Coronavirus, Spread of COVID 19, Lockdown and the Private Security Industry
Corona virus has brought the life and business to standstill all across the globe by spreading COVID 19 – a deadly viral pneumonic disease. The pandemic has taken more than a lakh of lives so far and there is no sign of hope of its subsiding soon. Total administrative lockdown has been ordered across the country which has been suggested as the only way out by medical practitioners after studying the nature of the disease. The disease is spread by personal contacts and social distancing is the one of the major ways out to break the chain of outbreak. In the current challenging time, when the entire people and economies are struggling hard to survive their lives and businesses and manage the situation, India as of now is determined to fight back Covid 19, and is doing good so far. While all the front liners – healthcare workers, hygiene & sanitation staff, bankers, food & grocery merchants are doing at their best, private security industry especially security guards are playing a vital role towards the cause. They have been appreciated by all including the government. It is not only the guarding sector but the security equipment one is also playing brilliant role in surveiling, monitoring, and controlling the situation. The Government of India has introduced an App called Arogya Setu which is to help in tracking the presence of Corona infected people. However, this is also a fact that during this lockdown period, businesses including security agencies are shutting and/ or they are running at a depleted state. There is a lot of cost cutting happening in all commercial establishments – from Industries to corporates, from Malls to Restaurants, from IT/ ITeS MNCs to MSMEs, and so on. There are instances of layoff of security guards and non-payment to them during lockdown. Obviously security is the first one to bear the brunt of any austerity practice across all businesses. SecurityLink India intends to understand the state of private security industry during the COVID 19 phase and threw a few questions to the industry. Here are the excerpts of some replies: Milind Borkar Speaks Milind Borkar Vice President (India & SAARC, Middle East and Africa) SecurityLink India (SLI): What is your take on recent Coronavirus spread and the business of security – particularly in India? Milind Borkar: The recent pandemic of COVID 19 has certainly impacted the business as a whole adversely but technology based businesses which can be monitored and controlled remotely are coming as a rescue in the time. Patients and contacts are being traced through mobile GPS. Apps are greatly helpful in tracking patients. The Government of India has created an App called Aarogya Setu which tells how an individual can check whether he is close to any person who is afflicted or is at a potential risk. Health security has currently become a big issue – whether contemporary technologies can track and/ or contain a biological attack or anticipate and/ or prevent one. SLI: Kindly state the role of Indian private security industry towards Pandemic COVID 19 in terms of contribution, limitations, success and failures. Milind Borkar: If there is anyone thing that the COVID 19 outbreak has shown to all of us it’s the true worth of people and organizations that keep our society safe and well as we go about our daily lives. Medical professionals are rightly at the pinnacle of public attention at the moment, but the global pandemic has also highlighted the vital roles that so many people play in our world – from cleaners to delivery/ logistics teams, supermarket staff and the emergency services including security services – all of whom are doing their critical jobs, whilst also battling the potential of being infected and being ill themselves. This is the overseas example while in India people go about creating panic, as well as try to spread intentionally the virus as God is supposed to be on their side. In Kuwait specifically any expatriate who violates the law is simply put in lock and is deported – no questions asked. A Government clarification states: Roles essential to supporting law and order, with the potential to reduce demand on policing, also meet the critical worker definition. This would include, amongst other areas, the guarding of empty or closed commercial, retail or office premises; the monitoring of similar through CCTV or other remote means; and the provisioning of alarm response centres including mobile units. But do we have this hardware in place, probably yes, but is it working? Protecting people and property: Times of crisis undoubtedly bring out the best and the worst in people, which means for the majority a greater community spirit and desire to help and share with others. Sadly, there are always criminal elements who see nefarious opportunities to take advantage of – as we have observed through various news platforms of print as well as electronic media. These people should be arrested immediately, and a FIR be lodged irrespective of who so ever they may be. Medical security: With a huge focus on the medical efforts of both the government and the private sector during this outbreak, it is easy to overlook the heightened security needs there too. Security in quarantine areas need to be strictly enforced, medical teams and supplies need to be protected. With the amount of panic buying going on recently, medical supplies (such as painkillers) are in demand, whilst many restricted medical drugs will always attract criminals (and addicts) if they are not properly secured. There are several cases where pharma stores have been vandalized. SLI: The Corona regime appears to manifest the significance of human factors in the business of security, how do you advise? Milind Borkar: On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that an outbreak of the viral disease COVID 19 – first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China – had reached the level of a global pandemic. Citing concerns on the alarming levels of spread and severity,…