Armed and ready to respond with compassion

Blue Security armed response officer Mbuyselo Mlejeleli Mdunjane’s middle name means “helper” so it’s no surprise he gets huge satisfaction when he patrols Amanzimtoti in his vehicle to help residents feel safe again.
Mdunjane, 31, fondly known as “Triple M” to his colleagues has been on the beat as an armed response officer for almost five years. He has worked in the Amanzimtoti area for the past two years.
Mdunjane’s life goal is to fight crime and to help make a difference so that people can feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods again. Mdunjane has lost count of the number of arrests he has effected and he is modest about his repeated recognition. He has been selected as the armed reaction officer of the month and best armed response officer of the year.
“I just do my job as I am supposed to do. I love to help make sure that people are secure and safe, that’s what I love the most about my job,” he said.
But it was not an easy step up for Mdunjane to become a reaction officer as the company puts all potential and existing staff through regular, rigorous training and testing to ensure a high level of professionalism is always maintained.
Blue Security training manager Shelandra Ramsaroop, an instructor, former reservist and master of arms for the company, explained the stringent procedures new recruits must follow. He said the company was extremely selective during the hiring process, choosing only candidates who have a strong passion for security and the skills to succeed in the industry.
“We’re strict with minimum required qualifications and perform criminal checks before staff are hired but even once they are working we conduct further random polygraph and drug tests on a regular basis. We employ a lot of ex-policemen, army and navy personnel,” he said.
Before he could even be considered for employment Mdunjane had to be registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), have a police clearance certificate reflecting no criminal record, complete an armed response course at a recognised training centre, have an SAPS firearm competency certificate for business purposes, a driver’s license and driving experience and he had to pass a pre-employment polygraph test.
But Ramsaroop said training and testing did not end there as candidates were retested and trained before becoming fully fledged members of the team.
“We take no chances and re-test all our new officers’ firearm skills and  send them to a professional master driving school to test their driving skills,” he said.
“We then send candidates for further in-house training which covers everything from  armed response, discipline, the law and handling bomb threats to firearm safety and statements. Only then are candidates sent on the road to patrol for a further three month training period,” he said.
Ramsaroop said dedication and passion for the security profession, knowledge of the law and soft people skills were additional sought after qualities.
“Armed response officers must be able to firmly and empathetically take charge of traumatic situations and provide victims with the best advice on reporting the crime. Our officers are selected for their dedication and skill and what makes our team stand out is its total commitment to making sure our neighbourhoods feel safe again,” he said.