Security guards employed in agencies performing security work, in addition to general knowledge in that field, do not have additional skills for working with children and minors in Montenegrin schools.
This can also be concluded from the response of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), in which, when asked by "Vijesti" whether licensed security guards have special knowledge and skills for working with children, they sent a general explanation that those who were issued a license had undergone legal training at the Police Academy in Danilovgrad.
They did not directly answer whether security guards have special knowledge for working with minors, as a special and sensitive category.
"Persons who perform security tasks (guards), or persons who have been issued a permit to perform security tasks, are persons who are professionally trained to perform security tasks in training that is mainly conducted at the Public Institution 'Police Academy' - Danilovgrad, which lasts 25 working days and is implemented through a total of 172 hours, of which 119 hours are practical work and 53 hours are theoretical. Classes are held in eight subjects, and after completing the training, participants are issued an internal certificate of successfully completed training 'Protector of Persons and Property', or a certificate of professional training to perform security tasks," the Ministry of Interior's response states.
In practice, this means that security guards, who have a license to perform this job, only undergo general training that does not include special skills for working with children, because such courses are not organized either at the Police Academy or at the private company "Urban Protection Training Center", whose project "Protectors in Schools" from 2016 did not take off due to legal restrictions.
The Law on Protection of Persons and Property, in Article 28, stipulates that security tasks, depending on the type and complexity, are performed by a guard, security guard for persons and property, security technician, bodyguard and valuables escort, who have been issued a permit to perform security tasks.
Yesterday, as announced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI), some schools began to receive security guards.
Of the 800.000 euros that the Government has allocated for the physical security of property and people in schools, there is money for around 190 security guards, who will be deployed in 42 secondary and 65 primary schools.
School parent councils and the administrations of many schools are still considering offers from security agencies in order to hire guards with valid licenses for security work.
For days, the Ministry of National Education and Science has not responded to "Vijesti"'s questions about how and on what basis the selection of security companies is carried out, which will provide security to educational institutions, and whether they will perform physical or physical-technical security tasks in Montenegrin schools.
The Ministry of National Defense did not answer whether the security guards hired had any experience, certification, or license to work with children.
Those familiar with this issue claim that in some cities, where there are no security agencies, it will not be possible to hire security guards in schools as planned by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The Ministry of Interior clarified to "Vijesti" that security activities can only be performed by a company, other legal entity and entrepreneur that is registered in the Central Register of Business Entities and has a permit to perform security activities issued in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property.
Security operations are performed by natural persons who have a permit to perform security operations, issued in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property, as entrepreneurs or employees of a company or other legal entity that has a permit to perform security activities.
"Any company, other legal entity or entrepreneur that has a permit to perform protection activities issued in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property, which is issued by the police upon personal request, can respond to the Public Call of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation," the Ministry of Interior states.
Security guards are authorized to establish identity, give warnings, issue orders, stop and search persons, objects, vehicles and vessels, as well as temporarily seize objects or detain a person caught committing a crime or misdemeanor. In addition, they are legally authorized to secure the scene of an incident, as well as to use means of coercion...
The Ministry of the Interior can issue a work license only to those who, after receiving a certificate of professional competence for performing security tasks, have also passed a professional exam for performing security tasks.
The Ministry of Interior recorded irregularities in the work of agencies
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for supervising the implementation of the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property and regulations, and through inspections, it detects irregularities in the work of security agencies.
The Ministry of Interior did not respond to "Vijesti" about how many irregularities they have recorded in their work during supervision in the past three years, but they did respond that some shortcomings have been recorded.
"In the past three years, in the majority of cases, irregularities under Article 75, paragraph 1, item 12 of the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property (a legal entity organizes an internal security service without a police decision) and Article 75, paragraph 1, item 4 of the Law on the Protection of Persons and Property (a legal entity engages persons who do not have a permit to perform security services) have been identified," the Ministry of Interior's response states.
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