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).