Dear Editor,
I refer to the article `Mining Security should be seen as beneficial investment – Crimes Unnerving Industry’ which appeared in your publication of Friday, April 8, 2011.
Since you have seen the report you would have noted that under the Security caption I had indicated the concept of a Supernumerary Constabulary for medium and large company operations. Supernumerary Con-stabularies are arms of the Police under the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and are appointed by the Commis-sioner of Police.
These Supernumerary Constables would be subjected to vetting and training as well as being armed with appropriate weapons for their own security.
For smaller operations the section had advocated security guards. These measures would be reinforced by the Police.
In fact, that was the first of the measures and I still feel that the Police cannot be everywhere and it behoves Gold Mining Operations which are earning good money as the gold prices soared beyond the US$1,400 per ounce mark and where miners are investing large sums of money in equipment and personnel to equally invest in the security of their operations in what I would term self interest.
The other issues of Intelli-gence and Communications are equally important.
Intelligence is what is required to instruct the nature of the operation based on who, what, when and where so that resources are not wasted and are better targeted.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Mc Lean
Major General (Retired)
