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BC Basic Security (BST) study materials
BC Basic Security (BST) study resources

BC Basic Security (BST) practice questions

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Question 1Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

Which body is responsible for licensing security workers and security businesses in British Columbia?

  1. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment
  2. The British Columbia Sheriff Service
  3. The provincial Security Programs Division Correct answer.
  4. The local municipal police department responsible for the site

Explanation

Security work in BC is regulated under provincial security services legislation, and licensing is administered by the provincial Security Programs Division. Security workers and security businesses must both hold a valid licence to operate. Police agencies enforce the law and have no role in issuing these licences.

Question 2Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

What is the primary function of a security officer working at a privately owned site?

  1. To protect people, property and information Correct answer.
  2. To conduct criminal investigations
  3. To enforce the Criminal Code and lay charges
  4. To replace police patrols in the surrounding area

Explanation

Private security exists to protect people, property and information on behalf of the client who controls the premises. Enforcing criminal law, investigating offences and laying charges are police functions. A security officer observes, documents and reports, and calls police when the law is broken.

Question 3Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

The authority of a private security officer comes mainly from which source?

  1. The property rights of the client Correct answer.
  2. Federal statutes that give peace officer powers
  3. The collective agreement covering the site
  4. An oath of office sworn before a provincial judge

Explanation

A private security officer exercises authority derived from the client's rights as occupier and property owner, delegated through the contract or employment relationship. Security officers are not peace officers and swear no oath of office. Their powers are therefore limited to what any private citizen or authorized representative of an occupier may lawfully do.

Question 4Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

Before being issued a security worker licence in British Columbia, an applicant must complete which requirement?

  1. A firearms safety course approved by the RCMP
  2. The Basic Security Training course Correct answer.
  3. A two-year diploma in criminology
  4. Twelve months of documented security experience

Explanation

BC requires applicants to complete the Basic Security Training course, which covers the legal foundations and practical skills of security work, before a licence is issued. Applicants must also meet other licensing requirements such as a criminal record check. No prior security experience or diploma is needed.

Question 5Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

While on duty, what must a licensed security worker in British Columbia do with their security licence?

  1. Leave it locked in the site office until asked
  2. Carry it and produce it on request Correct answer.
  3. Mail a copy of it to the local police detachment
  4. Display it only when making an arrest

Explanation

A licensed security worker must carry their licence while performing security work and produce it when requested by a peace officer, licensing staff or the client. The licence is proof that the worker is lawfully permitted to perform security work. Failing to carry it is a breach of licensing conditions.

Question 6Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

Under the Criminal Code, a security officer acting as a private citizen may arrest a person without a warrant in which situation?

  1. When the officer believes the person has an outstanding warrant
  2. Whenever the officer suspects the person has been involved in a crime
  3. When a co-worker asks the officer to detain the person
  4. When the person is found committing an indictable offence Correct answer.

Explanation

The citizen's arrest power allows a private person to arrest without warrant someone found committing an indictable offence, or someone believed on reasonable grounds to have committed a criminal offence who is escaping from and freshly pursued by persons with lawful authority. Suspicion alone does not meet that test. After any arrest, police must be contacted promptly.

Question 7Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

When force becomes necessary in a security incident, how much force may an officer use?

  1. The maximum force available to end the situation quickly
  2. Any level of force the site supervisor authorizes afterwards
  3. Only as much force as is reasonable in the circumstances Correct answer.
  4. Force equal to whatever force the other person used first

Explanation

Force must be reasonable, necessary and proportional to the threat, and it must stop once resistance ends. The justification comes from the Criminal Code provisions on defence of person and defence of property, applied together with the employer's use-of-force policy. Force that goes beyond what the situation requires is unlawful.

Question 8Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

Which statement best describes contract security compared with in-house security?

  1. Contract officers are paid by the police service for the area
  2. Contract officers are sworn peace officers for the site they guard
  3. Contract officers work for an agency that is hired by a client Correct answer.
  4. Contract officers are hired and paid directly by the property owner

Explanation

With contract security, a licensed security company supplies officers to a client under a service agreement, and the officers remain employees of the agency. In-house officers are employees of the organization whose premises they protect. Supervision, uniforms and post orders are organized accordingly.

Question 9Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

What are post orders?

  1. An officer's personal notes recorded during patrol
  2. Court orders that restrict access to a property
  3. Provincial regulations that govern security licensing
  4. Site-specific written instructions for a security post Correct answer.

Explanation

Post orders are written instructions prepared for a specific site or post, describing duties, patrols, access rules, reporting requirements and emergency procedures. Officers are expected to read and follow them and to raise any ambiguity with a supervisor. They are internal operating documents, not legislation or court orders.

Question 10Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A reporter calls the site and asks a security officer for details about an incident involving a client's employee. What should the officer do?

  1. Answer briefly so the story is reported accurately
  2. Refer the request to the client's designated spokesperson Correct answer.
  3. Provide the names but withhold any medical details
  4. Confirm only whether an incident occurred at all

Explanation

Security officers owe a duty of confidentiality to clients, employers and the public, so information about incidents is released only through the client's authorized spokesperson or by legal process. Even confirming that an incident occurred discloses client information. The officer should record the call and report it.

Question 11Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

Which entry is written in the style expected of an incident report?

  1. The subject was clearly intoxicated and looking for trouble.
  2. The subject was a well-known troublemaker at the site.
  3. The subject had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. Correct answer.
  4. I think the subject had probably been drinking all evening.

Explanation

Reports record observable facts - what was seen, heard and done - in objective language, without conclusions, labels or speculation. Fact-based entries let the reader draw conclusions and stand up to scrutiny if the report is used in court. Opinions and assumptions weaken the report's reliability.

Question 12Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A person who is not authorized to be on the property refuses a security officer's request to leave. What may the officer do?

  1. Charge the person with trespassing on the spot
  2. Search the person's bag for stolen property
  3. Use reasonable force to remove the person Correct answer.
  4. Hold the person in a locked room until police arrive

Explanation

As the occupier's authorized representative, a security officer may ask a trespasser to leave and, if the person refuses, may use reasonable force to remove them or call police. Charging decisions belong to police and Crown counsel, and lockable detention or searches go beyond a security officer's authority.

Question 13Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A security officer sees two people arguing loudly near an entrance. Which action best reflects the observe-and-report role?

  1. Step between the two people and order them to stop
  2. Ask bystanders to record the argument on their phones
  3. Observe from a safe distance and call for police or a supervisor Correct answer.
  4. Wait for the argument to end and record it later

Explanation

An unarmed security officer's role is to observe, document and summon the appropriate assistance rather than physically intervene in a dispute that may turn violent. Personal safety and an accurate report take priority, and any intervention must be reasonable and within policy. Early notification allows police or a supervisor to respond appropriately.

Question 14Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A security company is designing a new uniform. Which feature is acceptable under BC requirements?

  1. A plain patch showing only the company name Correct answer.
  2. A shoulder patch reading 'Downtown Police Unit'
  3. A badge shaped like a municipal police shield
  4. Trousers with a red stripe copied from the RCMP

Explanation

Security uniforms, titles, badges and markings must not suggest that the worker is a police officer or peace officer, because impersonating or implying police status is an offence and damages public trust. A neutral company identifier is acceptable. Anything that mimics police insignia or wording is not.

Question 15Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A security officer wants to search a shopper's backpack. Which statement is correct?

  1. The officer may search only with valid consent or lawful authority Correct answer.
  2. Any search is permitted because the store is private property
  3. A search is permitted if the store manager witnesses it
  4. A search is permitted whenever the officer has a reasonable suspicion

Explanation

Security officers are private citizens with no statutory power to search people or their belongings. A search must rest on genuine, voluntary consent, a lawful arrest or another lawful authority, and must follow the employer's policy. Refusal of consent alone does not justify force or detention.

Question 16Introduction to the Security Industry and Security Roles

A client offers a security officer an expensive gift after a successful event. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Accept it privately, since the event went well
  2. Accept it if the supervisor never finds out
  3. Accept it and share it among the shift team
  4. Decline it politely and report the offer Correct answer.

Explanation

Codes of conduct and most employer policies bar accepting gifts or benefits that could create a conflict of interest or the appearance of favouritism. The officer should decline politely and report the offer so the employer can respond consistently. Transparency protects both the officer and the client relationship.

Question 17Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A store security worker physically prevents a customer from leaving the store and has no lawful authority to do so. Which Charter right is being violated?

  1. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly
  2. The right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty
  3. The right to be tried within a reasonable time
  4. The right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned Correct answer.

Explanation

Section 9 of the Charter guarantees that everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned. Holding a person without a lawful source of authority, such as a valid arrest, statutory power or consent, is arbitrary detention. This applies to private security workers as much as to anyone else.

Question 18Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, what must a person who is arrested or detained be told without delay?

  1. The name of the officer who laid the charge
  2. The right to retain and instruct counsel without delay Correct answer.
  3. The maximum penalty that the offence carries
  4. The date and time scheduled for their first court appearance

Explanation

Section 10(b) of the Charter gives everyone the right on arrest or detention to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right. The standard caution read by police conveys this information. The other items are either on the charging document or arise later in the process.

Question 19Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under section 494 of the Criminal Code, a private citizen may arrest without a warrant a person whom the citizen does which of the following?

  1. Believes may have been involved in an offence earlier that week
  2. Finds committing a criminal offence Correct answer.
  3. Matches a description circulated in a staff bulletin
  4. Has been told by another employee is a known shoplifter

Explanation

Section 494(1)(b) allows anyone to arrest without warrant a person found committing a criminal offence, and section 494(1)(a) covers a person who has committed an indictable offence and is escaping. Suspicion, hearsay or a matching description does not meet that threshold.

Question 20Legal Framework and Criminal Law

After making a lawful citizen's arrest under the Criminal Code, what must the person who made the arrest do with the arrested person?

  1. Release them once their identity has been recorded
  2. Obtain a written statement before allowing them to leave
  3. Deliver them to a peace officer without delay Correct answer.
  4. Keep them in custody until the matter is heard in court

Explanation

Section 494(3) of the Criminal Code requires a person who makes an arrest under section 494(1) to deliver the arrested person to a peace officer forthwith. A private citizen has no authority to hold the person until trial or to decide the matter themselves.

Question 21Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under section 25 of the Criminal Code, when may a person who is enforcing the law use force?

  1. Any amount of force, provided that no injury results
  2. As much force as is necessary on reasonable grounds Correct answer.
  3. Force only after a written warning has been ignored
  4. Only the amount of force that a supervisor approves

Explanation

Section 25 justifies force that is necessary in the circumstances where the person acts on reasonable grounds and in the lawful execution of their duty. The force must also be proportionate and must stop short of excess. Neither a warning nor a supervisor's approval is the legal test.

Question 22Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Section 26 of the Criminal Code provides that a person who is authorized by law to use force is which of the following?

  1. Immune from prosecution whenever a lawful arrest is being made
  2. Protected if the force was applied in good faith
  3. Criminally responsible for any excess in the force used Correct answer.
  4. Liable only in civil court for injuries caused

Explanation

Section 26 makes a person who uses force under statutory authority criminally responsible for any excess, according to the nature and quality of the act. The justification in section 25 ends at the point the force becomes excessive, and good faith does not cure excess.

Question 23Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Which statement best describes the test for self-defence under section 34 of the Criminal Code?

  1. The force used must be identical to the force threatened
  2. Reasonable belief in a threat and a reasonable response Correct answer.
  3. The person must retreat as far as possible before using any force
  4. The defence applies only where the person was struck first

Explanation

Section 34 requires a reasonable belief that force is being used or threatened, an act done for the purpose of defending, and an act that is reasonable in all the circumstances. Proportionality, the roles of the parties and the availability of other means are factors, not fixed rules such as a duty to retreat or exact matching of force.

Question 24Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A security worker uses force to remove a person who is refusing to leave a private warehouse. Which Criminal Code defence is most directly engaged?

  1. The defence of necessity
  2. Defence of property under section 35 Correct answer.
  3. The defence of duress
  4. Self-defence under section 34 of the Code

Explanation

Section 35 provides a defence where a person in peaceable possession of property acts reasonably to prevent another person from entering, to remove a trespasser, or to prevent property from being taken. Self-defence under section 34 concerns force or threats directed at persons rather than the protection of property.

Question 25Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under British Columbia's Trespass Act, a person who enters private property and then fails to leave when directed to do so by the occupier commits which of the following?

  1. an indictable criminal offence
  2. an offence only if property is damaged
  3. a civil wrong only, with no penalty
  4. a provincial offence Correct answer.

Explanation

The Trespass Act makes it an offence to remain on premises after being directed to leave by the occupier or an authorized person, and the offence is prosecuted under provincial legislation. It is not a Criminal Code offence and does not require damage to property.

Question 26Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under the Trespass Act, who may exercise the authority to direct a person to leave premises?

  1. Only the registered owner named on the land title
  2. Any member of the public who sees the trespass occur
  3. The occupier or someone the occupier authorizes Correct answer.
  4. Only a police officer in uniform

Explanation

The Trespass Act confers the power on the occupier and on an authorized person, which is how contracted security workers act on behalf of a client. The power is not limited to police or to the registered owner of the land.

Question 27Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under British Columbia's Security Services Act, a person who performs security work for pay must do which of the following?

  1. register with the local police department
  2. be a Canadian citizen
  3. hold a valid security worker licence Correct answer.
  4. be employed directly by the property owner

Explanation

The Security Services Act requires anyone performing security work for compensation to hold a security worker licence issued under the Act and to carry it while on duty. Citizenship and police registration are not licensing requirements, and the identity of the employer does not remove the obligation.

Question 28Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Which statement about the legal status of a private security worker in British Columbia is correct?

  1. Their arrest powers come from the citizen's arrest provision Correct answer.
  2. A security worker has the same powers of arrest as a police officer
  3. A security worker may search any person who enters the premises
  4. A security worker may detain a person for up to 24 hours without arrest

Explanation

Private security workers are not peace officers, so their power to arrest comes from section 494 of the Criminal Code, which applies to every person. Any other power, such as detention or search, must rest on lawful authority, consent or a lawful arrest.

Question 29Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A security worker has lawfully arrested a person for shoplifting. When may the worker search that person?

  1. Only if a police officer arrives and gives permission
  2. When it is connected to the arrest, such as for weapons Correct answer.
  3. At any time, because an arrest removes all privacy rights
  4. Only if the person signs a written consent form

Explanation

A search incident to arrest is lawful only where it is truly incidental to the arrest, for example to locate weapons or to preserve evidence connected to the offence. The search must serve a valid purpose linked to the arrest and must be conducted reasonably.

Question 30Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A security worker asks a person to empty their pockets. For any consent to that search to be legally valid, the consent must be which of the following?

  1. recorded on video and kept for one year
  2. obtained after the person is told refusal will be treated as guilt
  3. given in writing and witnessed by a supervisor
  4. voluntary, informed and given by someone with authority Correct answer.

Explanation

Consent is valid only when it is voluntary, informed as to the nature and scope of the search, and given by a person entitled to consent to it. Consent obtained by coercion, threat or trickery is not true consent and does not make the search lawful.

Question 31Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under British Columbia's Mental Health Act, who may apprehend a person who appears to have a mental disorder and is acting in a manner likely to endanger their own safety or that of others?

  1. The occupier of the premises where the person is found
  2. A police officer or constable Correct answer.
  3. Any two adults who know the person
  4. Any security worker holding a valid security worker licence

Explanation

The Mental Health Act authorizes a police officer or constable to apprehend such a person and take them for examination by a physician. Private security workers are not constables, so their role is to summon police and keep others safe rather than to apprehend the person themselves.

Question 32Legal Framework and Criminal Law

In British Columbia, the minimum age at which a person may lawfully purchase or consume liquor in a licensed establishment is which of the following?

  1. 18
  2. 20
  3. 16
  4. 19 Correct answer.

Explanation

The Liquor Control and Licensing Act sets the legal drinking age in British Columbia at 19. Selling or supplying liquor to a person under that age is a contravention under the Act, and licensed premises rely on security staff to help prevent it.

Question 33Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Possession of a controlled substance such as cocaine without lawful authority is prohibited by which statute?

  1. the Youth Criminal Justice Act
  2. the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act Correct answer.
  3. the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  4. the BC Trespass Act

Explanation

The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is the federal statute that creates offences for possession, trafficking and production of controlled substances. The Charter limits government action and creates no offences, while the other listed statutes deal with entirely different subject matter.

Question 34Legal Framework and Criminal Law

The Youth Criminal Justice Act applies to a young person who was at least how old at the time of the alleged offence?

  1. 16 years old
  2. 14 years old
  3. 12 years old Correct answer.
  4. 10 years old

Explanation

Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a young person is someone who is at least 12 and under 18 at the time of the offence. A child under 12 cannot be charged with an offence under the Act.

Question 35Legal Framework and Criminal Law

An offence that the Crown may prosecute either as an indictable offence or as a summary conviction offence is known as which of the following?

  1. a hybrid offence Correct answer.
  2. an indictable-only offence
  3. a strict liability offence
  4. an absolute liability offence

Explanation

A hybrid, or dual procedure, offence allows the Crown to elect the mode of prosecution, which affects the procedure followed and the maximum penalty available. Strict and absolute liability describe the mental element required rather than the mode of trial.

Question 36Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Which of the following best describes assault under section 265 of the Criminal Code?

  1. A threat made in writing only
  2. Any physical contact between two people that causes injury
  3. Intentional force without consent, or a threat of it Correct answer.
  4. An act that causes property damage while a person is present

Explanation

Section 265 covers the intentional application of force to another person without their consent, an attempt or threat by act or gesture to apply force, and accosting or impeding someone while openly carrying a weapon. Physical injury is not an element, and a threat need not be in writing.

Question 37Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A customer leaves a store with goods without paying, honestly believing the goods were already paid for. Which element of theft under section 322 is most directly affected by that belief?

  1. The requirement that the goods have value
  2. The requirement that the taking be without colour of right Correct answer.
  3. That the taking occur during business hours
  4. The requirement that the goods belong to someone else

Explanation

Theft requires a fraudulent taking or conversion of property without colour of right and with intent to deprive the owner. An honest belief in a right to the property negates the required mental element, even though the goods were in fact unpaid for.

Question 38Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Which fact turns a theft into robbery under section 343 of the Criminal Code?

  1. The value of the property taken exceeds $5,000
  2. The property is taken from a commercial premises
  3. The theft is committed at night
  4. Violence or threats of violence are used to steal or to escape Correct answer.

Explanation

Robbery is theft accompanied by violence or threats of violence to a person, or an assault with intent to steal. The value of the property, the time of day and the type of premises do not change the character of the offence.

Question 39Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A person forces open the rear door of a closed store at night intending to steal merchandise. Which offence is committed as soon as entry occurs?

  1. Theft under $5,000 only
  2. Break and enter with intent to commit an indictable offence Correct answer.
  3. Mischief only
  4. No offence until property is actually removed

Explanation

Section 348 makes it an offence to break and enter a place with intent to commit an indictable offence inside, and the offence is complete on entry with that intent. Any theft that follows may be charged as a separate offence.

Question 40Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A person tells a security worker, "If you touch me again I will burn your house down." Which offence is most directly engaged?

  1. Assault with a weapon under section 267
  2. Uttering a threat to damage property Correct answer.
  3. Criminal harassment under section 264
  4. Mischief under section 430

Explanation

Section 264.1 makes it an offence to knowingly utter, convey or cause a person to receive a threat to cause death or bodily harm, to damage or destroy property, or to injure an animal. The words alone complete the offence; no weapon is used and no property is damaged.

Question 41Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A person who is not a peace officer wears a uniform and badge and tells members of the public that he is a police officer may be charged with which offence?

  1. obstructing a peace officer
  2. breach of the Trespass Act
  3. impersonating a peace officer Correct answer.
  4. careless use of a firearm

Explanation

Section 130 of the Criminal Code prohibits falsely representing oneself as a peace officer or using a badge or uniform to create that impression. Obstruction, by contrast, requires interference with an actual peace officer who is carrying out their duties.

Question 42Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which statement about publishing information that would identify a young person charged with an offence is correct?

  1. A youth justice court may order that the ban on publication does not apply. Correct answer.
  2. Publication becomes lawful if a parent gives written consent.
  3. The ban applies only to young persons under sixteen years of age.
  4. Publication becomes lawful once the young person has been formally charged.

Explanation

The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits publishing the name of, or any information that would identify, a young person involved in proceedings under the Act. The ban is not absolute: a youth justice court may make an order permitting publication where doing so is necessary in the interests of justice, for example to help locate a young person at large. The protection is not tied to the charge stage, parental wishes, or any sub-group of ages.

Question 43Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Without any lawful justification, a person deliberately smashes the windshield of a neighbour's parked car. Which offence does this conduct most directly constitute?

  1. Mischief Correct answer.
  2. Assault
  3. Robbery
  4. Theft

Explanation

Mischief under section 430 of the Criminal Code is committed where a person wilfully destroys or damages property. Deliberately smashing the windshield damages another person's property, so the conduct fits mischief. The other offences require elements that are absent here, such as an intent to deprive an owner of property or the application of force to a person.

Question 44Legal Framework and Criminal Law

A security worker makes a lawful citizen's arrest of a person who has just left a store with unpaid merchandise. What must the worker do with the arrested person?

  1. Deliver the person to a peace officer without delay. Correct answer.
  2. Hold the person until the store manager decides whether to press charges.
  3. Take the person personally before a judge at the next court sitting.
  4. Release the person as soon as the merchandise has been recovered.

Explanation

Section 494(3) of the Criminal Code requires a person who arrests someone without a warrant to deliver that person to a peace officer forthwith. The private arrest is only a temporary measure that hands the matter over to police, who then decide on release, charges, and court appearances. The arresting worker has no authority to hold the person for an internal business decision or to release the person as a form of settlement.

Question 45Legal Framework and Criminal Law

Which element must be established for a conviction for criminal harassment under section 264 of the Criminal Code?

  1. The complainant felt afraid, whether or not that fear was reasonable.
  2. The accused used words that a reasonable person would find insulting.
  3. The conduct caused a fear for safety that was reasonable in the circumstances. Correct answer.
  4. The accused and the complainant had previously been in an intimate relationship.

Explanation

Criminal harassment requires one of the prohibited behaviours, such as repeatedly following or communicating with a person, together with proof that the accused knew or was reckless as to whether the complainant was harassed. The conduct must also cause the complainant reasonably, in all the circumstances, to fear for their safety or the safety of someone known to them. A prior relationship, actual fear that is unreasonable, or merely insulting words do not satisfy the offence.

Question 46Legal Framework and Criminal Law

At 3 a.m., a security worker finds a person crouching beside a car in a commercial parking lot, holding lock-picking tools and a window punch. The person gives no lawful excuse for having them. Which offence is most directly made out?

  1. Mischief
  2. Possession of break-in instruments Correct answer.
  3. Assault
  4. Theft

Explanation

Section 351 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to possess, without lawful excuse, an instrument suitable for breaking into a place or motor vehicle in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference that it is intended to be used for that purpose. Lock picks and a window punch held beside a car in the middle of the night support that inference. The other offences require an actual taking, actual damage, or force against a person, none of which has occurred yet.

Question 47Provincial Legislation and Private Security Regulation

Which British Columbia statute sets out the licensing requirements for security guards, private investigators, and locksmiths?

  1. Offence Act
  2. Police Act
  3. Security Services Act Correct answer.
  4. Trespass Act

Explanation

The Security Services Act and its regulation create the licensing scheme for security workers and security businesses in British Columbia. It establishes the Registrar's powers and the categories of licence. The Police Act governs municipal police forces, and the Trespass Act deals with entry onto property.

Question 48Provincial Legislation and Private Security Regulation

Who has the authority to issue, refuse, suspend, and cancel security worker licences in British Columbia?

  1. The local municipal council
  2. The Registrar of Security Services Correct answer.
  3. The chief constable of the local police department
  4. The BC Supreme Court

Explanation

The Security Services Act gives licensing authority to the Registrar, who operates within the Security Programs Division of the provincial government. Police agencies and municipal councils do not issue provincial security licences. The courts hear matters that come before them but do not administer the licensing scheme.

Question 49Provincial Legislation and Private Security Regulation

Before a person can be licensed as a security guard in British Columbia, the person must complete which of the following?

  1. A first aid instructor certification course
  2. Forty hours of supervised patrol with a licensed company
  3. Basic Security Training from an approved provider Correct answer.
  4. A diploma in criminal justice from a recognized college

Explanation

British Columbia requires applicants for a security guard licence to complete Basic Security Training (BST) through a training provider approved under the provincial scheme. The course covers law, report writing, and professional conduct. A college diploma or instructor certification is not the entry requirement.

Question 50Provincial Legislation and Private Security Regulation

While working, a licensed security guard in British Columbia is required to:

  1. keep a criminal record check in their pocket
  2. carry a printed copy of the Security Services Act
  3. carry their security worker licence Correct answer.
  4. wear a badge issued by the local police department

Explanation

A licensee must have their security worker licence in their possession while performing security work. This allows a peace officer or the Registrar to confirm that the person is licensed. The licence is the property of the issuing authority and is tied to the individual named on it.