The head of a local security company has criticised what he says are practices in the sector which he believes are not only unfair and take advantage of consumers’ unfamiliarity with hi-tech security equipment but also compromise the security of the people and property this equipment is intended to protect.
Head of Safeway Security Ian Caesar has told Stabroek Business that he believes the security services sector is being compromised by persons who lack the requisite “training, qualifications and accreditation” and whose activities are confined to putting equipment into a suitcase and importing it into Guyana without duty or taxes and in some cases selling the equipment for less than properly registered businesses.”
According to Caesar, there have been cases in which unsuspecting consumers have been hurt by the practice on account of either a lack of familiarity with the equipment or the failure of the equipment to deliver the anticipated quality of service. “There have been cases in which ordinary people have acquired expensive equipment for their homes or for small businesses and have been hurt by the fact that they do not get what they pay for,” Caesar told Stabroek Business.
The security executive who said he has served for 20 years in various technical and management capacities with security companies both inside and outside Guyana is concerned not so much for corporate entities that understand the sector better and will therefore consult with professional and registered entities that offer technical advice, warranties and after-sales services but with “ordinary customers” who are seeking to protect themselves and their property.
Safeway Security is an electronic security company which was established in 2005 and which Caesar said has an interest in being part of “a national response” to the demand for security solutions. “Those reputable companies that provide professional security solutions are an integral part of a national security network which, working alongside the Guyana Police Force, deliver products and services that make an important contribution to people and property protection,” Caesar said.
And according to Caesar the overall quality of service has improved “significantly” in recent years and may be poised for even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
He attributes what he believes has been a qualitative improvement in security service provision to both an enhanced awareness among consumers of the importance of better security and the evolution of security solutions to include equipment that offers a range of options maximising security.
Caesar told Stabroek Business that what was important was that the quality of service provided by the security industry keep pace with the technological advances in the sector in order that consumers can feel an enhanced sense of confidence in the equipment in which they invest.
