Criminals now targeting private security guards for guns, says Police

Police have said that there is a growing threat where criminals are targeting private security guards for their guns.

Addressing journalists at the weekly news briefing on Monday, Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said the Police  Directorate of Crime Intelligence has picked credible, information of increased threats towards private security guards, who are being targeted for their firearms by criminals.

"Although we acknowledge the rapidly growing demand for private security, by property owners and other private citizens, we want to warn all owners and proprietors of private security companies, to enhance the safety of their personnel, by avoiding lone deployments and lone movements, while walking on foot or riding to and from their guard points,"Enanga said.

He asked individual private security guards to always be on the lookout for attacks by criminals who will target their guns through physical attacks to injure them but also kill them before robbing their firearms.

Enanga said most of these attacks occur at lone guard points or during lone movements by the private security guards.

"The best way therefore, to keep security guards safe is to equip them with the necessary tools and effectively deploy them in pairs at minimum. This will enable them work and go home safely at the end of their shift."

"Therefore, all territorial commanders have been tasked to ensure, lone moving security guards, who are carrying firearms, are disarmed and action taken against them and their supervisors."

The police spokesperson said the guns stolen from private security guards are later used in the commission of crimes, just like it was in the incidents in Mukono district where it has been established that the gun was allegedly stolen from Robert Oluka, a private security guard with Top Security Company in Busembatya.