Importance of effective security

NEWS COMMENTARY DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF FRENCH PRESIDENT BEING SLAPPED IN THE FACE PUBLICLY.

From ancient warfare to modern democracy, the protection of Kings or Heads of State has always been a serious business. The Presidential Security Service of Russia has over 9,000 employees tasked mainly to protect sitting and past presidents, their families, and residences. They are trained among other things to protect the president at all costs including putting their lives on the line by using their bodies as shields if need be. In fact, in 2017, according to Reuters, the U.S. Secret Service sanctioned a senior official who suggested on Facebook that she did not want to “take a bullet” for President Donald Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently admitted he was offered the chance to use a body double for security purposes, but rejected the idea in the early 2000s. This goes to highlight that no price is too high to pay as far as protecting the president is concerned.

Before the US president visits a venue, the Secret Service goes ahead of him to literally inspect every inch of the ground. K9 dogs are deplored to sniff for potential bomb threats and the grounds combed to nullify any possible sniper positions.  The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, during a campaign visit to Dallas, marked a significant turning point in presidential protection in the US and around the world. The use of convertibles in presidential motorcades has since been discarded.  Presidents waving to the crowd from the roof of cars is not advisable unless the security detail are 100 percent sure there are no imminent security threats. Presidents, as it was very common with President Truman are no longer permitted to take frequent walks around with limited protection. If you ever bump into the president taking a stroll in your neighborhood, be rest assured he is being watched over by lots of plain-clothed men who may not necessarily be in very close proximity. It is even rumoured that the US president has satellite that monitors his movements in case of an attack or kidnap.

The recent viral video of President Macron being slapped publicly has caused embarrassment to the country and his security detail. It is only ironic that in spite of all the millions spent in providing top-notch security installations and training, President Macron’s security detail was outmaneuvered by a weapon as simple as a slap. This latest lapse will certainly cause a rethink of security arrangements for Heads of States around the world, further hindering their ability to freely interact with the people they have sworn to lead.  Let’s pause here and remind ourselves of the video where the personal bodyguard of President Akufo-Addo was seen to have shoved an elderly man who was attempting to give the president a handshake. It was seen as unnecessary at the time but are we still holding that same view after witnessing the episode that unfolded in France.

In 2015, Charles Antwi, a 36-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Accra Circuit Court for plotting to kill the then President, John Mahama in church. In another breath, a man was seen in a viral video dancing violently close to former president Mahama. Security experts at the time condemned the act but that assertion by the experts was described by most Ghanaians as an exaggeration. Those who disagreed with the experts at the time may have changed of hearts now.

Let’s be mindful of the fact that, there is simply no second-guessing or assumptions in the security profession. It’s a complex web of instincts, vigilance, training, and yes, sometimes a huge chunk of fate. Millions are being invested in technology and bulletproof cars but the latest threats call for a split-second decision to respond to a seemingly harmless human movement or gesture. Like John F. Kennedy, the security revolution this will spark remains to be seen. The next time you are denied a photo opportunity or handshake with the president, I hope you bear with him and know that a wave will suffice.

BY FRED ANTWI BOASIAKO, A PROSECUTOR WITH SSNIT.