Private security outnumbers SAPS 4:1, unified strategy essential for community safety in SA

SRG Security Vehicle on the Atlantic Seaboard, in Cape Town

Despite the devastation caused by the Covid-19 lockdown on our economy, South Africa’s tourism industry still demonstrates undying resilience. From January to March 2023, there were 2.1 million visitors to South Africa, more than double for the same period in the previous year, while foreign direct spending amounted to R25.3bn during the first three months of 2023, an incredible 143% increase from the same period in 2022.

While our numbers continue heading towards 2019 levels, the tourism industry, along with many other sectors of our local economy, remains hampered by one common denominator: crime.

The crime statistics in South Africa for the fourth quarter of 2023 paint the grimmest picture, with 85 murders, 169 cases of sexual offenses, 88 attempted murders, 70 robberies at residential premises, 448 robberies with aggravating circumstances, and 66 carjackings per day.

The government’s fight against crime is not yielding the desired results fast enough, all while South Africa continues to hopelessly cling to its title as the murder and rape capital of the world. While multiple studies have demonstrated that increased police visibility diminishes incidents of crime, by mid-2023, a national average of 21.1% of SAPS patrol vehicles were broken or inoperable.

These figures only further reinforce the argument for a collective approach to combating crime and that SAPS, neighborhood watch groups, and community policing forums, as well as ordinary citizens and residents, have only an upper hand to gain by embracing professional private security companies in combating petty, and often, serious crimes. Of course, this statement is not merely thumb-sucked but underpinned by recent data that shows that by the end of 2022, there were 586,042 actively employed security guards registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, while SAPS members stood at 140,048 for the same year, resulting in four security guards for every SAPS officer.

The successful results and effectiveness of some private security companies are not left to chance, they're grounded in several data-driven strategies, effective training, and the use of technology to enhance the overall curbing of crime.

Among them, predictive analytics or machine learning algorithms enable the leveraging of recent crime data to predict the most effective times for patrolling specific hotspot areas, strategizing how and when to allocate resources in the most intelligent way. This is often complimented by crime mapping and resource optimization efforts. We must move beyond relying on aimless patrols without clear purpose by employing innovative and dynamic private security companies.

Additional methods, such as the implementation of business intelligence software, will further enhance the capabilities and effectiveness of security companies, as they empower them to dissect every alarm activation or emergency call to examine, refine and improve their performance continuously, while intelligent camera monitoring systems further enhance this proactive approach to anticipate criminal activity.

The message here is that collaboration is key. Private security companies forming strategic partnerships with SAPS, law enforcement, and other security companies can similarly bolster our collective effort to improve our safety, especially when game-changing data collection and infrastructure is shared.

Like any crime-combating operation, intelligence gathering is at the core of crime prevention efforts. Crucially, it's this data that sets us apart, particularly when this data is plugged into intelligent incident reporting systems. Through a holistic intelligence-sharing effort with SAPS, law enforcement, and other private security companies, the gathering, storing, and analysis of all data can similarly predict future behaviour, crime trends in potential hotspot locations, and probable crime times.

Where there is room for improvement, business intelligence software and data-driven analysis will step in and make the difference. Specialised training of security officers is also vital, as this will ensure private security is effective when deployed to incidents, enabling the armed and tactical responders to be better prepared for such confrontations. Our safety demands this proactive and multi-angled approach to advancing security services.

A whole-of-society approach with private security in the engine room can transform South Africa’s safety landscape. During the 1990s, violent crime in New York City plummeted by more than 56%, while property crimes decreased by about 65%. This was made possible by the Broken Windows strategy of the NYPD. The concept suggests that visible signs of disorder and neglect in a community, such as broken windows, graffiti, or litter, can lead to an increase in crime. The theory asserts that if these minor signs of disorder are left unaddressed, they create an environment where more serious crimes are likely to occur.

The broken windows strategy focused on maintaining order by addressing these minor offenses and included increased police presence and patrolling in high-crime areas, offering an aggressive approach to petty crimes, and intensifying collaboration with communities and private security companies. South Africa can also experience a dramatic decline in crime through a similarly resilient, collective effort.