Kill Crime Security Services (KCSS) is a pre-eminent and reputable private security services company that has been in operation for over six years. It has had some exciting projects including guarding, VIP protection, crowd control, cash-in-transit and high priority infrastructure. The Guard caught up with Thabiso Skehosana, the driving force behind KCSS. He tells us more about the men and women who keep Maluti-a-Phofung safe.
Kill Crime has over the years established itself as a leading and trusted security company. Please tell us about the company and its employees.
We started operating in 2015 with 06 member. Our very first client was Maluti a phofung local municipality and we did guarding for them. We steadily grew over the years adding more services and employing more members. At peak we had more than 100 employees ranging from managers, admin workers, security guards and general workers. We have always tried to strike a good balance between female and male employees. As an unwritten rule we always strive to employ locally. So if we have a post at Makwane for example we will employ people from Makwane, Harrismith, people from Harrismith and so forth.
Why did you choose a security company among all businesses?
My interest has always been eradicating crime. I see crime as a ‘cancer’ that is destroying our communities from within. With all the good work our law enforcement agencies are doing, I still saw a gap in the market to try and close. A security company was an obvious choice. I would be able to play my part in fighting crime in our community, pursue my dream of a crime free world where my grandkids will roam the streets freely. And most importantly achieve this while creating employment for my people.
The name ‘Kill Crime’. How did it come about?
As the name suggests and in the strongest terms acceptable and available we just wanted to KILL crime. The name is just exactly what we do. Ho thwe bitso lebe ke seromo.
What is unique about your security company? In other words, what sets you apart from other security companies?
We pride ourselves by the quality of people we employ. We deliberately work with people that share our values and see the vision that we want to work towards. We do sometimes get some unsavory characters but we try and mold them into the type of security services members that are worthy of the Kill Crime Security Services badge and colors.
What sets us apart is we do what we say we will do to eradicate crime. We go where most are afraid to go in order to sweep away criminal characters and most importantly we associate and partner with anyone working towards KILLING crime. Whether it be SAPS or other security companies in the area.
We are also constantly working towards improving ourselves by learning, equipping ourselves, introducing new technology and trying to keep up with the trends in crime fighting space.
What are challenges and successes that you have recorded in the company’s six years?
There are always challenges in our line of work. Criminals are always evolving and what worked for us in the past has become ineffective now. It is a game of cat and mouse and no one wants to give in.
Now our success comes in a way of our resilient nature. Not having a give-up attitude. We have and still face challenges from all corners. From the criminals we’re are fighting. From running or administration of the business. And from just people who are hell-bent on seeing us not succeed in what we set out to do.
Our success comes from overcoming those challenges and that is what we do everyday when we put on those Kill Crime Security Services colors.
What criteria do you use to choose who to employ when hiring your staff? Do you train them yourself?
This largely depends on what our clients’ needs are at the time. We do however, have our own recruitment, fitness and vetting processes that we follow to get the best people for the job at hand.
How do you empower your employees?
We have a number of programmes in place set to empower our employees in different aspects of their duties or responsibilities. For instance we have wellness program for all our employees. We have refresher training of our armed members at our shooting range in Kestel. Our technical team routinely go for training courses on new security technology in the market. Our K9 unit also routinely goes for training.
We also have had a lot of members that joined the team as juniors or just having a Grade EDC security grade but through the company’s intervention, have now moved on to become supervisors, administrators, technicians, K9 unit members, tactical team members and so on. Both within the company and outside the company.
So far, what have you done to develop your community?
Gave employment to community members.
Always on call to assist in fighting crime.
Go on joint operations with SAPS
We understand you work with your daughter. What is it like working with her?
We are all like a family here. My daughter is an extension of me. My right hand ‘man’ who is a woman in her own right. We do butt heads at times but for the betterment of the company. I think it’s because I’m old school and she’s more modern and forward-thinking in terms in terms of driving the company forward.
