The wave of cash-in-transit heists throughout the greater Johannesburg region has again left the public anxious at the sight of any armoured cash transportation vehicle. The speed at which thieves strike leaves the window open for an attack at any moment.
Several requests to Provincial Police for comment on the scourge facing security personnel have gone unanswered; however, Fidelity Services Group CEO, Wahl Bartmann stepped up to elaborate on the issue. “All the various stakeholders in the private security industry are working together in partnership with police and the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) to counter this type of crime. This week alone there have been three vehicle attacks and two cross-pavement attacks. Fortunately, only one of these involved Fidelity,” he stated.
Cross-pavement attacks (CPCs) refer to an incident when guards are intercepted between the vehicle and the point of collection, as was the case at the Witpoortjie Engen on 22 September. “As he [the guard] entered the CIT vehicle he was attacked by two suspects, one carrying an automatic rifle. A gold Mercedes-Benz with three suspects then attempted to block the CIT van and instructed the driver to open the vehicle. When he refused and the suspects were unable to access the vehicle they fled the scene in a white Audi A4 and the gold Mercedes-Benz,” confirmed Bartmann.
Fortunately, there were no injuries in the Witpoortjie incident but understandably all involved were traumatised. The Fidelity Chief Executive stresses that the safety of his officers will always be a top priority, and every action is taken to ensure that those taking the risks are correctly prepared to do so. In addition to stringent screening and pre-assessment, full attention is paid to their mental health.
Once the initial examination is complete, guards undergo an intensive five-week training course which includes PSIRA grading that covers CPC training, firearms training, TransTrack training, vehicle system training and tactical training. Ongoing integrity assessments are conducted on guards throughout their employment, and in the event of an incident, psychological support is offered via psychologists, social workers and in-house trauma counsellors.
However, security guards can only be as effective as the weaponry they have at their disposal. “In 2019 we invested in replacing and upgrading armoured vehicles and other equipment such as firearms and semi-automatic rifles, as well as bulletproof and protective uniforms across the group. This included remote mobile monitoring and CCTV surveillance as well as proactive helicopter support patrols,” Bartmann boasted.
He admitted though that as preventative technology evolves, so do the methods criminals use. Reaffirming their ongoing commitment, Bartmann concluded, “We continue to work with all role players who are actively engaged in collaborative threat surveillance, risk detection and tactical support with relevant authorities”.
