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Guards need proper tools, training

guards

We will have to debate as a country whether or not, security guards should be armed. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The terrorist attack at Dusit on Riverside Drive last week shook the country’s peace. People were going about their normal business when news of the attack filtered across the media. It caught many by surprise. However, the response of the entire citizenry was amazing. From the security agencies who were better co-ordinated than six years ago, to ordinary citizens and the media, the country had not only learnt its lessons from past attacks, it was prepared and demonstrated resilience in the face of the attack.

One category of actors where there is work still to do are private security guards. While provision of organised security is mainly undertaken by security forces in the country, total security requires the involvement of all citizens. This explains the clarion call by the President that citizens must take action to ensure their safety and that of their neigbourhood and country. In his words “security starts with you.”

Private security guards perform important functions in the efforts to ensure that all citizens are safe. They guard most residential estates in urban areas, can be seen at the entrance of most shopping and other business premises, schools, hospitals and other facilities.

Except for protected government installations, even some government premises are guarded by private security firms.

As a consequence, there has been a proliferation of businesses providing private security services across the country. However, in light of the terror attacks last week we have to ask a few questions relevant to this sector.

For very long the sector was unregulated. Consequently, despite their importance to the country’s security, they are largely ignored. In 2016, Parliament went a step better, by enacting the Private Security Regulation Act so as to give legal basis and guidelines for regulating the industry.

The Act established a Private Sector Regulatory Authority. It is charged with responsibility of registering all those who desire to provide security services in the country, develop standards for the industry and ensure they are adhered to and generally to promote the professionalisation of the industry.

The first question one must ask is where the Authority has been since its establishment? What has it done? How much has it accomplished? Is there anything hindering its effective discharge of the statutory mandate bestowed upon it?

Secondly, how equipped are our private security guards to quell crime. Many of them work under poor conditions with bare equipment. Except for the big security firms, most of those operating private security provision companies work on the false notion that all you need is a set of unemployed human beings and off you go to look or your first client. As soon as this is done you post one or two guards, whose only tool of trade is a uniform. Many do not even have a whistle or baton. Those with slightly more sophisticated tools may have a scanner. How adequate are these tools for deterring and combating crime?

Thirdly, relates to back up support. Many of those who are posted to guard various premises have no back up support and are left to their own devices. They are exposed to unnecessary danger and work in difficult conditions.

While the Private Security Regulation Act requires that they may co-operate with national security organs, this contemplates instances when the request is made by the National Security Organs. In light of the experiences from terror attacks the country has had, it is necessary to enhance this provision to deal with all forms of co-operation.

Security firms must have some minimum back up for their staff, link them up and provide them with contact of security agencies so that they can report critical threats to enable quick response by national security agencies. In addition, there must be basic and mandatory training for all involved.

Once the above are addressed, we will have to debate as a country whether or not, these guards should be armed. But it is not the top priority issue in improving their performance.