Of The 1,845 Private Guards Hired By the City Government, Only 51 Were Enabled
<p><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">This is data from the security companies themselves. According to the Audit of the City, the Department of Stewardship has no information about those who serve in public buildings. Nor do they sanction the firm’s irregularities. In 2007, every contract for the agency, for more than $74 million, was made without notice.</span></p>
The DG of Custody and Security of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires do not have a database with references of the private guards serving in public offices. To get this information, the Audit of the City of Buenos Aires (AGCBA, for its acronym in Spanish) must go to the companies themselves. Thus it was found that of the 1,845 contracted staff, only 51 meet the eligibility requirements under the Act 1913 private security.
The Watchdog report points out that, in this universe of agents, 842 are partially enabled; 637 have no registration, i.e. there are no records in the Directorate of Custody; and 315 do not have authorization.
Among other requirements, the 1913 Act provides that guards must have completed high school, be 21 years old, not have been convicted or pardoned by violations of human rights or exempted from security forces, except for political, religious or discriminatory reasons.
The AGCBA states that the Directorate of Custody "did not implement corrective actions against companies of noncompliance" with respect to the qualification of its guards.
This Department centralizes control of comprehensive surveillance in all areas of the Buenos Aires government and has the mission of protect the heritage own agents and through private companies.
The audit report, approved last year over 2007 figures, says that during the analyzed period "100% of the costs of private security services were paid based on the decree from 1370 to 1301." This legislation enables them to make expenditures "indispensable necessity" bypassing the current hiring system. The AGCBA adds that in terms of service providers, that is, companies hire private security expenses were incurred by $ 74,574,843.13.
The "no contract between the City Government and private security providers" causes the address of Custody "does not apply any sanctions against breaches linked to the quality of delivery," say the auditors and attached "only the hours are not paid for services not borrowed."
Moreover, during the period audited the Department did not conduct actions to upgrade the training of its staff.
According to the AGCBA’s work "activities (the Directorate) are not framed in a Comprehensive Security Plan and coordinate other related initiatives (for that matter) conducted by the City Government." In fact, the "poor coordination between organisms of the same Ministry (Justice and Security), General Directorate of Private Security and Management Buildings Goods and Custody", which determines the Buenos Aires government "requires that standards are met in the stands private sector that are not met in the public sphere."