By GENEA NOEL
Freeport News Reporter
The newly formed Bahamas Security Industry Association (BSIA) held its first meeting in Grand Bahama yesterday, outlining plans for the future to improve the standard of security services in the Bahamas.
The Association is designed to improve the standard of service provided by the security industry through on-going local and international training.
Guest speaker for the occasion was Gregory Moss, president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, who spoke on the advantages of a professionally regulated security industry in The Bahamas.
Moss commended the Association, whose meeting was held at the Ruby Swiss Restaurant, for developing a national entity. He added that oftentimes, national organizations originate in Nassau and now Grand Bahama has finally taken the challenge to form a national organization.
"What you have started here cannot be stopped. You have raised the bar for professional security service that all must follow," said Moss.
He went on to say that the Association is filling a need to stabilize and redirect our community. With the increase in prosperity, he said, it is essential to improve the quality of service in regards to security.
Moss reflected that in years past, Bahamians rarely locked their doors or windows and crime was petty offences.
"The feeling of community that existed is no more and we are now faced with the challenge to rebuild our social fabric," said Moss, adding that people behaved themselves and took responsibility for their action.
"People were ashamed to be involved in criminal matters, they were afraid of embarrassing their families and loved ones," said Moss.
" It is this same shame that kept us on the straight and narrow and in the confides of the law."
He added that back then, parents took their roles very seriously, providing the needs for their children, not with material things, but with guidelines, constraints and limits.
Nowadays, Moss said things have changed and people no longer want to be accountable for their actions.
" This Association will help us reposition our selves in our community and fill the void that will get us back on track for community building." said Moss.
Today, he said, no one wants to work for what they want, instead, they take as they please without any thought of who is hurt in the end, adding that personal responsibility is needed if we are to see a change in our society.
Moss also commended security officers for protecting the unprotected and for their willingness to protect as a private guard from the adversities within the community.
"The community sees you as an important asset to their business as you hold the line of order and control," said Moss
He concluded that the professional environment that the association seeks to provide is needed to enforce the standards of security personnel so that business owners can have confidence and trust that their establishments will be well taken care of.
"We depended on you to bring people who are creditable into the industry, the question is always asked who guards the guards and we depend on you to guard yourselves," said Moss, adding that an important level of trust is invested in security guards and they should pay attention to the product personnel and pricing of private security services.
He offered sound advice to the Association , telling them that they should offer good valuable service and most importantly be timely and efficient.
"You need to standardize, have consistency and be responsible for what goes on within the industry and to each other."
The Association seeks the cooperation of the community as they plan to achieve fundamental changes in attitude and behaviour of all in-house security departments, private and government, contract security companies, security managers, security product providers, trainers, consultants, locksmiths, in-vestigators etceteras, to create a multifaceted security industry in the Bahamas.
