Hotels must prepare for CHOGM crime
Nov 09, 2006
NEXT year, Uganda will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Many modern hotels have been built for the event and they must respond to the security concerns of our guests. It is the responsibility of the hotel staff to keep their guests secure.
By Simeo Nsubuga
NEXT year, Uganda will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Many modern hotels have been built for the event and they must respond to the security concerns of our guests. It is the responsibility of the hotel staff to keep their guests secure.
Below are the tips:
The rooms must be secure. Bedroom doors and windows require good quality locks, bolts, security chairs and viewers. The doors, windows and the surrounding materials need to be of good quality to prevent penetration.
Room attack alarms for beds are a further consideration, but must be responded to immediately by staff, in the event of activation.
The simple introduction of mirrors in a vulnerable point can make the criminal feel very uneasy. Good surveillance across public areas is important.
Hotels should introduce a system of hotel safes or centralised safety deposits for storage of valuables for those guests who need this service.
The reception desk should have a clear view of the entire reception area including the hotel entrance. All doors from the public side of the reception leading to administrative areas should be controlled.
There should be strict key control measures. The management of keys to hotel rooms require strict controls. Reception desk staff should not hand over keys unless satisfied that the request comes from genuine guests. To avoid stolen property from going out of the hotel, security officers must always be on alert at the hotel entrances and gates.
All staff admission should be confined to one entrance located away from that used by the public. Management should be encouraged to use the staff entrance as a means of supervision and monitoring. Conditions of employment, including the management team, should cater for random searches.
Standard fire safety measures like appropriate portable fire extinguishers should be distributed in the hotel premises. It is necessary to have a modern warning system like a fire alarm bell or siren to alert the occupants in case of fire outbreak. Organising fire prevention training exercises for all your staff and periodical fire safety and prevention inspection surveys should be carried out by the Fire Brigade officers.
It is a good idea to employ security guards from the private security organisations which have been vetted and approved by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to operate in the security industry.
Installing closed circuit television (CCTV) is vital. These are cameras which can be placed on the hotel premises to transmit images of the scene to a video monitor which is viewed by the user. The CCTVs can help to monitor and observe all the hotel premises outside and inside and record all movements without any inconveniences.
Warning signs should be placed in the car parks and inside the hotel to offer advice to the guests on how to secure their property. Guests can be advised to place their belongings out of view, for example in car boots, if removing them from the vehicles is inconvenient to them.
All hotels should place functioning metal detectors at entrances. They should not allow anybody to take machines or other equipment to the rooms without clearance from the hotel security personnel.
All the crime incidents should be reported to police and the hotel management should keep record of crimes which are committed. This will lead to better evaluation of the security situation of the hotel and how best the management can easily deal with the problem .
The writer is the Head of Crime Prevention Unit,
Uganda Police Force
NEXT year, Uganda will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Many modern hotels have been built for the event and they must respond to the security concerns of our guests. It is the responsibility of the hotel staff to keep their guests secure.
Below are the tips:
The writer is the Head of Crime Prevention Unit,
Uganda Police Force