Public complaints for security guards and private investigators
Learn how to file a complaint against a security guard or private investigator.
Overview
Anyone can submit a complaint against a security guard, private investigator or licensed security guard or private investigator agency if they have reason to believe that they have failed to comply with the Private Security and Investigative Services Act (PSISA) or its regulations.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General will review public complaints against an individual licence holder and licensed agencies and their officers, directors, partners, and sole proprietors regarding:
- breaching the Code of Conduct regulation
- failing to comply with any part of the PSISA or its regulations
- breaching a licence condition
Code of Conduct complaints against licensed security guards or private investigators must be about their conduct while on duty. However, if a complaint about the behaviour of an off-duty security guard or private investigator is received that brings their fitness to hold a licence into question, an investigation may be conducted.
The ministry may also investigate an individual’s employer for potential non-compliance with the Act or its regulations, or a breach of a licence condition.
The ministry may also review complaints about individuals or agencies providing unlicensed security or private investigative services.
Complaints about labour relations issues, such as wages, work stoppages and grievances do not fall within the scope of the PSISA. Contact the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for information about labour relations.
How to submit a complaint
To submit a complaint, you must provide as much information as possible, within 90 days of the incident. Information provided should include:
- a description of what happened
- when the incident occurred
- where the incident occurred, including the date and approximate time
- who was involved in the incident
- the names of witnesses, their addresses and phone numbers, if available
If you are submitting a complaint on behalf of someone else, include the person’s name, address and contact information. Also indicate your relationship to that person.
If not enough information is provided or there is no contact information given for follow up, the ministry may not be able to complete an investigation.
If you require any accommodations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, please provide this information in your complaint submission.
Any complaints submitted 90 days after the incident must include reasons and rationale for the delay. The registrar must agree to accept the complaint before the ministry can take any action.
There is no fee for submitting a complaint.
You can submit a complaint online or by mail.
Online
Submit your complaint through the online complaints portal.
Download and print the public complaints form. Mail completed and signed forms to:
The Registrar/Director
Private Security and Investigative Services Branch
Ministry of the Solicitor General
25 Grosvenor Street, 12th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1Y6
Check your complaint status
You can you check the status of your complaint at anytime.
What to expect after submitting a complaint
Initial assessment
After you submit a complaint, you will be sent an acknowledgement from the ministry once it has been received. It will include contact information in case you have questions about your complaint or the complaints process.
The ministry will complete an initial assessment and you will receive a letter within 15 business days indicating whether your complaint is proceeding for review or has been closed. A complaint at this stage may be closed if it is:
- determined to be frivolous, vexatious, or not made in good faith
- deemed to be out of scope of the PSISA
- not submitted within 90 days of the incident and the registrar’s consent to proceed was not granted
Complaints deemed to be frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith include those that:
- lack a reasonable purpose
- are made with the intent to deceive or mislead
- have an improper purpose or ulterior motive
More time may be required to review and address your complaint based on the nature of the incident and number of individuals and/or allegations it involves. Where a complaint includes multiple allegations, once all outcomes have been determined the complaint will be closed and a letter will be sent to you.
Complaints may be formally withdrawn in writing at any time throughout the complaints process. However, the ministry may still take action in cases where the complaint provides sufficient concern that it warrants further compliance action. If you withdraw your complaint, you will not be able to receive any information regarding its status or outcome.
Review
If your complaint is being reviewed, you may be contacted to discuss the matter and provide additional information. Possible next steps could include:
- referral to regulatory partners, including a police service
- inspection of an agency
- referral of Code of Conduct violations to facilitation
- investigation of breach of the PSISA or licence conditions
Complaints found to meet the threshold for a breach of the Code of Conduct regulation are referred to facilitation services.
If there is a possibility of a serious Code of Conduct violation that may impact public safety, the review will determine if an investigation is needed for possible licensing action (for example, licence suspension and/or revocation).
Investigation
If it is determined during the review that there was a failure to comply with the PSISA, its regulations, or a breach of a licence condition, an investigation may be required. In these cases, any of the following actions may be taken at any time:
- warnings or cautions issued, or charges laid against the subject of your complaint
- guidance regarding compliance with the PSISA being provided to the subject of your complaint
- referral of an agency for inspection
If an investigation is initiated, you will be notified and more information may be requested. While an investigator may discuss potential outcomes from the investigation, they cannot disclose any compliance recommendations specific to your complaint.
Facilitation
Complaints involving a violation of the Code of Conduct may be referred to facilitation services. This process is provided by a licensed independent facilitator. The facilitation meeting can be held online, over the phone or in person.
The facilitation process attempts to resolve a dispute between you, the complainant, and the subject of your complaint through discussion. The meeting provides education on the Code of Conduct requirements under the PSISA to review and improve conduct. Facilitation is not available in situations where the subject of your complaint is unlicensed.
If your complaint is referred to facilitation services, the following steps will occur:
- You will receive an offer of facilitation services along with details regarding the process. You have 30 days to accept, and if no response is received within this time, the ministry will determine that you have declined facilitation.
- After accepting facilitation services, you and the subject of your complaint will be sent letters providing information regarding the facilitation meeting. You may withdraw your participation at any time.
- The facilitation meeting will proceed and will require your participation. If you do not wish to confront the subject of your complaint directly, the facilitator will directly engage each party without the other present.
- The facilitator will report the results of the facilitation session to the registrar, including any recommendations for a remedial course of action.
- The subject will be given 90 days to complete any required action to improve conduct. Failure to do so may result in a proposal to revoke the subject’s licence, after which the subject will have 21 business days to make any appeals as to why the registrar should not take the proposed action.
Closing a complaint
When a complaint is closed, you will be sent a confirmation letter that will include any of the following outcomes:
- the result of a facilitation session, along with any required course of action
- a determination that there was either no violation of the PSISA or its regulations, or that the PSISA or its regulations was violated, and the resulting action which could include:
- education on requirements under the PSISA
- a warning or caution issued by the investigator to the subject individual and/or subject organization
- charges laid by the investigator
- a referral for agency inspection
- conditions placed on a licence
- licensing action including suspension and/or a proposal to revoke
The complaint will only be closed and a letter issued once all outcomes have been determined.
Dissatisfaction with the process or resolution
If you are dissatisfied with the complaints process or its result, you may request a review by the deputy registrar by emailing: PSIS.PublicComplaints@ontario.ca.
The deputy registrar may re-open the complaint and assign a different investigator to review the investigation, or open a new investigation, if necessary. You will receive a letter indicating the results of the deputy registrar’s review.
If you are dissatisfied with the review, you may email the registrar at PSIS.PublicComplaints@ontario.ca.
After the review, the registrar may:
- provide additional context about the process or decision
- uphold the decision
- reopen the complaint
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding your complaint or the process, please call our complaints line toll-free at: