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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Economy & Trade

Taichung councilor demands action against unlicensed 'black market' security guards

From Liberty Times · (13m ago) Chinese Critical tone

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Taichung City Councilor Chou Yung-hung has raised concerns about "black market" security guards operating under the guise of "property management staff" to avoid regulations and offer lower prices.
  • These unlicensed guards allegedly circumvent labor and tax laws, and some may have criminal records, posing a risk to community safety.
  • Chou urged the Taichung Police Bureau to collaborate with other departments for joint inspections and to demonstrate a stronger commitment to enforcing security regulations.

Concerns are mounting in Taichung over the proliferation of unlicensed "black market" security guards who are undermining legitimate businesses and potentially compromising public safety. City Councilor Chou Yung-hung has sounded the alarm, highlighting how unscrupulous operators are exploiting loopholes by rebranding their services as "property management" or "management consultants" to bypass the stringent vetting process required for licensed security personnel.

Unscrupulous operators are exploiting loopholes by rebranding their services as 'property management' or 'management consultants' to bypass the stringent vetting process required for licensed security personnel.

— Chou Yung-hungExplaining how illegal security operations are circumventing regulations.

This illicit trade allows these "black market" operators to undercut legitimate security firms, which must adhere to capital requirements, mandatory insurance, background checks, and tax obligations. The result is an unfair playing field where compliant businesses struggle to compete against those operating outside the law. Chou pointed out that the current system is ineffective, with regulatory bodies caught in a bureaucratic loop of paperwork while illegal operators continue to thrive.

The current system is ineffective, with regulatory bodies caught in a bureaucratic loop of paperwork while illegal operators continue to thrive.

— Chou Yung-hungCriticizing the slow administrative process in addressing the issue of illegal security guards.

A particularly alarming aspect of this issue is the potential for individuals with criminal backgrounds, including sex offenders, to be employed as "property managers" without proper scrutiny. Chou cited a case in another county where a registered sex offender, employed as a night guard under the guise of a "property manager," reoffended due to the lack of oversight. This highlights a critical gap in community safety that requires immediate attention from law enforcement and relevant government agencies. Chou is demanding that the Taichung Police Bureau take decisive action, including unannounced joint inspections with the Urban Development Bureau and the Labor Bureau, to root out these illegal operations and ensure the safety of Taichung's residents.

A registered sex offender, employed as a night guard under the guise of a 'property manager,' reoffended due to the lack of oversight.

— Chou Yung-hungIllustrating the severe public safety risks posed by unlicensed security personnel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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