Business
JAM | Nov 16, 2022

Kenny Benjamin to revolutionise security industry again… this time with Guardsman Metaverse

Al Edwards

Al Edwards / Our Today

administrator
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Kenny Benjamin, executive chairman of the Guardsman Group.

Guardsman, the security company founded and built by Kenny Benjamin 45 years ago is going all in with high tech solutions with a concept aptly named ‘Guardsman Metaverse’.

At a reception held at the AC Marriott Hotel in New Kingston last night, the Guardsman team unveiled the cutting edge technology that will now become the centre piece of its operations.

Guardsman will now be employing AI-powered cameras, drones, facial recognition, object/weapon recognition, person tracking and crowd counting, location detection and licence plate detection – all digital initiatives to ensure greater security for its clients.

Its new cyber intelligence capabilities considerably ups the ante.

“The world is becoming so technical and if we don’t make the transition as a company, we will be left behind. We can’t just depend on manpower anymore. We have been trying to make this move way-back-when and now we have brought the best technology in the industry to Jamaica.”

Kenny Benjamin, executive chairman of the Guardsman Group

In an exclusive interview with Our Today, the executive chairman of the Guardsman Group Kenny Benjamin talked about this new chapter in the evolution of the biggest security company in the Caribbean.

“ The world is becoming so technical and if we don’t make the transition as a company, we will be left behind. We can’t just depend on manpower anymore. We have been trying to make this move way-back-when and now we have brought the best technology in the industry to Jamaica.”

The security mogul made the point that the aim is not simply for Guardsman to profit from this move but that it can be utilised to address Jamaica’s crime problem. Already this year murder is up by 10 per cent and the crime wave is engulfing the country. Up to November 13, 2022, as many as 1,360 have been murdered.

STATES OF EMERGENCY ESTABLISHED ACROSS ISLAND

Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that states of emergency (SOEs) would be enforced in  Kingston, St Andrew, St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St Catherine and Clarendon over the holiday period and will, in all likelihood, be extended beyond the stipulated 14 days.

Holness said: “We would now, under the SOE, have the ability to hold on to such persons, but this is not arbitrary. This Government does not believe in the arbitrary use of power.”

Benjamin continued: “Everyone is in their house afraid and they don’t know who is going to attack. The crime situation in Jamaica is a serious one. Now there is technology that can help. Guardsman is there to help Jamaicans and keep them safe.

“There are so many initiatives we can take to help fight crime that doesn’t need highly trained police personnel. For example we have our trucks and we carry millions and millions of dollars. Right now, the transportation of convicts between courts and jail doesn’t need to be accompanied by three or more police vehicles – we could do that.

“Guardsman can also provide traffic warden officers and clerical work services for police stations. We could control the 119 calls. There are so many things that can be outsourced thus reducing the burden on the state. We need to take a private-public partnership approach to address the worrying crime problem in Jamaica. We have to utilise police personnel effectively and have them on the road preventing criminal activity.”

Dr Horace Chang (left), minister of national security, speaks with Kenny Benjamin chairman of the Guardsman Group.

Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang, at the Guardsman Metaverse event, said Jamaica needs 18,000 police officers but, with technological applications, that could possible come down to 15,000.

Is that possible?

“Yes, I believe it is. The police force in Jamaica has always been so short. We could provide between 3,000 to 4,000 officers who protect embassies, government buildings, Vale Royal. We could do all that because really it doesn’t need police people. You have to deploy the police to do the real work which is fighting crime and protecting citizens,” said Benjamin.

In London there are cameras at most traffic lights and they now are used in the detecting of public road breaches. In Jamaica, Guardsman could likely offer that service, taking the headache away from the Government.

A PRACTICAL SOLUTION

Benjamin laments that solutions have been offered to help the crime problem and the government passed on it. He recalled that Guardsman once offered to supply electronic ankle holsters that would monitor the whereabouts of those on bail. This would see them going home and even to work but if they go asunder then they can be locked up. Given the shortage of jail space it was a practical solution. It was never acted upon.

In 1977, Benjamin formed Guardsman Security because he saw a need for a quality service in Jamaica. Today, the Guardsman Group employs more 8,000 people across the Caribbean with Guardsman having operations in 10 islands.

Comments

What To Read Next