The detective and protective services

Threats to life, escalating public violence, mushrooming mafia strongholds, and political and domestic violence have heightened the need for the services of security providers and private investigators. An alternative career that is as interesting as it is challenging.

FOR years now, safeguarding our homes and workplaces meant employing the famous warrior people from Nepal, the Ghorkas. The Ghorkas and Sherpa clans often migrated to India in search of employment and gradually created a niche for themselves as domestic security providers who kept vigil at night. However, all that is in the past now. With the burgeoning community of organised business houses, it has become a norm to seek the services of professional agencies specialising in offering security services. You now find uniformed security personnel adorning the entrances and exits of every apartment building, restaurant, bank, corporate house or even a cinema hall. These security guards are often employed on a contractual basis from agencies offering such services.

An established and flourishing business abroad, the novel business proposition is just breaking ground in India. Retired armed personnel find it an apt post retirement profession to dabble in. Detective services are also available for the asking. Not a very common choice for a profession, but definitely an unusual and adventurous proposition for those with enough imagination to solve murky mysteries. It is as demanding as it sounds exciting.

Sleuthing is a high-powered business. Private sleuths are employed for various under cover activities, from tracking an errant husband to corporate or business associates, unearthing murky secrets of organisations, tracing missing people, solving political imbroglios, and even verifying the credentials of prospective marriage partners!

These services have begun to emerge as support services to the law and order enforcement agencies of the country. They not only lighten the burden of these agencies but also strive to address the issue of civilian security adequately.

Professional security services

Work at the management level in a security agency primarily revolves around managing the regular administrative duties of the establishment. Public relations is an important aspect of the job. As a manager of the establishment, you would be required to acquire clients, manage them and run the business on profit. Since security personnel are hired on a contractual basis, building a loyal clientele is important for the health of the business. Awareness of the latest security systems and good man- management skills are necessary to run the business smoothly.

As a manager of the outfit, you must be able to recruit the right type of people high on integrity, honesty, courteousness, problem solving capabilities and a vigilant nature.

Crisis management is a vital function in this profession. Security personnel have to be able to face up to confrontations and at the same time be able to resolve misunderstandings as well as be able to deal with demanding clients. Physical well-being is also an important factor as the security personnel have to be robust, capable of working long hours and be resourceful in times of sudden attack or an emergency.

Professional security providers provide security and protection to business establishments, institutions, residential complexes, stores, retail outlets, restaurants, star hotels, etc. However, certain high security duties or assignments may require trained personnel, especially in case of threat to life or while safeguarding highly sensitive areas. These purposes require the agency to possess a licence permitting them to use firearms for defence.

What you need to know

Mental alertness, ability to cope with stress, good reflexes, and good observation skills, with physical and mental courage are necessary to extricate yourself out of difficult situations. Hence most organisations prefer personnel who are assertive and who adhere to the company's security policy.

You need to spot the right talent and check for the following criteria- Literacy, commonsense, manual dexterity, good communication skills, and an ability to tackle hazards, which are some of the useful qualities of a security guard. Co-ordination and teamwork is essential among security personnel.

They also have to be able to control their temper. Good character references are necessary. Presence of mind and good interrogation skills are important for security personnel who are in constant and frequent contact with the public.

Private investigators

Though it may appear to be an exciting career proposition, sleuthing is not an easy task. It involves odd hours and can mean erratic travel schedules.

As a private investigator, there are various options to specialise in. Clients may require an investigator to look into the credentials of a potential employee, investigate cases of fraud and espionage or credit reports, birth and death records, tax filings, press reports and others.

However, private investigators do not have any authority under law to detain or interrogate anyone. They, therefore have to adopt ingenious methods to gather the necessary information to investigate the case. At the end of the assignment, the investigator usually submits a detailed report to the client.

What makes for a sleuth?

To be a detective, you need to have an analytical bent of mind and an inquisitive nature. You must be adventurous and be able to take risks, be extremely observant and patient. A background in forensic sciences, though not essential would help the private investigator in his work.

The Indore Christian College is only institution in India that offers a one-year diploma course in the art of private investigation. However, no specific educational qualifications are necessary.

The specialist

People higher up the hierarchical order in a private detective's firm usually have a background in the defence forces and the armed services or possess professional qualifications like a degree in law, etc.

Security is an important issue and investigators specialising in a particular field can put to good use their services. Technical experts can help quell cyber crimes and hacking, while financial wizards can aid in nabbing embezzlers, and investigate bank frauds. Legal experts can aid law firms in investigating their cases, locating witnesses, and gathering evidence.

The routine

A lot of paper work is usually involved in detective work, which requires secretarial services and a number of administrative staff. Well-established detective service providers can have in- house experts such as forensic scientists, and chemists.

Personnel working in security agencies need to be adept at handling firearms, alarms, and filling-in inquiry reports.

Money, money, money

At the entry level, investigators working with established agencies can expect to earn approximately Rs. 5,000 per month.

However, those operating on their own can charge anywhere from Rs. 1,000 and more depending on the nature of the case.

Future prospects

In the present scenario, there seems to be no sign of an abating crime rate, thereby increasing the dependency on security services.

Threats to life, escalating public violence, mushrooming mafia strongholds, and political and domestic violence has heightened the need for the services of these security providers, further emphasised by the presence of multinationals and international business houses in India.

SAMYUKTA KODA

samyukta.hyd@careercommunity.co.in