Bigger than the army: South Africa's private security forces

[adrianh]

From April 2011 to March 2012 there were 15,609 murders in South Africa, as well as 64,514 sexual offenses and 101,203 cases of aggravated robbery.

And that's what has fueled the boom in the country's private security industry, crime experts say. There are nearly 9,000 companies and 400,000 registered active private security guards. That's more than the police and army combined, according to South African officials.

Read all of it and weep....

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/08/business/south-africa-private-security/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

[Blurock]

Sadly, the police stations now have to be guarded by security companies. One of these days we will outsource our army too. (what do we have one?)

[adrianh]

Aye well, if we outsource the army and the police when have a better chance of getting security that can read and write...ok...I'll settle for either!

[Trickzta]

Jislaaik, it’scary, and not all crime is reported. Some only report theft when there is an insurance claim, and rape survivors often don’t report to the Police for fear of adding to their (misplaced) shame. Any chance of actually reducing crime? I am doubtful.’ A hungry man is an angry man’ Bob Marley.

[ians]

Lucky white people in this country are not hungry yet, so the crime will keep increasing. They can still afford bigger fences and barb wire.

[Blurock]

Aye well, if we outsource the army and the police when have a better chance of getting security that can read and write...ok...I'll settle for either!

Problem is that some of these security guys are involved in crime themselves. No-one can be trusted any more. We are going back to an age where we live in walled cities and towns and risk getting mugged on our journeys between the security complexes.