traffic, locations where after-hours recording is sufficient, or when budget only allows for one layer. The case for a guard alone: high-foot-traffic environments where personal interaction and deterrence matter most, such as retail stores, events and construction sites.
The case for both: any higher-risk commercial environment where you need real-time deterrence AND an evidence record. A guard monitored by CCTV is a significantly more effective security setup than either alone. Inland Security can advise on the right combination for your specific site — contact us for a free Perth security assessment.
Event security in Perth is not just about having someone at the door. A well-planned event security operation covers crowd flow, emergency evacuations, first aid coordination, intoxication management, media and VIP access, and WA Police liaison. Here is the checklist professional event organisers use when engaging a security company for Perth events.
1. Confirm the security company holds a WA Police Crowd Control Agent licence. This is not optional — it is a legal requirement under the Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996. Ask for the licence number and verify it. Inland Security holds Crowd Control Agent Licence No. 77523.
2. Conduct a site risk assessment. Walk the venue with your security provider before the event. Identify entry and exit points, pinch points in the crowd flow, areas where intoxication may be a risk, and locations for first aid stations. A reputable security company will insist on this step.
3. Calculate the correct officer ratio. As a general guide: public events require 1 security officer per 100–150 attendees, licensed premises require 1 per 50–100, and high-risk events (large music events, events with alcohol) may require 1 per 50 or more. Your security provider should advise on the appropriate ratio for your event type.
4. Prepare a written event security plan. This should cover: security briefing time, entry procedures, prohibited items policy, intoxication management, ejection procedures, emergency contact list, evacuation plan, and end-of-event pack-down procedure. Retain a copy for your records.
5. Brief all security staff in person before doors open. A security team that has never met each other or walked the venue is a liability. Your security provider should arrange a pre-event briefing covering the plan, radio channels, and any site-specific information.
6. Assign a security supervisor as your point of contact. You should have a single named supervisor who you can reach at any point during the event. They manage the security team and are your direct liaison if a situation develops.
Organised retail crime (ORC) is a growing problem across Perth and the broader WA retail sector. Unlike opportunistic shoplifting — which can often be deterred by a uniformed presence — organised retail crime involves coordinated groups who research targets, use distraction techniques, conceal merchandise methodically, and rapidly offload stolen goods through secondary markets. Standard uniformed security is often not enough.
Loss prevention officers (LPOs) are the specialist response to ORC. Working in plain clothes, they blend into the retail environment while observing, identifying and building evidential cases against suspected theft groups. Unlike a uniformed guard who deters, an LPO's goal is to catch — and to do so in a way that results in a successful prosecution.
The key skills of an effective loss prevention officer include: understanding WA retail law and the legal thresholds for detainment, surveillance and observation techniques that do not constitute entrapment, evidence documentation including written notes, CCTV timestamps and witness statements, communication with store management and WA Police, and safe, lawful physical detainment procedures that do not expose the business to assault or false imprisonment claims.
Inland Security Services provides both uniformed and plain-clothes loss prevention officers to Perth retailers. Our LPOs are WA Police licensed and operate under our Security Agent Licence No. 77523. We work with retail managers to identify vulnerability patterns, adjust officer deployment based on peak theft periods, and provide weekly shrinkage reports to track outcomes.
If your Perth retail business is experiencing repeated theft from what appears to be the same individuals or coordinated groups, a specialist loss prevention deployment — even for a two to four week period — can identify the offenders, gather evidence for police, and significantly disrupt the pattern. Contact Inland Security for a confidential retail security assessment.
Walk into any of Perth's premium office buildings, luxury hotels or high-end residential towers and you will notice something: the security officer at the front desk does not look or behave like a standard guard. They are well-groomed, professionally presented, confident in conversation, and effortlessly manage the competing demands of greeting tenants, screening visitors, managing deliveries and maintaining building security — all simultaneously. This is concierge security, and it is a distinct discipline.
Standard security guarding prioritises physical deterrence and incident response. Concierge security adds a layer of professional front-of-house service. Concierge officers are selected not only for their security training and WA Police licensing, but for their communication skills, personal presentation, and ability to interact confidently with executives, clients and VIP visitors.
For building managers and strata corporations, the difference is tangible. Tenants notice when their building's ground floor feels professional and well-managed. It affects tenant satisfaction scores, retention rates, and the perceived prestige of the address. A poorly presented, uncommunicative guard at the reception desk sends a negative signal about the entire building.
Inland Security Services provides concierge security officers to commercial office buildings, hotels, luxury strata complexes and government facilities across Perth. Our concierge officers receive additional training in visitor management systems, access control technology, emergency procedures and professional presentation standards — above the base WA licensing requirements.
If your Perth building currently has a guarding contract and you feel the presentation and service quality is not reflecting the standard of your property, contact Inland Security for a confidential discussion. We can assess your current security setup and provide a proposal for concierge-level service.
Western Australia has some of the most stringent security licensing laws in Australia. The Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996 (WA) governs who can legally perform security work, what categories of security work require what type of licence, and what happens when the rules are broken. As a Perth business owner engaging security services, understanding the basics protects you.
There are two levels of licensing you need to be aware of. Individual security officers must hold a personal Security Officer licence issued by WA Police Licensing Services. The company supplying those officers must hold a Security Agent licence. Both must be current and in the correct category for the work being performed. A Crowd Control Agent licence is separate from a Security Agent licence — a company that only holds a Security Agent licence cannot lawfully supply crowd controllers.
What can go wrong if you hire unlicensed security? If an unlicensed security officer is involved in an incident at your premises — an assault, a wrongful detainment, a negligent act — your business may share liability. Courts have found that businesses who engaged unlicensed operators knew or should have known about the licensing requirement. The defence that you trusted the security company's word is not always sufficient.
Verifying a WA security licence takes two minutes. You can contact WA Police Licensing Services directly, or ask the security company to provide their licence certificate. The licence number, the name of the licence holder, the categories covered, and the expiry date should all be visible on the certificate. Inland Security's licence details: Security Agent and Crowd Control Agent, Licence No. 77523, holder Inland Security Services.
Beyond the legal minimum, ask whether the company is an ASIAL member. The Australian Security Industry Association Limited maintains a member register and binds members to a Code of Professional Conduct. ASIAL membership is voluntary but signals that a company takes its professional obligations seriously. Inland Security is ASIAL Corporate Member No. 38428. Both credentials are available on request — do not hesitate to ask.
If your business hires security services in Perth, you may not realise that the wages paid to those guards are regulated by a legally binding industrial instrument — the WA Security Officers Award, administered by the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
The Award sets minimum hourly rates, overtime entitlements, Saturday and Sunday penalty rates, public holiday rates, meal allowances and leave entitlements. From 1 July 2025, Security Officer rates start at $25.84 per hour for a Level 1 officer and rise to $27.06 per hour for a Level 4 officer. Casual rates include a 25% loading.
Why does this matter to you as a client? If a security company quotes you a suspiciously low hourly rate, it may be because they are underpaying their guards — exposing them to underpayment claims and enforcement action by WA's Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Penalties for Award non-compliance can reach $930,000 for bodies corporate.
Inland Security Services is fully compliant with the WA Security Officers Award 2025. We pay our officers correctly, provide all entitled allowances, and maintain compliant employment records. When you engage Inland Security, you can be confident that your security personnel are treated fairly and legally — which also means they are engaged, professional and motivated.
When comparing security quotes, always ask whether the company is Award-compliant. A legitimate, professional security company will be able to confirm this without hesitation. If a company cannot or will not confirm Award compliance, that is a significant red flag.