The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

SECURITY firms yesterday said they are hoping for a spike in business during the typically-slower January due to the skyrocketing murder rate and increased fear of crime.

Andrew Thompson, Infinite Security Company’s managing director, told Tribune Business that while business traditionally picks up around the end of the year for the Christmas season it usually trails off in January after the holidays.

Now, he hopes that business will increase this month if companies begin to take seriously last weekend’s address by the Prime Minister on crime and, in turn, seek greater protection and become more careful about their surroundings.

Mr Thompson explained that, traditionally, companies are focused on their Business Licence renewals and laying out performance targets for the remainder of the year in January, so “security is not really a paramount concern, and businesses are more reactive when it comes to adding on additional security”.

He added: “In terms of business, it has been more of the same because during Christmas time it is expected that crime would increase, but I haven’t heard a lot of incidents of armed robbery of any of my clients.

“They tend to take more precautions around Christmas time to try to ward off that type of situation, but I haven’t seen anything to say that armed robbery is an issue. Car jackings, on the other hand, have been happening a lot, but it terms of incidents against businesses I can’t really say based on my clients.”

The “uptick” in car jack- ing means business owners

should be aware of their surroundings at all times, Mr Thompson added, as they are targets not just at their establishment but also their homes and other places they frequent. “Armed robbery is just not an issue right now, especially with the armed police services and additional security officers during the Christmas time,” he said.

Jewel Fulford, WEMCO Security’s general manager, said that while her officers are on “heightened alert” and under orders to be more “vigilant”, there has not been an increase in business when it comes to customers wanting more security personnel.

“What we also say to them is to improve their security measures; whether it’s a need for more security personnel, adding cameras, make lighting repairs and secure your perimeter fencing,” Ms Fulford added. “There’s not been any reports of armed robberies because our role as security services providers is to harden the target, as we would want to prevent these types of incidents.

“We are preventing and we’re deterring. But with regard to high crime, high crime has to do more with the high rate of murder and those types of things and not against businesses. We don’t want these things to happen

and they can happen, but we haven’t had much incidents involving armed robberies last year.

“We haven’t even had any incidents of car jackings or people breaking into cars because what we tell people is nothing about your movement as a security officer or as a client should be routine.” Despite the high murder rate, crimes against businesses have not seen a similar spike.

“This is just a small circle of individuals going back and forth with each other and nothing to do with any specific targeting of businesses,” Ms Fulford said.