Security Jobs Finder - Insights
22nd Edition
1. Newsletter Update:
We currently have 661 subscribers to our newsletter; The 21st edition of our newsletter was read 405 times.
This week our article of the week looks at Escalating trend of mass shootings concerns Police Committee chairperson. Our bonus article covers Government losing 1,800 firearms a year to criminals. We also look at how to answer the interview question, Where Do You See Yourself in 5-10 Years?" and the role of the week is that of an Armorer.
Subscribe for free to receive your copy of our weekly newsletter.
2. Escalating trend of mass shootings concerns Police Committee chairperson
Published on 21 October 2024 By ProtectionWeb
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has expressed concern towards the rise in mass killings in the Eastern Cape, particularly the recent killing of five family members in Bityi Village near Mthatha in the OR Tambo District.
The incident took place on Friday 18 October, with Cameron saying, “There seems to be a worrying increase in mass murders in South Africa, something that is unacceptable and against the common vision and objective of the creation of safe and secure country.”
Cameron further called for “a concerted effort between the police and the community in order to stop this worrying trend.”
The Chairperson specifically noted the lack of effective investigations of criminal cases and prosecutions of alleged criminals, which he stated contributes to the rising criminality in South Africa. Furthermore, Cameron said without proper investigation and prosecution, all forms of criminality will continue to rise.
Cameron has repeatedly called for sound capacitation and strengthening of detective and crime intelligence units in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The recent increase in mass killings is of particular concern, with Cameron saying “these communities that are depicted as mass murder hotspots by the recent crime statistics, were havens and citadels of peace and harmony historically and conservatively intolerant to all forms of crime. We are calling on SAPS to invigorate collaboration with traditional leaders and community policing forums to push back the frontiers of crime in rural communities particularly in the villages where it has reached unimaginable proportions.”
Cameron further stated the proliferation of illegal firearms which are used by the perpetrators of these crimes calls for the intensification of effective multiplicity of crime fighting strategies and to disarm criminals of those firearms. “We must do whatever is necessary to turn the tide of murders in the country,” he said.
Source: https://www.protectionweb.co.za/?s=Escalating+trend+of+mass+shootings+concerns+Police+Committee+chairperson
3.Weekly Poll
Last editions’ poll results
Responses: We had 15 responses to last weeks poll: How did you find your last job?
0% of respondents voted Knock on doors
20% of respondents voted Drop off cv's
60% of respondents voted email cv's
7% of respondents voted comment on Facebook posts
27% of respondents voted Referrals
4. Interview Q & A
How to Answer the Interview Question: "Where Do You See Yourself in 5-10 Years?"
One of the classic interview questions that often catches candidates off guard is, "Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?" While it might seem like a simple question about your future goals, interviewers ask it to assess your long-term vision, ambition, and alignment with the company's goals. Preparing for this question allows you to present yourself as a thoughtful and committed professional with a clear plan for growth.
Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?
Employers ask this question to gain insight into several key areas:
Long-Term Commitment: They want to see if you’re likely to stay with the company for a reasonable period or if you’re only looking for a short-term role. High turnover can be costly, so they prefer candidates who show potential for longevity.
Career Ambition: Employers are interested in understanding your goals and level of ambition. They want to hire candidates who are motivated, have a sense of direction, and are proactive about career growth.
Alignment with Company Goals: Interviewers want to see if your career path aligns with the opportunities within the company. If your goals match what the company can offer, there’s a higher chance of a mutually beneficial working relationship.
What Information Is the Interviewer Looking For?
When they ask where you see yourself in the future, interviewers are looking to find out:
Your Career Path: They want to know if your goals are realistic and achievable based on your experience, qualifications, and the role you’re applying for.
Your Interest in the Industry: They’re interested in whether you’re committed to growing within the same field or if you’re considering shifting paths.
Fit for the Company’s Future Plans: If your goals align with the potential growth or development pathways at the company, they may view you as a stronger candidate.
How to Prepare Your Answer
Research the Company’s Growth Opportunities: Understanding the potential career paths within the company can help you tailor your answer. Look for any information on career progression, mentorship programmes, or development paths that the company offers.
Reflect on Your Career Goals: Consider where you genuinely want to be in 5-10 years. Think about the skills you want to develop, the roles you aspire to, and the types of projects you want to be involved in.
Be Realistic Yet Ambitious: Aim for a balanced answer that shows ambition but is grounded in a realistic view of what you can achieve. Avoid overly ambitious answers that might make you seem unrealistic or naive.
Keep It Flexible: Careers don’t always follow a strict path, so it’s good to show that you’re open to exploring different opportunities that align with your interests and the company’s needs.
Model Answer
Here’s an example answer to help you frame your response:
Interviewer: "Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?"
Candidate: "In the next 5-10 years, I see myself growing into a leadership role where I can contribute to strategic decision-making and mentor others. I’m passionate about the security industry, and I hope to develop my skills in operational management and team leadership. My immediate goal is to build a solid foundation in this role and learn as much as I can about the company’s processes, culture, and values. Over time, I would love the opportunity to take on more responsibilities, perhaps as a team lead or department manager, contributing to the company’s growth and success. I’m also committed to continuous learning, so I plan to pursue additional certifications that will deepen my expertise and enable me to add even more value to the team."
Tips for Answering the Question
Keep It Relevant: Tailor your answer to the role and company. Avoid mentioning unrelated career ambitions that could signal a lack of interest in the position.
Be Genuine: Interviewers appreciate honesty. Focus on a path that truly interests you rather than saying what you think they want to hear.
Balance Confidence with Flexibility: Show that you have a plan, but remain open to adapting as you gain experience and as company needs evolve.
Conclusion
Answering the question "Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?" effectively can leave a positive impression on hiring managers. It shows them that you are a goal-oriented professional who is committed to both personal and professional growth. By tailoring your answer to the company’s potential opportunities and focusing on realistic goals, you demonstrate both ambition and alignment with the company's vision.
This question is an excellent opportunity to showcase your ambition, focus, and commitment to a career path that aligns with the company. With the right answer, you can present yourself as a dedicated candidate with a clear direction, increasing your chances of landing the job.
5. The different career options available in the security field:
The Role of an Armorer in the Security Industry
In the security industry, the role of an armorer is essential yet often operates behind the scenes. Armorers are responsible for the management, maintenance, and safekeeping of the firearms and other specialised equipment used by security personnel. While not always on the frontline, armorers ensure that frontline officers are equipped with functional, reliable gear, playing a key role in keeping both security professionals and the public safe.
What Does an Armorer Do?
The primary responsibility of an armorer is to manage and maintain firearms and other security equipment. In environments like cash-in-transit services, armed response units, and high-risk personal security, firearms are vital tools. However, these tools require meticulous care, regular maintenance, and strict adherence to safety standards — that’s where the armorer comes in.
Key duties of an armorer include:
Inspecting Firearms: Armorers inspect each firearm regularly to ensure they are in good working condition. This includes checking for wear and tear, damage, or malfunctions that could compromise safety.
Maintenance and Repairs: Routine cleaning, lubrication, and minor repairs are essential to ensure firearms function properly. Armorers are trained to spot issues early and conduct repairs or recommend replacements when needed.
Inventory Management: Armorers keep detailed records of all firearms and ammunition. They track the issuance and return of equipment, ensuring that all assets are accounted for and in safe hands.
Compliance with Regulations: The use of firearms in security is heavily regulated. Armorers ensure that all firearms and ammunition meet legal requirements and are stored securely in compliance with local and national laws.
Training and Support: In some cases, armorers also play a role in training security officers on firearm safety, handling, and maintenance. Their expertise helps ensure that personnel use equipment responsibly and understand proper procedures.
Equipment Procurement: Armorers are involved in selecting and purchasing firearms, ammunition, and related equipment. Their input helps companies choose reliable, cost-effective equipment that meets operational needs.
Importance of Armorers in Security
The role of an armorer goes beyond mere equipment management; they play a pivotal role in operational safety and efficiency. Properly maintained firearms reduce the risk of malfunctions that could endanger lives or hinder response times. Armorers help maintain the high standards required in the security industry, which is crucial for public trust and compliance with legal standards.
Moreover, armorers help organisations mitigate risks associated with firearm use by keeping rigorous records, managing compliance, and maintaining equipment standards. Their behind-the-scenes work supports the safety of frontline officers and the overall effectiveness of security operations.
Skills and Training Required
To be an effective armorer, specific skills and qualifications are required:
Technical Expertise: Armorers need a solid understanding of firearm mechanics, safety procedures, and maintenance protocols.
Attention to Detail: Small issues in a firearm’s function can lead to big problems, so armorers must have a keen eye for detail.
Record-Keeping Skills: Accurate records are essential for regulatory compliance and tracking equipment usage.
Understanding of Legal Requirements: Armorers should be well-versed in local firearm regulations and storage requirements to ensure full compliance.
Armorers typically need to complete specialised training in firearm maintenance and safety. Many begin their careers with a background in security, law enforcement, or military service, gaining hands-on experience before advancing to the armorer role.
Career Opportunities and Advancement
For those interested in a career as an armorer, there are growth opportunities within security companies, especially as demand for specialised security services increases. With experience, an armorer can progress to managerial roles, overseeing broader aspects of equipment management and training programs. Additionally, armorers with extensive expertise in regulatory compliance and safety may transition into consulting roles, helping organisations develop firearm policies and procedures.
Conclusion
The role of an armorer may not be as visible as that of a security officer or response team member, but it is just as vital. Armorers provide essential support to frontline security teams, ensuring they have safe, reliable equipment for their work. By maintaining high standards of safety and compliance, armorers contribute significantly to the security industry's integrity and effectiveness.
For anyone with a technical mindset, attention to detail, and a passion for safety and security, the role of an armorer offers a fulfilling career path within the security industry.
6. Government losing 1,800 firearms a year to criminals
Firearm-related murders in South Africa have risen to 34 per day
18 October 2024 | By Steve Kretzmann News | South Africa
An estimated 1,800 state-owned firearms are being lost or stolen every year, entering the illicit market and finding their way into the hands of criminals. Archive photo supplied (Western Cape government).
There are 2.2-million firearms owned by 502 state institutions.
The police and defence force own less than 30% of them.
The only state institution to partially report how many firearms they lose per year, are the police.
This is despite all state institutions being required to report firearms that are lost or stolen
There are 2.2-million firearms owned by 502 state entities in South Africa. Of these, an estimated 1,800 are being lost or stolen every year, entering the illicit market and finding their way into the hands of criminals.
Yet, the only state entity that reports some of its lost or stolen firearms is the police. SAPS, along with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), own less than 30% of the total number of state-owned firearms.
Speaking on Thursday at an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar focussing on its latest policy brief, Targeting firearm crime will make South Africa safer, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime researcher Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane said the SANDF and other state entities were supposed to report their firearm losses and thefts to the Central Firearms Registry, but they do not do this.
“They don’t. They simply don’t,” she said, and it was “shocking”.
She said analysis by the Civilian Secretariat for Police, gathering information on losses between 2003 and 2013 gleaned from media reports and information from the Central Firearms Registry, concluded that the total loss of firearms was 18,000 over the ten-year period.
Meanwhile, the average number of firearm-related murders in South Africa has risen from 23 per day in the 2021/22 financial year, to 34.
Illegal firearms entering South Africa from across the borders has decreased, and “a far more concerning factor is the domestic sources”, said Irish-Qhobosheane.
While police report the loss or theft of police-issue firearms (those carried by officers), the loss or theft of firearms under its jurisdiction, such as those kept as evidence and those handed in for destruction during amnesty periods, is not reported.
Irish-Qhobosheane said former police minister Bheki Cele acknowledged that at least 357 firearms had vanished from evidence stores between April 2020 and November 2023.
“We don’t believe this is an accurate figure,” said Irish-Qhobosheane, as 178 of those firearms had gone missing from a single station – Norwood. This was only discovered when police from another station were following up on weapons used in a cash-in-transit heist in which a police officer had been killed.
“When they checked with forensics, one of those firearms was listed as being in the evidence store in Norwood.”
It was only then that they discovered 178 firearms had gone missing, she said.
In 2016, Vereeniging-based cop Colonel Chris Lodewyk Prinsloo pleaded guilty to selling firearms to Cape Flats gangs and other criminal networks. Prinsloo, a custodian of a SAPS armoury, confessed to selling 2,400 firearms, but Irish-Qhobosheane believes the figure was much higher – about 9,000.
Fraudulent firearms licences issued through corruption to underworld figures and problems with the Central Firearms Registry are also a problem, as illustrated in current court cases.
She said while 63,500 licensed civilian firearms had been lost or stolen between 2013 and 2023, the recovery rate was relatively high at about 60%.
In the period 2003 to 2023, about 30,000 police issued firearms were reported lost or stolen, but the recovery rate was “significantly lower” than for civilian arms. This raises the question of whether many of those firearms had not actually been lost or stolen, but were “handed over” to criminals.
The number of firearms lost or stolen from the SANDF is unknown. Media reports and parliamentary questions have revealed a “significant number” have gone missing.
As with the Norwood police station, theft of SANDF firearms was sometimes discovered by default. This was the case at the Lyttleton army base in Pretoria where 19 assault rifles were stolen in 2019.
“If you scan the annual reports of SAPS you’ll see figures like: 67 firearms lost by government departments. Then you scan the media and you see that one metropolitan police department lost 700 weapons in that same year. So how were only 67 across all government departments reported to the police?” asked Irish-Qhobosheane.
The SANDF did not report ammunition theft and loss but at least 330 rounds of R4 ammunition were lost in 2018/19. Meanwhile, the police, she said, lost nine-million rounds between 2014 and 2019.
This indicated that while police were trying to empty the pool of illegal firearms, having arrested 125,000 people for possession of illegal firearms and ammunition between 2014 and 2023, “the tap was still running”.
Cases involving firearms lost by the state were also stalled or missing. As an example, she said in a 2014 case “more than half” of 300 illegal firearms (112 of which were assault rifles) found in a civilian home in Norwood were found to have come from the state. Despite promises of an investigation and her continually following up on the case “for the last three years”, the case has disappeared.
Need for crime intelligence
ISS policing expert David Bruce, who authored the ISS policy brief, said the circulation of illegal firearms made mass killings, such as 18 people shot dead in Lusikisiki last month, more likely.
Bruce said the ISS had in June released 11 recommendations on how to strengthen SAPS and improve crime reduction. Among these was the need for SAPS to map firearm crime, as it would enable police resources to be better focused on targeted areas.
Bruce said ISS mapping showed firearm crime was most prevalent in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, but increasing in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.
He said SAPS needs to introduce an integrated strategy for collecting and synthesising information about firearm crime. This would involve strengthening the quality of crime records and improving ballistic testing. The information should be consolidated in a database to trace the links between the sources of firearms and criminals.
While SAPS had “very good information at its disposal”, the information wasn’t used effectively, said Bruce.
There is also a need for cooperation with the National Prosecuting Authority, particularly on more complex cases involving organised crime.
Resources for investigating firearm crime needed to be properly organised, with dedicated units.
Finally, the Central Firearms Registry needed to strengthened, he said.
Central Firearms Registry dysfunctional
Gauteng Department of Community Safety deputy director Freddy Hlungwani said during a departmental evaluation of the Firearms Control Act, they found Central Firearms Registry (CFR) personnel could not respond to very basic questions, such as how many firearms they received and processed per month.
“There might be something wrong within the CFR itself,” said Hlungwani.
He said the Act did not address the issue of illegal firearms, but was about regulating legal firearms. Yet, legal firearms entered the illegal market when they were stolen from legal firearm owners, private security companies, the SAPS, the SANDF, and other government departments.
He said police were not even able to monitor and keep proper records of lawful firearms. They only saw legal firearm owners once every five years when they came to renew their licence. Unannounced visits to firearm licence holders are needed. Similarly, unannounced inspections “all the time” of police stations and their firearm registers are needed.
More roadblocks are needed as these often led to the recovery of illegal firearms.
Recovered firearms were found to have been recorded in the Central Firearms Registry as having been destroyed.
He said SAPS and Home Affairs systems need to be linked so that firearms in deceased estates could be confiscated by the police upon the death of a licence holder, and destroyed or kept until the beneficiary of the estate obtained a firearm licence.
Harsher sentences were also needed for those found guilty of committing crimes with firearms, he said.
Accurate crime statistics
SAPS Crime Registrar Major-General Norman Sekhukune said the crime registrar was responsible for collecting accurate crime statistics, down to station level.
Sekhukune said the correlation between firearm-related murders and the number of firearms was not “one-to-one”. One firearm could be linked to a number of murders across different provinces, and firearms were sometimes hired out by criminals.
Forensic investigations found one firearm had been used by different criminals in 35 separate murders across a number of provinces.
He said police needed to gain a “full understanding” of how firearms moved into the illegal market and how they circulated, in order to minimise this.
Source: https://groundup.org.za/article/government-losing-estimated-1800-guns-a-year-to-criminals/
In conclusion:
Thats it for this week’s edition. I hope that you found it informative. Make sure to like and subscribe and share with your colleagues.
Please leave a comment in the comments section. It helps me with ideas of articles to add into the newsletter each week.
Please leave any feedback or ideas in the comments—we’re listening and curious to know how we can make these posts as valuable to you as possible.
Please note that due to work commitments we will most likely be changing to a monthly newsletter format.
You are welcome to join our Social media groups where many jobs are posted on a daily basis. Links are at the bottom of the newsletter.
Also register on the Security Jobs Finder website and complete your online CV to increase your chances of finding employment: www.securityjobsfinder.co.za/signup/
0766 944 067
Security job 🙏