Your Security GP: The Back-To-Front Approach of Security in South Africa
Unfortunately, it is all too common that security is approached back-to-front in South Africa. View the following example as an explanation to this statement. Upon feeling ill, an individual may head directly to the pharmacy to seek advice in regards to his ailment. Although the pharmacist has received training about the products that he dispenses, he will not be able to identify the root cause of the sickness but he can only alleviate the symptoms through medication. This is a temporary fix to the problem as experienced by the ill individual. The correct approach would be to have visited the doctor first who would then diagnose the problem and who would prescribe the correct medicine that needs to be dispensed by the pharmacist based on his examination of the patient. In the event that the doctor is unable to come to a suitable conclusion in regards to the illness, he would then refer the patient to a specialist to find the necessary answers and ultimately the cure. The same should apply for your security: the Independent Security Risk Assessor is your Security GP.
Too many homeowners and business owners approach their security in this same manner by immediately calling upon a Security Company. The salesman of the Security Company can be likened to the pharmacist in the sense that he has received relevant training concerning the products and security hardware in his inventory. The client is supplied with a Product Assessment and not a full Security Risk Assessment report. Not all the risks and vulnerabilities are fully revealed, identified and explained to the client, especially if the salesman does not have an item in stock to remedy that specific problem. These vulnerable points in the security are either overlooked or ignored and the client is then provided with a short-term fix. The main goal, usually in this case, is the commission to be gained through sales to the end-user.
The Security GP is there to advise you in regards to your Security
In this instant, the independent Security Risk Assessor is your Security GP. The Independent Security Risk Consultant will investigate and review your security status in multiple, interconnected levels and reveal all weaknesses and threats present within the detailed Security Risk Assessment report. This inspection does not only include the physical aspects of the site and the existing hardware but delves into areas that are otherwise not realised or acknowledged by other assessors but definitely by the Security GP. There is no quick checklist or accurate formula to base or define risk and the investigation process is extensive and thorough.
The Security Plan is the Prescription for the Cure
After in-depth research and possibly the consultation of a 3rd party expert in a specific security field if necessary, the Security GP will derive a unique Security Plan based upon the property’s owners distinctive situation and the findings as revealed through the initial security inspection. Workable options for solutions are then provided to the client based on functionality and the specific needs as revealed through the investigation process. In this sense the assessor is the doctor prescribing the treatment and medicines necessary to cure the patient. The patient will furthermore have enough knowledge and information regarding the problem to base good decisions upon into the future and to proactively prevent crime.
By Andre Mundell
Written by Andre Mundell