Security is more than providing guards

Recently the private security sector in South Africa was under attacked in a so called Green Paper on Policing for interfering and trying to take over the role of the SA Police in crime fighting in South Africa – a debate in progress. Misconceptions about the actual role of the private security in SA prevail.

So often private security is associated with fighting crime and handling forearms only – this is but one of various activities that the private security industry is responsible for. As a matter of fact the private security industry is indeed very successful in fighting crime - who is the first to arrive at a residential burglary.

The private security industry, at least the larger and future orientated security businesses, has grown into risk reduction service providers. There is more to guarding, it is about a holistic approach providing a bouquet of services ranging indeed from fighting crime to safety enforcement, stock control, front office reception services, escort services, safety incident investigations, fire services and many more.

Unfortunately there are  many of the 9 000 private security companies in SA that fail to realize the bigger picture and many are what is referred to as the “providers of warm bodies in uniforms” – these are indeed the role players adding to the negative image of the industry.  

Time has come for the end users of security to realize that it is not about the cheapest security services but about the service provider than can summarise and find solutions to a variety of risks. So often, almost as a rule, the lowest level of security officers are hired by business to reduce their risk – how serious can those business leaders be about their risk or is the responsibility conveniently transferred to a private security company at the lowest premium. They leave decision making in crisis situations and at split seconds in the hands of people that are sometimes at the lowest end of remuneration, training and motivation levels in structures where remuneration for services fails to recognise the important role of decentralised private security management – “on site rather than distanced management”.

In an era of workforces with different discipline and a labour market that is different to the past the traditional security guard has to be supplemented with additional safeguards – electronic security devices, cameras, tracking systems, external and additional support teams are a few of the safeguards that traditional security guarding services require to meet the serious business owners demands for risk reduction.

Let us not confuse security guards with fighting crime only – they have an important role to play in your total risk reduction service of your business (without being armed).

NEW COMMAND UNIT MOBILE IN RISK REDUCTION

The Thorburn Mobile Command Unit, a tactical mobile workstation backed up by CCTV cameras and on board monitoring, was launched officially during the past week at the Thorburn Security Solutions offices in Pretoria.  Electronic security solutions suppliers Hayman Systems designed and build the Mobile Command Unit for Thorburn Security Solutions. Hayman Systems Managing Director Jan Louis Grobelaar  commented that “We are proud of this outcome. The design of this Mobile Command Unit allows for the support of rapid deployment, crowd facilitation and area dominance that is effective and can be easily applied. The various power supply capabilities and high level Bosch cameras with sufficient battery back up in wireless applications are unique quality features.”

Unique in the design is its variation on power supplies – solar power, electricity or generator. Whilst the solar power is convenient in remote areas and adding to environmental protection, is the downfall of the additional 200kg weight of the batteries adding to difficulty in towing the unit.

The unit was recently deployed at a music festival at Buffelsvlei  Guest Farm near Lydenburg and the first success was achieved when, after the event, culprits stealing a table were identified on the review of CCTV footage. This weekend, on Women’s Day, the unit will deploy to Morula Sun and Casino to monitor a music festival in support of the Thorburn event security officers.

The Mobile Command Unit provides flexibility in operational execution – addition workspace and adds “eyes” to areas of interest. It is especially the wireless cameras that are deployed up to 100 – 150 meters from the unit which provides depth in surveillance, backed by a dome camera.

Commenting on the new product addition to the Thorburn stable, MD Dolf Scheepers commented that “We constantly design and invest in new products and services, we adapt easily and we strive for absolute quality through a dedicated leadership team with well-motivated and cared for security officers. We see ourselves as leaders in the field. Our adherence to South African norms and standards through our black ownership, recently increased black women shareholding to 37%, Level 2 BBBEE rating, SABS ISO certification and reputation as a company that cares for communities where we operate are some of our unique features us pride ourselves on.”

Dr Donald assists in presenting Surveillance Skills

The past two weeks saw intense efforts of skills development of Thorburn Security Solutions staff in the Northern Region which ranges from focussed mining security refresher training courses in Steelpoort, intense CCTV surveillance training , psychometric potential assessments on staff to employment equity discussions on future EE improvements in the company.

Ten Thorburn Security Solutions (from Pretoria, Nkomati Mine and Phalabora Mining Company) and two Phalabora Mining Company CCTV surveillance operatives attended a two day surveillance course presented by Dr Craig Donald from Leaderware who is an industrial psychologist. He is a specialist in training CCTV body language and the detection of incident behaviour.

In Steelpoort in Mpumalanga at the Thorburn Operational Center mining security officers were refreshed in security techniques as part of the bi annual refresher training.

During the past two weeks ten employees (as part of a larger group to be tested over the next few months) have undergone psychometric skills potential assessments conducted by outsourced specialists Ipac. The purpose is to determine future leadership potential and future training and development focus areas for staff. Many internal promotions in the past were prompted by the results of Ipac potential analysis results.

 In a latest development has the company Employment Equity Committee met during the week to discuss EE matters which amongst others will include the development of staff. The EE committee members were given the assurance that the development of staff will be high on the Thorburn agenda and that there will be a specific focus of female development.

Unigrad Lowveld Campus (former Damelin Nelspruit) in Nelspruit will be contracted to provide Office Administration courses to female mining security officers in the Steeplpoort area whilst Business Writing, as an expansion of our previous English courses in Steelpoort, will also be presented in the near future. Lecturers from Unigrad Lowveld campus will be deployed to Steelpoort to support the Thorburn Security training needs.

 In Johannesburg our annual 10 months English Training Course presented by Gwen Hoch from Innovative Learning will commence in August 2013 in Rosebank, focussed on Johannesburg employees.

 

 

 

Two in One Madiba Day 2013 also a Thorburn ice Breaker

Thorburn Security Solutions joined the world in celebrating Madiba’s 95^th birthday and hundreds of companies “doing good” to communities on this special day. Early morning all Thorburn operational areas received a sms reminding our staff of this special day and thanked Madiba for his contribution to a better SA.

Late afternoon Regional Manager Reinardt Rall and a team from the Thorburn Northern Regional Office added warmth to 100 under privileged children at Highlands Park in Eersterus east of Pretoria. Whilst the Anglican Church Good Sheppard Parish in Eersterus offered these children with a hot meal (weekly), the Thorburn Security Solutions team handed out beanie hats and gloves to the 100 children. The Good Sheppard Parish provide meals to almost 300 children per week in three areas in Eersterus.

Reverend Patricia Ohlson expressed her appreciation and gratitude towards Thorburn Security Solutions for this initiative.

Two objectives achieved with one visit – honouring the Madiba heritage and also bringing warmth through the Thorburn Ice Breaker Project – in last week a similar project was launched near Nkomati Mine in Mpumalanga Province.

Below is the Thorburn Security Solutions team with the some of the children at Highlands Park

Vincent Ndou (left) and Florry Modisane (right) with a recipient of the beanie hat and gloves