Following the arrests of two auxiliary police officers for terrorism-related offences, the trade association for the security sector is crafting a set of “guidelines and tell-tale signs” to help private agencies identify potentially radicalised individuals.

Speaking to TODAY, Security Association of Singapore (SAS) president Raj Joshua Thomas said the guidelines have not been finalised, but they will be adapted from those used by the Government’s SGSecure movement.

Dr Graham Ong-Webb, an S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) research fellow, said the SGSecure guide would be a useful starting point. But, he pointed out: “Suspicious behaviour may manifest itself differently among personnel who are security officers, for example, or even kindergarten teachers … compared to suspicious behaviour in general.”

Dr Ong-Webb also said the SAS guidelines have to be customised for the industry. For instance, if a security personnel was drawing his weapon while he is off-duty, that could be a tell-tale sign for his peers to raise the matter to their supervisors. Security consultant Toby Koh of Ademco Security Group noted that having a set of guidelines would prompt private security firms to pay attention to the issue. Nevertheless, he noted that it has been difficult for countries around the world to identify radicalised individuals, despite all their resources and expertise.