There are few things that can be more satisfying than the taking down of a criminal ring. Even more rewarding is when that ring has been operating for many months within a particular client’s company.

I will use this forum to congratulate my Johannesburg branch and, in particular, Mr Vincent Herselman and his colleagues for the excellent work they produced in identifying, trapping and busting the well-organised syndicate that were responsible for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit herbal medication used by many HIV positive individuals.

The original product itself is a combination of various vitamins, herbs and tonics and is taken as a supplement to assist in boosting one’s health. The “knock-off” product, however, contains nothing more than water and colorant, but is made to look exactly like the original with the same packaging of identical bottles and even the same insert information.

Interestingly enough, it was not a scam masterminded and run by a syndicate of experienced con-men, no, it was in actual fact, a group of 7 employees working for the very company that
manufactures and distributes the original product. What they had achieved was to actually go into business in opposition to the very employer who pays them in the first place!

Fortunately though, through their network of informants, Mr Herselman and his team were able to work from a series of tip-offs and then discreet surveillance which paid off!

Over a period of 48 hours, the entire syndicate was rounded up, full confessions were obtained and over 250 boxes of fake product was retrieved!

Well done team!

It has been a long time coming but it’s finally here. At last, we have an association within the private security industry that has taken a strong stand against dishonest, unprofessional, fly-by-night ‘operators’.

Until recently, anyone using any of the vast array of security services and/or products on offer in South Africa were doing so hoping to God that the company or people they engaged with were truly professional and would act accordingly. The truth is, the South African Security Industry is littered with dishonest chancers and even con artists trying to make a quick buck from a population of people and businesses who constantly live in fear of crime.

But now, thanks to the Security Association of South Africa (S.A.S.A.), the public can now know that they are making use of bona fide professional, audited and 100% compliant service and product suppliers.

With the introduction of the S.A.S.A. Gold Class Membership, S.A.S.A. has caused quite a stir. This now means that all service providers wanting S.A.S.A. membership will have to meet
a severe set of requirements and would need to be audited annually to remain a member. I think this is truly fantastic! Well done S.A.S.A.!

For too many years we have simply allowed any Tom, Dick or Harry to get memberships simply by virtue of applying and then using these memberships or “lame duck tokens” to market their “professionalism”. Well, not anymore!

The trick is now to educate consumers that they should be making use of predominantly S.A.S.A. Gold Class members.

In our line of work, I am regularly informed by my investigative teams of how fly-by-night security companies are actually a major contributor to business and residential criminal activity! The reality is that unregistered chancers are underpaying their guards (if at all) and, as a result, their very “guards” are turning to crime.

Don’t even get me started on alarm and CCTV installers – they get full access into a client’s home, business, etc. and, very often, after hours. One can only imagine what they could get up to.

So, although I am encouraged by the initiative born out of S.A.S.A., the challenge now is for all those true professionals out there to spread the word to the public about the absolute
importance of compliance and knowing who they’re actually dealing with.

For anyone wanting to clarify whether their security service provider is a certified Gold Class Member, I suggest visiting S.A.S.A. at www.sasecurity.co.za or e-mail info@sasecurity.co.za.

The following is a letter published in The Citizen, January 23, 2012, written by Declan Condon, the CEO of D&K Management Consultants … food for thought …

I am concerned that Wayne Minnaar, the JMPD spokesman, does not know the law. Where does it say that police officers or traffic cops can open fire on a vehicle because it does not stop at a roadblock?

The two officers who fired a shot at the wrong car 11 months ago and paralysed the victim should, at least, be charged with discharging a firearm in public, or the negligent discharge of a
weapon. Minnaar claims that the officers, and I quote, “did nothing wrong”. If, as I believe, both officers fired shots and neither one is taking responsibility for the round that entered the victim’s vehicle, both officers that night should have been placed behind a desk.

When did these officers last undergo firearm competency training, which, by the way, every member of the public in possession of a firearm has to undergo?

At the rate at which people are posting information (much of it being personal) on the web, it isn’t surprising that social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are being used to gain
valuable insight into the personal profile of potential candidates. Often, this portion of a background check will reveal far more about an individual than what you would have found out through conventional screening methods. Chilling stuff indeed!

I can confirm that within the D&K Management Consultants group, our background investigators and recruiters regularly visit a client’s potential candidate’s personal profile as part of our vetting and screening practice.

Findings from this investigative tactic have resulted in fairly large numbers of candidates being turned down. The reasons vary from negative posts about previous employers, or current, for that matter, displaying poor writing and communication skills, and comments about alcohol and/or drug use.

So, if you’re reading this as a job seeker, you would be well advised to check your posts and sites carefully. On the other hand, if you’re reading this and are someone responsible for hiring,
be sure to incorporate this strategy the next time you need to know a little more about someone!

Click here for more information on our Employee Background Screening Service.

January 13, 2012, author Kyle Condon

December 21, 2012 …. The day the world will end!

For some, this may actually be a blessing – a cataclysmic event to put an end to their long-standing suffering. There are those that have now started to fear the day that the world, as we know it, will finally cease to exist.

But, to the rest of us, December 21, 2012, will mean four (4) more days to Christmas and, along with trying to choose between that bicycle for Johnny or the walking Barbie for Jenny, we will be looking back at a year that our businesses either flourished or suffered in some way.

The fact is, the world may not be at risk – at least not yet – but, your business always will be!

Business today is faced with such profuse risks that realistically only an integrated approach to risk management can provide the best chance to negate and minimise these threats. In my
opinion, one of the major stumbling blocks in successfully creating an integrated security/loss prevention portfolio is the belief that the majority of the threats faced will come from external forces. This is not quite accurate … in today’s world, the greatest threats to businesses across the board, stem from within. As a result, what we then far too often see, is that costly
security features and practices tend to target risks that are far less likely to occur rather than aiming directly at those that may well occur if not occurring already.

This is where my Security Audit teams are providing an invaluable service to clients across the African continent. The scope of a comprehensive security audit is to determine exactly
where and how the company is at risk and to furthermore establish just how probable those risks are.

From here, my teams will move into the broader arena and will consider those risks associated within the environment the company operates in. Through these processes, we are able to
assist our clients to implement a risk management strategy which will provide optimal protection.

This may require deployment of well-placed undercover investigators, restructuring pre-employment screening policies, physical protection installations, etc., all working together to
complete the puzzle that is now their unique risk management programme.

With this in mind, I’m off to go stock up on baked beans, bully beef and mineral water. My bunker is near completion … the world may end on December 21, 2012, but I’ll be ready!

Click here for more information on our Security Audit service.

Being in a business that exists solely to provide our clients with solutions and remedies to criminal activity and risk, it would seem blatantly obvious that our strongest ally and business partner would be the South African Police Service. But, as the old adage goes, ‘nothing is ever really as it seems’. Read more »

In my role as a security professional or, more specifically, an investigations consultant, I suppose I have, to a certain degree, developed a fairly healthy level of cynicism and mistrust. Hell, do you blame me? I mean, my company through our very nature of business, confirms on a daily basis just how far our moral fibre has entwined and knotted itself. I’m not just referring to society as a whole but, more specifically, to those who are charged with the responsibility of preventing this decline …. our police force! Read more »

2011 has been a tough year for job seekers. It would seem that the pressure of securing a permanent job has driven many applicants to falsify information presented to prospective employees. As many as 8 out of 100 applications contain blatant lies or false qualifications. To my mind, the problems associated with poor or minimal pre-employment screening
can be so potentially damaging to an organisation that it continues to amaze me how companies choose to ignore comprehensive background and screening checks. Read more »

No matter how hard you may work as a business manager or director, your business isn’t growing like it should be. You may be unaware of the various reasons as to why this is happening and why at the end of the month you continuously face and deal with loss of company profit. Read more »

We often see in movies how Polygraph Tests solve crimes whilst exposing the truth and although they are commonly used today, it is vital that those considering this technique are aware that they are not “lie detectors.” Polygraph tests reveal deceit which is based on one’s involuntary physical bodily reactions that occur when one is not telling the truth. Read more »