Security business booms in terror era<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
As the Idul Fitri holiday came to an end, Taryana ordered his
\nwife to quit her job attending customers at a bookshop. Taryana,
\nwho earlier ran a small food stall attached to his house, no
\nlonger wanted his wife shouldering the family burden as he had
\njust got a very promising job: as a security guard in a large
\nmall in Bandung. Soon after he took the job last month, his wife
\nabandoned the bookshop and is now focused full-time on taking
\ncare of their two children.<\/p>\n
Taryana, 35, was one of a group of seven men hired by a mall
\nin Bandung last month after the group won a tender run by the
\nmall management. The group was chosen to back up existing
\nsecurity guards because they possessed skills in martial arts.
\nTaryana said the additional security guards were needed because
\nthe building management was increasing concerned about security
\nthreats since the Bali bombings of Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
Iskandarsyah Berian, a director with a security guard provider
\ncompany, confirmed the increasing demand for security guards
\nfollowing the last Bali bombings.<\/p>\n
In the past month, demand has been increasing, said Iskandar,
\npresident director of BodyGuard Security Service (BOSS).
\nNormally, the firm got less than 10 clients a month, but in the
\npast month alone, it got 13 clients, with most signing one year
\ncontracts, said Iskandar. The clients were mostly owners of
\noffice buildings, night spots, malls and hotels.<\/p>\n
The Bandung-based firm acquired a security providers license
\nfrom National Police Headquarters on February 22, 2001. For
\nsafeguarding a building, the company charges clients Rp 1.25
\nmillion (US$125) a month per security guard, while for
\nsafeguarding a person it charges Rp 2.5 million a month per
\nsecurity guard. The tariff can be much higher, depending on the
\nperson or the type of the building. \"We normally deploy 10 guards
\nin malls, but four are enough for hotels or office buildings.
\nHowever, whether we deploy more or less people, it depends on the
\nagreement with the client,\" said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
The security guards have skills in martial arts including
\nWushu, Kick Boxing and traditional pencat silat, with the
\ntraining being provided by the firm. Iskandar said the firm also
\nran contra terror training to improve services to clients.<\/p>\n
\"The intensive training distinguishes our employees from the
\ncommon security guard,\" said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
In the contra terror training program run by the police over
\nthree months, security guards are provided with skills to detect
\nbombs and incapacitate terrorists. In day-to-day operations, the
\nsecurity guards are also equipped with metal detectors, walkie-
\ntalkies and handcuffs. The company now has 300 employees and they
\nhave been deployed in various malls, hotels and night spots in
\nvarious cities, including Bandung, Jakarta and Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Although Bandung is relatively safe from terror attacks, the
\nsecurity threat in the city can not be ignored. Last year, a
\nlarge fire cracker exploded in front of Bandung Super Mall that
\nwas packed with people. Four years earlier, a bomb went off in a
\nBandung church, the first bomb to explode in the string of bomb
\nattacks on Christmas night targeting churches across the nation.
\nLast but not least, top terror suspects Azahari and Noordin M.
\nTop reportedly wandered around Bandung last year. Azahari was
\nkilled in a police raid in Malang, East Java, but his compatriot
\nNoordin is still at large.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/security-business-booms-in-terror-era-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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