Death of security guard sparks call to review training, safety standards
Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the death of a security guard in Edmonton, Alberta.
Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder, according to a CBC report.
Harshandeep Singh, 20, who had been working as a security guard for just three days, was fatally shot while on duty at an apartment building at 106th Street and 107th Avenue.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Downtown Branch patrol officers responded to a report of a gunshot inside the apartment building, according to the Edmonton Police Service.
Upon arrival, officers located the unresponsive security guard in a stairwell and immediately conducted first aid. EMS treated and transported him to hospital, where he was declared deceased.
A closed-circuit television video inside the apartment—cited in a CBC report—shows a person armed with a gun, accompanied by another individual, advancing down an apartment hallway. The two push a man in a yellow jacket—believed to be Singh—into a stairwell before shooting him.
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The death of the 20-year-old security guard has ignited calls for changes in safety protocols and training within the security industry.
Gagandeep Singh Ghuman, Singh’s cousin, expressed hope that Singh’s death would lead to changes in safety policies. “I hope this death is not going to be in vain. I hope there’s more policies and procedures that come out of this to prevent such losses,” he told CBC.
The location of the building was fraught with safety concerns, said Andrew Edwards, a former security guard who worked at the same building three years ago.
“I can’t sleep,” Edwards told CBC. “I’ve been really thinking about the dangers of my job and if I even want to return to this job. It’s not safe out here for security guards.”
He described encountering frequent violence and crime in the area and noted his concern that Singh was working alone on the night of the incident.
Following Singh’s death, Paul Carson, chairman of the Security Guard Association of Ontario, has advocated for legislative changes to require at least two guards per shift during nighttime hours.
“If there was changes to legislation through Canada that mandated at least two guards per shift on a night shift, that may go a long way to solving the problem of lone worker deaths related to security,” Carson said, according to CBC.
Training and oversight gaps
In Alberta, security guards are required to complete a basic training course and pass an exam to become licensed. However, critics argue the training is insufficient for the realities many guards face on the job.
Arthur Green, press secretary for Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis, told CBC that the curriculum covers “health and safety topics related to professional security, including personal safety and hazard identification.” However, Green noted that private companies are responsible for delivering the training.
Mike Byrne, founder of Calgary-based Scope Safety and Security, also highlighted concerns over the lack of practical training and oversight in the industry.
“There’s such a huge amount of people entering the security industry that don’t necessarily have the skills and the training, and some employers don’t provide practical training,” Byrne told CBC. “As a result, we are seeing more and more new people entering environments they’re just not prepared for.”
Byrne also pointed out the absence of a unified regulator for the security industry, which he said leaves workers with limited options to report safety concerns.
