August 2023
As your dedicated security provider, we’d like to address the recent and continuing events of violent crimes involving shootings in a number of areas of Providenciales.
The concerns raised about current crimes of significance show a clear need to provide information about not just our approach to security in your community, but also to comment on security and crime in general across TCI. This article aims to shine a little light on our strategies while also considering opportunities for bolstering community safety. Don’t worry, we won’t give any information away that compromises what we do and the way we do it, or that puts any risk on your security, or that helps the bad guys. This is general but considered information that is intended to help and inform you. The overarching sentiment of "fear" that is emerging in chat groups and on social media discussions has not gone unnoticed, and we strive to alleviate that fear through our actions.
The landscape of security threats and community safety, not only in your area, but across TCI, is subject to constant change. To effectively counter these evolving challenges, we believe in the necessity of adapting our security strategy to combat the emerging threats. This involves recalibrating patrol plans, focusing on the high-risk elements in the service we provide to you, and maintaining a proactive and not reactive stance against criminal activities. It's essential to recognize that criminals possess the advantage of choice – they can decide when, where, and how to strike. We need to try to predict and pre-empt their choices, in order to disrupt and interfere with their intentions. It isn’t easy doing that, as you’ll understand, but it’s necessary. Our vigilance remains unwavering, though it's important to note that complete coverage of every inch of an area is practically unattainable. This is why we employ targeted patrols based on threat assessments and intelligence, aligning with the principles of "intelligence-led policing," in our case, “intelligence-led security patrolling,” prioritising those high-risk areas and times, which change, while also ensuring all areas receive effective patrol coverage and attention for your deployment.
It's worth highlighting that the local concerns over crime in specific areas resonates deeply with us as your security providers. However, it also opens up a broader dialogue about national security. While we play a role in safeguarding a number of specific communities across Providenciales, the comprehensive responsibility for crime control and reduction falls primarily upon law enforcement, especially the police. Our efforts complement their work, and we actively encourage collaboration, including information sharing and encouraging increased police presence though our proactive communications with them. We work to inform and influence the police to provide sufficient police presence in the areas concerned.
Our company is also signatory to the Security Industry Code of Conduct signed by the former Governor Nigel Dakin and the National Security Secretariat. (Photo). This commits us to doing all that we can to raise the professional standards of the security industry in TCI. Not every security company in TCI is a signatory to that Code. To anyone looking for a reputable security provider, we say, do your due diligence. Insist on seeing a current Business licence for category (301) Security Services and letters of Good Standing from NHIB and NIB and Public Liability and Employers Liability for at least $1,000,000 each and also that your security provider is a member of the National Security Services Association of the Turks & Caicos Islands. You need to be sure you’ve made the right choice.
Steering slightly off course, let's delve into the complex realm of crime and community safety. The phrase "Crime is everyone’s business" may sound cliché, but it encapsulates a profound truth. Effective solutions can only emerge through a concerted partnership approach. While this sounds ideal, the reality of implementing such cooperation is intricate and very challenging. Police enforcement, Healthcare support for substance-related issues and injuries, Education's role in shaping responsible citizens, and various other agencies like Customs, Planning and Social Services each contribute to community safety. However, their impact amplifies when these functions operate cohesively under a formal partnership with shared complimentary objectives that address the core causes and the conditions that result in criminal behaviour and some individuals (and groups), embarking and continuing a life of crime.
Bringing the partnership concept to the local level, applying it to any community and residential group, would mark a significant stride towards preventing crime and enhancing community safety. Imagine a partnership comprising your community representative, the police, and your security providers – a unified force working in harmony. Possibly through a Neighbourhood Watch Group. Scaling this approach to encompass all communities across TCI should be an ultimate goal.
The concept of community policing, championed by the police and private security companies, could be given practical form through such partnership initiatives.
Navigating the expansive landscape of Turks & Caicos with its diverse communities necessitates a pragmatic approach. As the saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant? The answer that we all know… is, “One bite at a time." Hence, while striving for a locally centric approach, we are acutely aware of the collective desire for a crime-free TCI. This aspiration calls for practical steps, and a crucial one has already been taken in many of the communities and groups we serve - a strategy of "target hardening" and “intelligence led patrolling,” in concert with intelligent alarm and CCTV systems that we design, install, and monitor from our 24/7 Control Centre, and respond to, creating an environment that makes criminal activities more difficult to conduct and making the area less attractive to the criminal. There’s more to do, but these combined efforts constitute a significant first step towards safer Communities.
Our commitment to making criminals lives difficult is steadfast, despite all the challenges faced. Our dedication extends beyond each community and client, embracing all our clients across Provo.
Collaboration with law enforcement agencies is central to our approach, as their responsibility spans national and local levels. The current wave of violent crime, acknowledged by contributors in chat groups and on social media, underscores the need for a robust partnership effort. A strategic approach, backed by accountability, within the framework of a Strategic Policing Plan, and a National Security Plan that all have a stake in is essential. We believe these Plans should be published so the public can paly their full part, as the cliché says…
It's crucial to note that our intention isn't to critique the police but to emphasize the importance of transparency and engagement and of course, partnership. We've experienced firsthand the complexities of crime reduction, having been intimately involved in strategic and operational police planning over may years in the UK and TCI. We also have significant and intimate experience in leading Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships under UK legislation that has achieved remarkable results in crime reduction in a wide range of threat environments. However, the crime and criminal dynamics of TCI have evolved, demanding fresh strategies and collaborations as the crime profile being faced now is not the ‘traditional’ form of crime TCI is familiar with, as one contributor of a media chat recently correctly pointed out. The core theme remains unchanged though: partnerships with communities and major agencies as well as professional security providers are fundamental for effective crime control and reduction, ultimately instilling public confidence.
Apologies for the lengthy discourse, but we want to reassure you and all of our clients that solutions do exist. We are actively engaged in a range of approaches to ensure your safety. Our expertise extends beyond what meets the eye – from specifying and supporting solutions to fostering community reassurance and communication. While our focus in your case is firmly on your safety and security, the broader collaboration among agencies is a force multiplier. There are many other issues, one important matter being the need to overcome cultural barriers, embracing the role of vigilant community members rather than fearing labels like "snitch," and “grass.” The path to a safer community starts with community intelligence, and unity and greater proactive engagement between the police and reputable security companies in the Turks & Caicos Islands such as ours.
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