Transit Security Officers

Questions and Answers

Who are Transit Security Officers ?
What powers do they have ?
What training do they receive ?
How will I recognise them ?
How will this affect School Bus users ?
What are my rights and responsibilities ?
What do I do if I have a complaint ?

Who are Transit Security Officers?

Transit Security Officers are appointed as “Transit Officers” under the Public Transport (Passenger Safety) Act. The officers work as part of the Public Transport Division within the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, and provide a vital service in the day to day running of the urban bus network. They work on a roster system in teams of at least two.

Transit Security Officers provide a highly visible security presence and conduct patrol duties on buses and at Interchanges to detect any suspicious articles, activities or persons.

Transit Security Officers identify and deal with unlawful activity in and around Public Transport facilities by way of infringement, caution, summons or arrest depending on the circumstances of each situation.

Transit Security Officers work closely with the Northern Territory Police to identify any safety and security issues in and around Public Transport facilities.

What powers do they have?

All Transit Security Officers are empowered under the Public Transport (Passenger Safety) Act to issue infringement notices (fines) for actions which contravene the Rules of Behaviour that are defined in the Act. Rules of Behaviour deal with matters such as smoking at interchanges, consuming food or intoxicating drinks on buses and any inappropriate behaviour.

Under the Act a Transit Security Officer has the power remove people from a bus or bus station and to arrest people for certain offences, such as criminal damage and assault. They also have the power to search a person who has been arrested for dangerous objects such as knives and use force if necessary. Transit Security Officers only have these powers at or in the vicinity of a bus or bus station.

General Powers

require a person’s name, address and date of birth if the Officer reasonably believes that the person may have committed an offence or they can assist in the investigation of an offence;
direct a person to comply with rules of behaviour;
if a person contravenes an Officer’s direction to require a person to get off a bus and keep away from a bus station and use reasonable force if necessary;
arrest and detain a person (without warrant) where the Officer believes on reasonable grounds the person has committed an “offence warranting arrest” as defined by the Act;
search and seize dangerous articles from an arrested person.

What training do they receive?

In order to provide the best safety and security possible with a strong focus on customer service, all Transit Security Officers go through specialised training which includes an initial five week training course covering the following areas:

Roles and Responsibilities;
Cultural Awareness;
Equity and Diversity;
Disability Awareness;
Legislation;
Collection of evidence;
Preparation of court documents;
Communications;
First Aid; and
Certificate III Security Operations.

Occupational Health and Safety

Transit Security Officers are trained to keep themselves and their working environment safe to the highest levels at all times. This is important because the nature of their work may require them to be involved in various high-risk or dangerous situations.

Customer Service

Transit Security Officers come in contact with passengers every day. It is important that Transit Security Officers have the skills to ensure that they provide the best customer service possible for passengers. This section of the training includes:

Communication

Good communication skills are required of Transit Security Officers. When carrying out their duties, Transit Security Officers will often have to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, liaise with various people such as police and ambulance officers, write reports and use everyday communication tools such as radios.

Psychological

Transit Security Officers are expected to perform a wide range of activities under varied conditions, and the success in doing so reflects on their personality and mental agility, as such Trainee Transit Security Officers are subjected to a Psychological Test to verify their ability to manage such a demanding role.

On successful completion of all training and assessments, trainees then graduate and are appointed as Transit Officers under the Act as part of Transit Security Services (TSS) in the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, Public Transport Division.

How will I recognise them?

Transit Security Officers are uniformed Northern Territory Government law enforcement officers.

Before a Transit Security Officer exercises any of their powers under the Act they are required (wherever practicable) to produce their “Transit Officer” Identity Card for inspection. A Transit Security Officer is also required to provide their name and Identity Number if requested to do so by a member of the public.

The Transit Security Officers’ uniform consists of a teal shirt, black pants and black boots. They will have free to air radio, a utility belt and identifying badges. Transit Security Officers will be patrolling the bus networks and interchanges in distinctive vehicles with Transit Security markings and lights.

How will this affect School Bus users?

Transit Security Officers will work to increase student safety on buses and at bus interchanges. Transit Security Officers are required by law to deal with children and young people (youths) in the same way that Northern Territory Police are required under the Youth Justice Act. Transit Security Officers are trained in this Act by the Northern Territory Police and work closely with the Police to ensure that youths are treated appropriately according to law.The Public Transport Division also has a number of Codes of Conduct and Guides for students and parents to assist them in understanding appropriate behaviour and safe practices when accessing and using public transport.

http://www.nt.gov.au/transport/public/schools/index.shtml

What are my rights and responsibilities?

To help make the Public Transport bus network more safe and secure the Government has introduced legislation to cover the actions of passengers, bus drivers and Transit Security Officers. In addition the Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DPI) has produced a number of Policies, Information and Fact Sheets to assist passengers.

View the Public Transport Policies Information and Factsheets

The Public Transport (Passenger Safety) Act enables DPI to provide and operate a safe and secure public transport service. A copy of the Act and Regulations can be found at the Register of Legislation database.

What do I do if I have a complaint?

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DPI) supports your right to make a complaint about an individual Transit Security Officer or Transit Security Services’ policies and practices Complaints pages

Transit Security Officers are required by law not to contravene the “Transit Officer” Code of Conduct. The Code is issued by the DPI’s Director Transport and sets the proper standards of behaviour that Transit Security Officers are required to comply with.

Resources