Armed Reaction Officers Always on Alert

In the sweltering heat of a summer’s day or the depth of a cold winter’s night, armed reaction officers of private security companies diligently patrol the streets of Durban. They are a familiar sight on freeways and byways, at intersections, traffic islands and parks. They are the protectors of the suburbs. They strain the darkness for lurking intruders, swiftly responding to alarms, sometimes shielding against bullets as they keep armed and dangerous criminals at bay.
They are the eyes and ears on the streets watching for unfamiliar vehicles, alert to suspicious behaviour. Ready to pounce.

Tactical Training

But before they can get there these men must undergo stringent training that enables them to regularly affect arrests and deflect the attacks of criminals as they go about their perilous occupation.
Blue Security training manager Shelandra Ramsaroop, an instructor, former reservist and master of arms for the company, explained the strict procedures that an officer must follow before he can qualify to patrol the streets.

Professional Procedures

Before the company will even consider employing an officer he must meet the following criteria:

• Be registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA)
• Have a police clearance certificate reflecting no criminal record
• Have completed an armed response course at a recognized security training centre
• Be in possession of a firearm competency certificate reflecting competency for business purposes issued by the SA Police Service.
• A driver’s license and driving experience
• Pass a pre-employment polygraph test

“Unfortunately we don’t supply the reaction officer training course which is a prerequisite before you can enter the industry,” Ramsaroop said. “Armed reaction officer training involves training in security, discipline, the law, radio procedures, bomb threats and what suspicious articles to be on the look out for.”

Legal Learning

Ramsaroop said the company employed the minimum of a C grade officer and candidates could work towards A grade which was at supervisory and management level. Apart from the stringent qualification requirements officers must also know the law and possess soft skills.
“A person must have the ability to think out of the box and must be very knowledgeable about the law and the constitution. He needs to know when he can enforce a citizen’s arrest and know all of the rights within the law,” Ramsaroop said. “Officers also have to be very vigilant because observation is very important and they need to have self esteem and be very customer oriented with strong people skills.”
Often the first to arrive on a crime scene, reaction officers must be able to take charge of traumatic situations and give victims the best advice on reporting the crime. “They also need to know how to prepare a statement and have the skill to go to court and present evidence where necessary,” Ramsaroop said.
Blue Security also tests its new officer’s firearm skills before allowing them onto the streets. “Unfortunately with a firearm you can’t afford to make a mistake because it is not firearms that kill, it’s people that kill. We take them out to the shooting range to see how they handle the firearm,” Ramsaroop said.

Driving Success

He added that officers were also sent to a professional master driving school to verify their driving skills. “Once the reaction officer has met all of these criteria we start with our in house training and repeat the whole learning process of responding to alarms, firearm safety and statements before sending them for on the road for a three month training period,” Ramsaroop said.
“Only those who pass the in-house training are then considered fully fledged members of the team. We look to get only the best candidates and prefer to have experienced staff that can be good for our business. We employ a lot of ex-policemen, army and navy personnel.”