In today’s world, it has become all too common for industry experts to sound the alarm about underfunding, inadequate training, and looming crises. Yet, after more than 30 years in both public and private law enforcement, I can say with certainty that no industry is in greater need of urgent reform than the private security sector. I do not make this statement lightly. My decades of experience—working with security guards daily, sitting on government committees, and advocating for change—have given me a unique perspective on the deep flaws within the system.
One recent, tragic incident should serve as a final warning. At an Ontario hospital, a deceased person sat unnoticed in a parked car for two days while eight different security guards conducted multiple patrols of the building and its exterior. This is not a minor oversight. It is a systemic failure, the equivalent of a door plug blowing out at 12,000 feet or airbags causing more harm than good. These are not isolated mishaps—they are red flags that demand immediate action. It is time the public recognized that security is not window dressing.
Police never patrol hospitals. Typically, police involvement ends when they deliver an individual who needs medical or mental health attention. Once inside, responsibility for safety and order falls to security guards—contracted employees working for companies that often win contracts by bidding the lowest price, sometimes a tenth of what it would cost for public police services. Security guards in Ontario are required to have a minimum of 40 hours of training and, at the time of licensing, certification in CPR and first aid. After that, their training, pay, and support are dictated by the open market—and too often, the lowest bidder prevails.
Consider the security company currently contracted at this hospital. Their primary qualification? They were willing to do the work for less. In fact, this hospital has dismissed previous providers who offered better pay, benefits, and training, all in pursuit of cost savings. The result is glaring: guards at the same site wear mismatched uniforms because the company cannot afford to provide anything better.
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Sign Up TodayThere is an old legend about a rock band that insisted on having all the red M&Ms removed from their backstage candy bowl. The reason? Attention to detail—if the venue got the M&Ms right, they likely got everything else right, too. Extending that metaphor, every guard at Humber Hospital is a red M&M—not because they are incapable, but because they are underpaid, undertrained, and undersupported. Many lack health and welfare benefits, cannot afford dental care or prescriptions, and have no paid sick days—all while working in environments teeming with illness and risk.
Only the Government of Ontario—the very contractor of these services—has the authority to fix this. The solution is simple but urgent: overhaul the Security Guard and Private Investigators Act to create tiered training and certification for different types of security work. A guard on a construction site may not need advanced first aid, but hospital security requires a higher standard. Without legislative change, the market will continue to race to the bottom, as public agencies and hospitals choose the lowest bidder, regardless of quality.
Imagine if a Toronto Police officer, an OPP officer, or an RCMP constable earned minimum wage. Recruitment for public policing is already a challenge, yet private security faces a staggering 69% annual turnover rate due to low wages. How, then, can we be surprised when a tragedy like the one outside this hospital occurs?
Some may dismiss this as a one-off event. But just as a single catastrophic failure led to immediate change in the airline industry, so too should this demand action in security. Our frontline defenders—those who protect our homes, workplaces, and hospitals—are not living up to their potential, not because they lack dedication, but because the system sets them up to fail.
When you’re in distress in a hospital or parking lot, who do you want to respond? Someone qualified and prepared, or someone forced into the role by circumstance, poorly trained, underpaid, and wearing a hand-me-down uniform? Security is a people-driven profession—AI will not be patrolling the halls any time soon. It requires common sense, judgment, and a living wage.
Shame on companies that cut corners, on unions that fail to secure basic benefits, and on institutions and governments who gamble with public safety for the sake of cost savings. The warning signs have been ignored for too long. Will we see meaningful change, or will responsibility be deflected yet again—punishing one guard instead of fixing a broken system? The time for reform is now.
