The Past
In 1984 there were a number of security practitioners in the Hong
Kong market, but they were not affiliated with any worldwide
organization. However, a small group wanted to improve the
standing of the local security industry in the eyes of the general
public. At the same time, this group also wanted to improve the
opportunities for the many individuals who were employed in the
industry. It should be understood that at this time there were
many security firms, but none needed to be licensed as they are
today, and the overall image of the industry was not a positive
one.
It was against this background that ASIS HQ in the USA
contacted Dan Grove during the latter part of 1984. He was one of
a handful of ASIS members based in Hong Kong, but who had no
formal chapter to get together for meetings. Dan was asked by ASIS
to see whether he could bring together existing ASIS members and
recruit a few new ones so that a chapter could be formed.
A group of about six ASIS members met and agreed that they
would attempt to form a chapter. The main problem was that there
were not enough members in Hong Kong, as 12 were required to form
a chapter. As a result, a recruiting campaign was started. In 1984
there were about 20,000 members of ASIS worldwide (today there are
30,000), so you would think that getting six new members would be
easy. Like most things, however, it took longer than expected --
but eventually the 12 members in good standing were ready, and the
Chapter held its first meeting at the Hong Kong Cricket Club in
1985.
Dan Grove, the only American in the group and the main force
behind the movement, was made the Chapter chairman, a post that he
held for two years before moving on to take up the role of
Regional Vice President. A number of the original 12 members are
still active today in the Hong Kong chapter, while others are
active in other chapters around the world.
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The Present
Today the local chapter has over 130 members and is growing every
year. There is still an emphasis on improving the image of the
industry, but a major part of this battle was won when new
legislation was introduced in 1996 requiring most parts of the
industry, both companies and individuals, to be licensed by the
Hong Kong Government.
The main focus of the chapter today is on education,
particularly of the members, but also of the general public about
the industry. That is why in 1996 the then local chapter chairman,
Charlie Duigan, started the ball rolling to get Hong Kong put on
the map as one of the international centers where the Certified
Protection Professional (CPP) examination could be taken. This
culminated in the first exam being offered in Hong Kong in May
1997. This has been repeated every year since then.
The Future
The future is very bright for the Hong Kong Chapter. Its
financial resources have grown over recent years, and this will
give the chapter the ability to sponsor more events in the future.
It is anticipated that interest in becoming certified as a CPP
will remain strong and that the Hong Kong Chapter will continue to
sponsor a local sitting of the examination on an annual basis.
The Chapter will continue to look for opportunities to pull
members together in formal and informal forums.
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