Malawi Police urges security firms to follow procedures in hiring guards
The Malawi Police Service has advised private security guard companies to follow proper recruitment procedures when employing new guards.
Speaking during a meeting of security guard employers and police officers at Kanengo Police Station in Lilongwe Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lane Soko said many companies do not adhere to employment laws when recruiting staff.
“There are procedures to be followed when recruiting. It is therefore the duty and responsibility of security guard companies to abide by the regulations so that robbers do not explore the loophole,” she said.
She added that recently, the police have registered an increase in organized crimes which are being done by guards conniving with criminals to steal at their places of duty.
“This has come about because wrong people were recruited and they are exploiting the security firms,” said Soko.
The Police Deputy Commissioner appealed to the public to help police in reporting and apprehending culprits.
“Many of these people steal because they have a market to sell the items; one would easily know stolen items by looking at their suspiciously cheap prices,” said Soko.
Chairperson of security guards companies in the Kanengo industrial area, who is also Chief Security Officer for Limbe Leaf Tobacco, George Mulima hailed the importance of the meeting saying it will help security guard companies’ strategies on recruitment procedures.
He said, “Guards take advantage of the current situation in the industry, but with what we have learned today, we will put in place proper mechanisms in order to curb and reduce this type of theft.”
He further said in the absence of a policy regulating the operations of security guards companies, it is difficult for these companies to identify guards who had committed crimes elsewhere.
“What happens is that a guard, who was sacked for theft or any criminal activity at one company, may easily get employed at another, because of lack of cooperation and coordination amongst these security providers,” said Mulima.
The meeting was organized to strategize and put in place measures to reduce and stop crime perpetrated by security guards who are associated with criminal gangs
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