When the chips are down and you call for help, who’s likely to pitch up first? By
SOUTH Africans spend a lot on safe-guarding their homes and businesses. In addition to fences, gates and burglar bars, outside beams are now a must. Most homes have motion detectors inside their homes which alert their private security company when activated.
It’s a multi-billion rand industry that is far bigger than the SAPS in terms of money and manpower.
The security industry has more than 9 000 registered companies, 450 000 registered active private security guards and a further 1.5 million qualified (but inactive) guards.
Private security companies in Durban said they were always the first to arrive at a scene and that the police would arrive at some later point.
On Friday, local private security company, Marshall Security, was called to the scene of a break-in the Durban North area. It was tagged “in progress” meaning the suspect or suspects were still on the premises.
The Sunday Tribune travelled with the two members of the Marshall Security team in a high powered Golf 6 GTi. The team was alerted through a Whatsapp group and sped off. They were at the scene within five minutes.
With guns drawn they jumped out of the vehicle in search of the perpetrators.
They managed to apprehend a suspect who was trying to flee the scene. Two other suspects were later caught away from the scene. They had broken into a home in a secure complex and managed to take computers, watches and cellphones.
Although they had been called, 45 minutes later the police had still not arrived. The Sunday Tribune team eventually left.
“We are generally the first to get to the scene of the incident because we work with alarm systems and can respond quickly. We then alert the police and ask them to come to the scene. We share a good relationship with the police in this respect,” said Marshall spokesman, Tyron Powell.
In the three hours we spent with Marshall Security, they also recovered a hijacked vehicle in KwaMashu. The company covers Durban North, uMhlanga and the N2 towards the uMngeni River.
The owner of Reaction Unit South Africa, Prem Balram, who operates in Verulam and Phoenix, said in 90 percent of cases his company was the first at a crime scene.
Then, on Wednesday night, the Sunday Tribune spent time with the Durban Flying Squad. We travelled with the shift commander on duty and set out to a street robbery in the Durban CBD. We were at the scene within five minutes of the call coming in, however the suspect had fled.
Another squad car responded to an attempted hijacking in the Asherville area and thereafter, a hijacking in KwaMashu where a vehicle was recovered.
The response time was 10 to 15 minutes. The officers on duty then also responded to tipoffs regarding illegal firearms at two KwaMashu homes.
On busier nights, the squad claims a higher success rate.
The commander on duty said 10111 calls and responses where prioritised according to the seriousness of the crime. Life and death situations, as well as crimes in progress, were given preference.