THE recent shooting to death of 64-year-old security guard Gerald Henry, allegedly by a young man who attempted to rob the premises he was protecting, brings to the fore once again, the importance of having conversations on this demographic employed in the private security sector.
In this instance, none other or should it be said,no one better than Minister Keith Scott, who is minister responsible for labour within the Ministry of Social Protection, is adding his voice.  There are various reasons why the elderly are employed in this sector and while no pretence is being made to know all, some are easily identifiable.

The private security service, where persons are mostly not only working long hours (12-hour or more) in a single shift and deprived of their night’s sleep, is also considered not financially attractive to a younger demographic, given its relative low-wage practice.
Given the paucity and relative absence of economic security after retirement, which in our society is either 55 years or 60, these persons, though they may have more to contribute and want to contribute, very often cannot find employment outside of the security sector.

Unlike other societies that provide economic support and relief for their senior citizens such as discounts in public transportation and at retail establishments, in Guyana for this demographic outside of reliance on pensions from their employers,the National Insurance Scheme if they qualify, and Old Age at 65 years, collectively these cannot adequately compensate for the day-to-day financial challenges of the average person. A fact that cannot be ignored is that the cost of living is high in Guyana and our senior citizens are not insulated from it.

For many, if not all, being a security guard aids in the supplementing of incomes necessary to offset expenses and ensure preservation of dignity that comes with not having to be reliant on others for financial support.
The relative economic fortunes of many families today, given their own responsibilities, make it difficult to assist in providing financial support to their elderly relatives, leaving them out of necessity and pride to pursue such responsibility independently.

Minister Scott is correct in his view that his concern for this demographic being employed is not intended to deprive them of the right to work which would be ageism. Also, his concern about female guards being assigned duties in isolated areas and at nights is deserving of attention and rightly not seeking to deprive women of exercising the choice of working, which would be deemed gender bias.

What is encouraging in the minster’s attention to this issue is his acknowledgement of not knowing it all in how to treat with the matter and would appreciate having the input of society in addressing same. This opportunity for public inclusion should not be ignored by the private security services and society at large.

Society stands to gain when public policies are shaped with the input of the people, more so those who are to be impacted by them. As alluded to above, the socio-economic and structural realities that would cause this senior demographic to gravitate to this category of employment cannot be overlooked in shaping policies. Government may find it useful to examine ways of addressing these, inclusive of forming public/private partnerships in examining and making possible, ways to assist in economic self-sustainment. Best practices in other societies can be used as frames of reference.

In shaping labour policies, it may be worthy looking into the job specification, job description and the categories of security workers. There may also be need to describe what constitutes a security guard vis-a-vis a watchman, the conditions under which they work, including having requisite training and tools to perform efficiently and effectively.
Acknowledgement of the foregoing does not ignore that those who set out to deprive any of their property would also factor in that if they have to overpower an armed security guard they will do so. The recent attempted robbery of Republic Bank on Water Street makes the case that armed guards, irrespective of age, gender and physical agility would not often serve as deterrents.

Finally, where Minister Scott is seeking to address what could undeniably be considered conditions less than favourable to the elderly working in the security sector, the security firms must also see the importance of examining it. Ours is a society where historically the elderly has been revered, and ensuring their respect in the private security sector would necessitate non-exploitation of our seniors.