A lack of proper training can hamper operational effectiveness in any sphere of activity, let alone one as volatile as the security industry. Whether on the rugby field or in the workplace, teams that lack adequate training are likely to be soundly beaten in  competition.

It’s a mathematical equation: a lack of training equates to a loss of profit. Simply put “field workers without sufficient technical knowledge very often end up costing their companies more money than would have been spent on training courses”.
Over the last five or so years, a number of armed robberies and cash- in-transit heists have taken place in various parts of Guyana. Since I have, in the past, provided a comprehensive account of armed robberies, I will address the challenges faced by cash- in-transit protectors as much as practicable, even though the two are intricately connected.

Every action is purposeful or directed towards the achievement of some goal. When people set about their daily lives, they do so unconscious of the fact that they conform to society’s shared values.

This belief system is loosely referred to as a ‘culture’ which is driven by a specific psychology. One cannot provide a service as vital as security to people in any jurisdiction without an understanding of the local culture; the local ‘security’ culture, which is often distinctly different from the local ‘generalised’ culture and the security culture of the client entity.
Only after putting these elements into perspective, one is ready to serve a diverse client population with varied behavioural nuances.

Sports psychologist and Harvard Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter and industrial psychologist Dr Craig Donald have frequently emphasised the importance of training in their workshops.

Training is the best way of preparing a team to perform professionally, logically and intelligently under most circumstances. Especially in the execution of emergency services and other highly coordinated activities, such as executive protection and the transport of valuables and cash- in- transit, where training and constant  proofing are no guarantee that ‘professional  behaviour’ will always be the end result.

A better understanding of the concept of ‘professional behaviour’ is important to any discourse on the execution of vital and time-sensitive security or emergency services.

According to the Merriam-Webster  dictionary: professional behaviour is “characterised by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of one’s profession”.

Thus, the analysis of certain activities such as the capability profile of a surgeon for example, could be achieved – all things being equal, by way of quantitative analysis. Since a surgeon is often able to tell a patient before hand how technical a surgery is likely to be, and as a result how successful over time a certain procedure is likely to turn out.

In a similar manner one could assess the safety record of a pilot or driver based upon statistical data of past performance.

However, when it comes to the execution of certain activities such as complex emergency and security operations, one can only provide the right training and  tools under a particular circumstance and hope that ‘professional conduct’ prevails. This is why  military operations, SWAT operations and many security-type operations are assessed by way of  qualitative analysis, because one can never be too sure that things are going to turn out as planned, irrespective of the existence  of data on past occurrences.
Cash-in -transit robbery is the unlawful, intentional and violent removal and appropriation of movable assets in transit, while the assets are under the control of a security company.

This may include incidents inside or outside a bank and/ or other premises, depending on circumstances.

This may further include removal and appropriation of moveable assets under threat of violence. The main consideration is that the moveable assets must be under the control of a security company/guard.

The transporting of cash and valuables-in-transit is a highly technical, time-sensitive and volatile activity; its inherent nature of being in possession of large amounts of valuables predisposes one to impending acts of criminal victimisation.

Therefore, unless the security personnel involved in these operations are trained in the latest methods of cash-in- transit security best practices, it is only a matter of time before the protector becomes the victim.

According to Nigerian Criminologist Dr Smart Egwa Otu, armed robbery is the most pervasive of crimes, which ought to be properly analysed and understood before appropriate countermeasures could be planned. In general, given Guyana’s relaxed security culture as alluded to above, criminals are usually in a better position to launch an attack on a local target, owning to the carefree manner in which the average Guyanese conducts large cash transactions.

Unfortunately, many local security operators also contribute statistics to this culture.
Many see a cash- in -transit heist as a random, opportunistic act carried out by a few hoodlums, rather it is more often a properly choreographed criminal incursion that is executed with military-like precession. Hence, security personnel must be trained to carry out a proper risk analysis, while committing the precautionary steps of cash in transit heist to memory. These are:
In order of priority: 1.to control access, whether doorways or pathways. 2. Gain access 3. Deliver a caution to instill fear and 4. Establish command and control to maintain the fluency of the assault, 5.to execute the robbery within a specified time frame, 6. And to make a safe escape.
In conclusion: There are countries with stricter gun control regulations than Guyana. Where the CIT industry though often outgunned, is regularly attacked by heavily armed , well financed and organized criminal syndicates, with as many as 30 members, some with military backgrounds and the benefit of several successful armed robberies and cash- in- transit heists to their credit.
Even in the face of such seemingly insurmountable challenges, cash -in -transit protectors of six or eight men, regularly stand their ground and thwart the operational advances of well fortified criminal groups, which underscore the benefit of proper training in specific theatres of operation.