Monrovia – The General Manager of Security Expert Guard Agency of Liberia (SEGAL), Momo Cyrus, says building the capacity of officers at his entity remains a major priority to the security apparatus.
Report Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
Cyrus speaking upon the return of 15 officers from Ivory Coast, told reporters that private security service is an integral part of the country’s security sector.
He said it’s time for private security in the country to prepare themselves for opportunities ahead.
“Private security is a large industry, and as we have gone to the polls, we expect the country to have more investors and they will depend on us as private securities, so let’s face the challenges and brace for the opportunities”, he said.
He boasted that the private security market is growing and SEGAL is a major contributor to women’s empowerment.
The head of the delegation, Dave Freeman, said the training was intensive in different disciplines including first Aid, firefighting, VIP security and ethics in security.
He commended SEGAL for the opportunity given to the 15 supervisors from the 13 counties that the security firm is operating in.
“The vision of this entity will continue to grow because we who have this knowledge will hand it to our subordinate officers.”
Freeman presented 3 certificates to the management of the entity commending them for building the capacity of the staff.
Recently SEGAL graduated 125 security guards in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, who recently completed a month long intensive training in Basic Security Operations at the Liberian National Police Training Academy in Monrovia.
Cyrus stressed the need for strengthening the Public Private Partnership (PPP) within the security apparatus in the country.
He said the aggregate number of private security guards operating in the country out-numbered the Liberian Police making it very important to form closer partnerships and deter the occurrence of crimes in the country.
He said such a partnership should include the provision of specialized training in other countries for private security guards.
He thanked authorities of the Liberia National Police for affording SEGAL security guards the opportunity to benefit from such an intensive training.
He made three proposals to national government which he said are cardinal to sustaining the peace and security which the country now enjoys.
He stressed the need for the government to facilitate a special training program for private security guards to augment the strength of state security for the purpose of maintaining uniform security presence at all polling stations during this election process.
He also called on the government to allow trained private security guards to handle fire arms at their posts of assignment.
Mr. Cyrus noted that key investment institutions in the country are relying on private security agencies to mend strategic installations and it is only prudent that these private security entities be empowered to hold fire arms at their posts of assignment.
He clarified that the arms will only be handled by trained personnel and would be maintained at the post of assignment at all times.