The Commissioner of Police –CP Charles Ssebambulidde, who is the direct superintendent of private security organisations (PSOs) and firearms has reminded proprietors of such companies to retrain their personnel so that they are readily prepared for attacks.
While presiding over the pass out of 80 guards under Fulltime Security Company, Ssebambulidde said lack of training among security operatives has cost many of their precious lives. Some of the key dilemmas PSOs are facing, according to Ssebambulidde, is loss of their lives and those they are guarding, property they are meant to safeguard and firearms to thugs.
If emphasis is put on reskilling all guards, Ssebambulidde said such dilemmas would be minimized. Of recent, a number of private guards have been shot or hacked to death by armed attackers who in most cases move in pairs.
Last week, two guards Benard Nalulu and Samuel Muhindo were killed in Kireka and Kawempe respectively. The two victims were killed outside their workstation. For instance, Muhindo was shot while sitting on a plastic chair at General Stores in Katale –Lugoba village.
But Ssebambulidde accredited Fulltime Security for retraining their personnel which he said would help them be more alert. This he said is the right thing, and they should keep the ball rolling.
“Am impressed that you are giving these people training. There is no difference in security, once you put on uniform, you’re qualifying and when a thug is coming to you, he comes with a mindset that they are attacking a trained person. Once they find you are not trained, it becomes a different story,” Ssebambulidde said.
Paddy Tumuhimbise, the Managing Director of Fulltime Security Services Limited, said it is unprofessional to deploy untrained guards. He said the mediocrity in the industry can be addressed through reskilling, retraining and ensuring at all times they are ready for self defence.
“Our aim at Fulltime Security Services Ltd, is to make sure that our clients are satisfied. Am not saying that we are angels in this business. We are not even 100% perfect, but we make sure that at least we satisfy most of them,” Tumuhimbise said.
Ssebambulidde also used the same platform to address the trainees about the tricks that thugs use to trick most of the security guards while doing their duties. Many of the recent attacks on guard have been successful after attackers laced them with chloroform, or destructed them with funny conversations. Some of have been attacked when their vigilance is taken up by smartphones.