Private security firms are the ones fighting crime on the frontline and making the difference in South Africa. Their services are improving as these firms become more profitable allowing them to invest in better equipment and having better training. Some of the firms have their own helicopters with many of their staff being ex military and ex police force. They are becoming elite little armies controlling certain areas of the city.
Living in Johannesburg you are always on alert when driving around as you just never know what to expect. Yesterday when driving to Centurion which is near Pretoria we missed a truck hijacking by a few minutes. Luckily we were not caught up in the action, but we were delayed by an hour as the police arrived and cordoned off the road.
The private security company in the area had resolved the problem with both the hijackers cars being riddled with bullets and making sure no one escaped which is what we expect to see. The truck had been stopped in the middle of the road and was in the process of being stolen when security arrived on the scene. Eventually a make shift detour was created with all the cars having to drive over a grass bank creating another route. When we returned back via the same route as there was no other route out of the area the forensics were on the scene with their little yellow blocks highlighting the evidence. The bodies had all been removed along with the vehicles and you would be none the wiser what had taken place a short while previously.
I was not tempted to take photographs as trust me it was not appropriate with the dead criminals lying everywhere. The good news is the end result as the only way the country is going to be safer is by eliminating the criminal element permanently. This is the harsh reality of them versus us and we have to win this battle. When you grow up in this type of society human life has no or little value and you are not affected by what you see. This is obviously not normal as most people would be shocked and upset seeing death yet once you have seen so much already it has little or no effect.
The police are not the ones curbing the crime and this is all down to the private security firms that are employed by their clients which is the public. In this case the security company would have been employed by the businesses in the area and they proved their value.
Earlier in the week there was a report that a high percentage of the violent crime committed in Johannesburg is responsible by 442 king pins. The cash in transit crimes which still are happening are not as regular as many of the organised crime gangs have already been wiped out. This is the security industry working together without the police who for some reason are never involved when the take down takes place. The private security firms are the ones making the difference and there are 3 x as many private security personnel than police in South Africa.
If the police know who the kingpins are then why have they not taken action and removed them from society? Surely you remove the head of the snake if you know who the people are and try and protect your citizens. Many believe that the police and the kingpins are one and the same as their inaction shows who is being paid off and where their loyalties lie.