Steven Buckland and Blackfern Protection Group Denied Security Licence

The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority (PSPLA) has ruled against Wellington man Steven Buckland and his company Blackfern Protection Group Limited, declining its application for a security company licence and cancelling parts of Buckland’s individual Certificate of Approval (COA).

The decision, issued on 15 August 2025 $[2025] NZPSPLA 082$, highlights serious concerns about Buckland’s past conduct, misleading statements, and lack of recent experience in key security fields.

Buckland applied in 2023 for a company licence for Blackfern. The application was investigated alongside complaints that he had been operating a security business without a licence and misrepresenting himself as a private investigator.

Investigators from the Complaints Investigation and Prosecution Unit (CIPU) found that Buckland, through LinkedIn and letters supporting his daughter’s licence application, held himself out as ready to carry on private security and investigative work — despite not holding the required authority.

The Authority found this conduct breached section 23(1) of the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010, amounting to misconduct.

The decision recaps a troubling history:

• Buckland first received a COA in 2015, but it lapsed in 2020.

• His previous company, PMI Investigations Limited, held a licence from 2016 to 2021 but failed to file annual returns, a serious compliance breach.

• Between 2015 and 2020, five formal complaints were lodged against him, more than against any other licence holder in the same period.

• In 2016, he was convicted of making a false declaration and obtaining money by deception (unrelated to security work, but raising suitability concerns).

• In 2019, he was found guilty of misconduct for misleading and then threatening a private investigation client.

• Multiple complaints alleged aggressive behaviour and financial impropriety, with at least eight companies he directed either liquidated or removed from the Companies Register.

The Authority noted that these issues raised ongoing doubts about Buckland’s character, background, and suitability to hold a leadership role in the security industry.

Blackfern applied for licences in a wide range of classes, including private investigator, repossession agent, security technician, and security consultant.

The Authority found Buckland had:

• No recent or proven experience in private investigation, repossession, or technical security.

• Relied on letters of support and self-declared qualifications rather than verifiable training or references.

• Misled the Authority by suggesting Blackfern already had finance company clients, when in fact it was merely approaching potential clients without a licence.

The Authority ordered:

1. Blackfern Protection Group Limited’s licence application is declined.

2. Buckland’s COA, mistakenly reissued in 2023, is cancelled in the classes of private investigator, security technician, and repossession agent.

3. Buckland may keep his COA in the guarding classes (crowd controller, property guard, personal guard) and as a security consultant, but only as an employee of a licensed security company.

4. Buckland must return his current Security ID and will be issued a replacement with restricted classes.

The PSPLA’s ruling against Steven Buckland and Blackfern Protection Group underscores the industry’s strict licensing standards and the consequences of misleading conduct.

With a history of complaints, prior misconduct findings, and a trail of failed companies, Buckland is barred from operating his own security business and restricted to frontline roles under the supervision of a licensed company.

The decision reinforces the importance of integrity, compliance, and suitability in New Zealand’s private security industry.