DOJ contract a security concern

DOJ contract a security concern

Security industry leaders have expressed concern over the complex nature of the contract between AIMS Corporation and the Department of Justice in light of last week’s prisoner escape from the WA Supreme Court, which resulted in AIMS’ suspension from court security duties.

AIMS will next month enter the last year of its five-year contract with the DOJ, and a representative of the department contacted by WA Business News confirmed that negotiations have been taking place with regards to existing arrangements.

Last week nine prisoners escaped from the Supreme Court and hijacked two cars on St Georges Terrace.

Industry representatives have told WA Business News there are relatively few companies with the capacity to take on the DOJ contract, but that there were concerns within the industry over the complexity of the agreement.

Security Agents Institute president Jim King said he was asked by Chubb to advise on the viability of taking on such a contract when the DOJ contract went to tender.

“My advice was not to go anywhere near it; it is too complex and will just burn you,” Mr King said. “And my advice will remain the same if this goes out for tender again.

“It is almost impossible for local companies to get involved in a contract of this scale.

“Only three companies in WA have the capacity to take something like this on – Chubb, MSA and Group 4.

“I would not like to see this contract go back to the police, but that may be the only option if the contract isn’t substantially changed.”

MSA Security general manager Graham Drury confirmed his company had considered the original contract, but that the tender documents were too onerous to comply with.

“The documents were couched in such a way that only multinational companies could comply,” Mr Drury told WA Business News.

AIMS was the first private corporation to undertake security duties with the DOJ, and is responsible for court security, custodial services (transport of prisoners), and security at Acacia prison.

AIMS also provides security services and runs prisons interstate and overseas.

AIMS was purchased in 2000 by the New York Stock Exchange-listed Sodexho Alliance, which had a 2003 revenue of 11.7 billion euro ($A20.2 billion).

Mr Drury said the contract between AIMS and the DOJ always looked tenuous and AIMS had been penalised in the past for non-compliance.

“The DOJ did not consult industry at all when drafting the contract, and there are some very specific areas where government could have benefited from doing so,” he said.

Mr Drury and Mr King agreed that the level of training of staff needed to be substantially changed.

Mr King claimed the level of security training required within the contract was insufficient.

Train guards currently are required to be trained to the level of special constable, which involves 15 weeks’ training at the police academy.

“There is an industry perception that no-one is winning with this contract in the form it is in now, and it may be the situation is that no-one wants to pick it up and government has to take the security role back on itself,” Mr Drury said.

AIMS has declined to comment on the matter.