Private security agencies attend Tourism Security Workshop

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

~~Adz:Right~~ BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS part of the programmed activities for Tourism Awareness Month, the Ministry of Tourism yesterday (Oct. 9) conducted a workshop on Tourism Security at the Headquarters of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The workshop, which is in its second year, aims to improve the performance of private security officers in many areas of their work including professionalism and customer service.

Minister with Responsibility for Tourism, the Hon. Ricky Skerritt officially opened the workshop at which participants were drawn from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, security workers of the Pelican Mall, ECCB, Port Authority, Urban Development Corporation (UDC) and the Ross Veterinary and Nursing Schools.

Presentations were given on a wide variety of job-related topics, such as Time Management, Ethics, Private Security Laws, Support by the police/linkages with private security officers and Performance Evaluation.

Icilma Welsh, a manager at the Pelican Mall, Hezekiah Charles of UDC and Lynell Nolan, Security Director at Ross University, School of Veterinary Medicine, were the main organisers of the event. They stated the need for improved workers’ performances and to strengthen the networking between the various agencies that were represented.

Lloyd Lazar, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, stated that even though the workshop lasted for a day, the Ministry anticipated seeing long-term positive implications.