In 1943, a man named Abraham Maslow, in his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” proposed a theory in psychology known as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observation of humans’ innate curiosity.

His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans.

Maslow used the terms physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, self-actualisation and self-transcendence needs to describe the pattern that human motivations generally move through.

Today I would like to focus on the second need of the hierarchy, which is safety needs.

Safety needs include protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear.

Security needs are important for survival and security is one of the basic things human beings need all the time.

This issue came to mind after I learned that South Africans spent over R50-billion per annum on private security industry.

In 2012, Nicole Maritz of Elite SA Security Solutions reported that private security companies reached reached an annual turnover of R50-bi in 2011, from which the largest sector of the security industry – the security guarding segment, has contributed R18-b.

This has led many to believe the South African private security industry to be the largest in the world.

The number of both the private security officers and private security companies has increased by 111.30 per cent and 66.7 per cent respectively, since 2001, where a total number of 8 828 active private security companies are registered with PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority).

Moreover, the amount of security guards outnumbers SAPS officers by 2:1. The South African Institute of Race Relations said the reason for this growing gap is because citizens do not perceive the police as adequate for their safety needs.

In analysing the main factors that have led to the growth of the private security industry in South Africa Maritz said that firstly, changes in property associations have taken place, due to the growth of mass private property i.e. urbanisation, environmental factors and new building demands related to social controls, and the need to secure these properties, where new uncertainties have been identified in the proclaimed “risk society” of South Africa.

Secondly, growing trends towards the commodification of security have led to individuals purchasing their own security such as physical security, use of armed response companies and counter surveillance, and businesses acquiring security services from security companies, such as security guarding, equipment, surveillance and armed response reaction, as result of the state’s inability to guarantee security.

Furthermore, the widespread presence of cooperative systems are on the uprise, whereby a community is secured not only by the police, but also by private security patrols, metro police and neighbourhood-watch organisations working to secure the same area.

She did not leave out violent crime which has been the larger precursor in the growth of the private security industry.

The recent police statistics also showed murder, house and business robberies being on the increase; this further fuels the already existing insecurity and fear of crime in the public eye.

More people will undoubtedly beef up their security in an effort to counter any attacks.

Now seeing that we are already spending a fortune on private security companies, in addition to the millions we spend bankrolling the police service, I just want to know who exactly between these two parties, should take blame if we get attacked?

If my observation is anything to go by the blame is always directed at the police with allegations of slow police response to crime and lack of police patrols.

But do we ever take time to really demand service on the money we spend on security companies.

Between the private security and the police who should be the closest to us when it comes to responding and protecting us from the criminals.

I stand to be corrected but I tend to think that private security services are mostly being sought after a realisation that police officers cannot be everywhere all the time or could also be motivated by the police inefficiency to protect us.

Who then should play a greater role in the prevention of crime, the police or the private security companies? MM