eish! spoke to director Des Ayob about how the department protects people and property.

 

Protection Services has 106 employees across the three campuses and has three main functions: tactical response and investigations, traffic law and management and security services.

 

On call 24/7

 

According to Des, one of the most important services the department provides is access to and from the campuses for all students and staff members. “Access points are the university’s first line of defence, and we take this function very seriously.”

 

He adds that the department has a 24-hour control room that students and staff can contact in case of a crime-related or medical emergency.

 

First to respond in an emergency

 

The department has a tactical response team that responds to all crime-related and medical matters on the three campuses. The response team are the first respondents on the scene, even before South African Police Services or medical assistance are called.

 

Protection Services also has crime intelligence gatherers who obtain information on who, what, why, where, when and how crime happens. This information is then used to proactively deploy members to crime hot spots that have been identified.

 

Student and staff disciplinary matters are also investigated under this function. “Protection Services operates as an executive function that executes the law; it does not operate as a judicial function. We only collect all the evidence,” says Des. This evidence is passed on to the student judicial office or employee relations, as required.

 

Traffic law and management

 

The department enforces all the traffic laws on the campuses and ensures that these are followed. NWU staff can also ask Protection Services to reserve parking bays for external visitors, Des says.

 

“We also offer locksmith services for students and staff members who have locked themselves out of their offices, and basic assistance with car trouble.”

 

Ready to serve

 

Several senior staff members report directly to Des. They are section heads Jak Jansen van Vuuren, Giel Senekal and Boitumelo Mosikare who are all based in Potchefstroom, and senior managers Joseph Ntlati and Aubrey Welken, who are in Vanderbijlpark and Mahikeng respectively.