Use of Firearms in Private Security

The author of the diploma thesis described the basic legislation in the field of private security, which sets out the conditions for the use of firearms in private security, and the programmes according to which security personnel are trained both for obtaining a firearms licence and for obtaining a service identification card for performing certain forms of private security work in which security personnel may use firearms in accordance with the law. Legislation and other regulations are set up in such a way that security personnel who may use firearms acquire ** basic knowledge of handling weapons** when obtaining a firearms licence, but this knowledge is merely basic. Security personnel undergo 10 hours of theoretical and 5 hours of practical training to obtain a firearms licence.

Problem

The author of the diploma thesis described the basic legislation in the field of private security, which sets out the conditions for the use of firearms in private security, and the programmes according to which security personnel are trained both for obtaining a firearms licence and for obtaining a service identification card for performing certain forms of private security work in which security personnel may use firearms in accordance with the law. Legislation and other regulations are set up in such a way that security personnel who may use firearms acquire ** basic knowledge of handling weapons** when obtaining a firearms licence, but this knowledge is merely basic.

To obtain a service identification card for forms of private security work in which security personnel may use firearms, in addition to obtaining a firearms licence, it is necessary to complete training according to the programme of professional training and further education of security personnel for carrying and using weapons. The aforementioned programme is well designed, the number of rounds used according to this programme is appropriate, and the tactical requirements are also appropriate, but greater emphasis should be placed on the actual handling of weapons and a weapon handling test should be prescribed, which would be a condition for the actual shooting.

When comparing training between security personnel, police and the military, they came to the realisation that the police and ** the military** ** devote** ** more** ** time** to the actual training. The key fact here is that soldiers, police officers and security personnel, within the framework of legal conditions, may use firearms against other persons and thereby interfere with a fundamental human right – the inviolability of life. Police officers receive training in the field of firearms as part of the Police Officer programme in the subject Police Tactics and Armament.

The subject is divided into two years, with a total of 20 hours of theoretical training and 76 hours of practical training. In the basic professional training of soldiers, the subject of personal armament with shooting instruction in the first phase comprises a total of 119 hours, of which 22 hours are lectures and 97 hours are field training and exercises.

Results

If we focus on pistol training, we can establish that a soldier in the basic professional training programme receives training totalling 39 hours, of which 4 hours are lectures and 35 hours are field training and shooting. Security personnel, on the other hand, undergo 10 hours of theoretical and 5 hours of practical training to obtain a firearms licence. If we also take into account the training according to the programme of professional development of security personnel for carrying and using weapons, the total number of training hours is 19.

Regular annual shooting for security guards is prescribed within the framework of internal training, which must be provided by the licence holder, once a year. This means that security guards who may use firearms must carry out training with shooting according to the programme of professional training and further education of security personnel for carrying and using weapons. It follows from this that security guards shoot at least once a year and in doing so ** use 48 rounds** when shooting with a pistol.

If we compare this with soldiers, we find that soldiers for whom the pistol is basic armament shoot at least ** three times a year , using 141 rounds in the process. ** Police officers shoot at least ** four times** ** a year, with both long-barrelled and short-barrelled weapons. Of course, the extent of shooting increases depending on the nature of the work that an individual performs in the police force (e.g. member of a special unit, member of a special police unit, etc.). The shooting of soldiers already represents the minimum shooting required to ** ensure a basic ** shooting** ** fitness**.

It follows from this that shooting once a year and using 48 rounds, as prescribed by the aforementioned programme, is ** inadequate** and ** does not ensure** ** appropriate** ** shooting fitness, and consequently there is even less training in weapon handling. Given the facts stated above, we can confirm the basic thesis and establish that ** security ** personnel** who may use firearms in accordance with the law ** are not sufficiently well trained in the use of firearms**.

• a weapon handling test must be introduced and prescribed in the programme of professional training and further education of security personnel for carrying and using weapons, in which certain procedures with weapons are checked in a prescribed manner, such as loading, unloading, procedures in case of stoppages and the like.
• Regular annual shooting or shooting conditioning must be prescribed at least three times a year, within the framework of internal training or in some other way.
• Private entities engaged in private security should be advised to enable security guards who may use firearms to shoot at least once a month.