Joseph Biyiwoh, General Manager G4S Cameroon, talks on the challenges of security guards.

Who exactly is a private security officer?

The private security sector is regulated by two important laws. The first is the law of September 1997 regulating private security law in Cameroon and the second is its text of application which is a presidential decree of February 2005. Thus, a security officer is any male or female Cameroonian aged at least 18, who has been formally recruited, vetted, given a full training and operates under a given company within the ambits of these two laws.

The customer who exploits their services has a contractual obligation with the company and in case of any responsibility; it is the company that is answerable. That is why there is the obligation for a professional liability insurance policy to be contracted covering the activities of the security officer once he or she takes duty.

What are their responsibilities on the field?

The activities of a private security officer are the protection of life and property. Primarily, these responsibilities are limited within the confines of the premises where he or she is operating. There is a clear difference between the role of public security officers like the police, gendarme and the military whose responsibilities are unlimited.

However, if the private security officer witnesses a crime scene, he or she has the moral obligation to alert the forces of law and order. They are not authorised to arrest and detain people. I will like to point out that only nine private security companies in Cameroon are fully licensed by presidential decree to operate in this perspective.

Most people complain about professional shortcomings, how can that be remedied?

It is true that some private security officers have been found sleeping on duty, which is the direct responsibility of their employers to restore order through discipline. Some of them abandon work without authorisation or arrive their duty posts late. In other cases, they are unjustifiably absent. Such professional violations can be sanctioned by their various employers.

In the case of an absence, the contract binding the company and the client is what is taken into consideration. Both parties sit and sort things out. As for criminal acts, the State intervenes. A criminal is a criminal, irrespective of his status. Once the act is established, we are the first to file a complaint to the competent authorities and ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted. Some even end up in prison. We don’t harbour criminals. The main way to salvage this situation is through strict and constant supervision.