Avoid aged men as guards

Experience is a basic requirement for almost any job, if maximum output is to be realised. Employees with qualifications minus experience are always subordinates to the experienced until they are acquainted with the work themselves.

But when it comes to security, experience plus physical fitness are the major inalienable components that always go together. That is why when recruiting personnel to work in security agencies like the police, the military, the Immigration, the prison and all similar branches, emphasis is put on the physical abilities of the prospective recruits.

But of late it has been noted with great concern that some employers prefer aged people as guards who do not have the stamina to persevere on this demanding job though they might be experienced.

Don’t risk your life and property by relying on these old people who are over-tasked with this tough job. In areas close to cities or trading centres, you can hardly miss the sight of these aged men who cannot even straighten themselves fully due to old age walking to their respective work places in the late afternoon.

These aged men who are trusted with these big jobs of safeguarding our lives and property are vulnerable themselves and they need protection.

They normally carry with them bags full of beddings, which makes one wonder if at all they know how delicate their work is. You require no explanation that it’s just a change of their bedroom environment that affects these aged men, not the work they are supposed to execute at night since they report at their respective work places with a sleeping mind.

Recently the police Inspector General Lexten Kachama voiced the same concern, saying employing these aged men as guards is a loophole in as far as effective security is concerned in the country and it requires urgent redress. This is an indirect way of aiding and perpetrating theft while actually thinking we are doing the opposite.

Robbers are opportunists and the best of researchers who capitalise on our shortfalls to cause havoc. Security starts with us: let us seal all the gaps in the security chain to suffocate these people who want to reap where they have not sown. Make sure that only experienced and physically fit guards who can stand the pressure are employed if we want to fully secure our hard earned fortunes.

When we are employing people for any work they should be vetted by the police to avoid the obvious mistake of employing thieves. There have been numerous situations where robbers have been confused as trustworthy employees when they are employed without being vetted, as a result risking our lives and investments. These people may steal themselves or they may be informants. Bear in mind that much of the robbery we experience is as a result of linkage of information by people so close to us.

Apart from physical approach to counter these robbers, we also need to develop technologically. The use of CCTV cameras should be looked into seriously as another possible way of combating crime. The footage captured on these cameras gives clues when investigating crime and the presence of these cameras in strategic positions at our premises is also a deterrent to robbers.

As the country continues developing technologically, these opportunists are developing as well and continue to get a better share of what they have not worked for through robbery and tricking of unsuspecting people.

It has reached an extent where you can’t tell a liar from an honest man and you do not know who to believe. Some of these thieves pretend to be transporters coming from South Africa and some abroad nations with cargo. They demand upfront payments before delivery of goods they claim have been sent by your relations.

At times they demand money, which they claim is for custom or fuel before they are out of reach on their mobiles after fattening their pockets. Always avoid unknown calls with unreasonable conversations.

Much as I appreciate that tips on security are everywhere, the police will not relent but continue putting much emphasis on the security tips if we are to have a crime free country.

The ratio between a police officer and the public is so wide and it is not practical that the police can be on every corner in our neighbourhood, so let us first do our homework correctly instead of pointing blame fingers at the police when we are not responsible enough for our own wellbeing.n