Feral Jundi

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Industry Talk: Turkey’s Private Security Officers Outnumber Armies Of Six Countries In Europe

Filed under: Industry Talk,Turkey — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 9:13 AM

Turkey has roughly 217,000 private security guards who are employed in public offices and private companies, a figure that outnumbers the soldiers in the armies of six countries in Europe — Austria, Belgium, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway and the Czech Republic…Currently there are 1,430 security firms in Turkey, and 737 training centers for private security officers, according to the Security Headquarters’ Private Security Department’s figures.
Candidates receive non-armed certifications after 90 hours of training, but an armed certification requires a further 30 hours…

Every now and then I will come across statistics from other countries about their PMSC industry. These two stories below go into the statistics of Turkey’s market and I thought it would be cool to archive them here.

One statement below brought up an interesting point about loans. Getting a loan in some countries is not as difficult as it is in others, and it looks like Turkey has an industry that is yearning for more capital to expand and grow. From building training facilities to buying all the equipment and weapons necessary to maintain a growing security business, they need it.

“We want the government to support our sector. In a country that is capable of providing loans to the IMF, we want to be able to receive long-term low-interest loans from state banks, as well as support from the Social Security Institution and the Finance Ministry. With this support, our sector will be able to develop even more,” he said.

The other point to bring up is that 9/11 has had a world wide impact on this sector, and not just in the west.  Security services are in high demand all over because of the threat of terrorism or crime, and this industry is in high demand in countries where police forces have been cut. In countries where austerity measures have reduced the number of police, you will see this market of force expand and private security is filling that vacuum.

Of course the final big picture comment is summed up in this statement.

Perut also added that the private security services sector is valued at up to $6 billion for the entire world.

I guess Perut did not have access to the Small Arms Survey done last year that actually put the value of this market much higher. Although he could be referring to just one aspect of PMSC’s, so who knows where he got it from. Here is the quote:

The private security sector has been booming since the mid-1980s and continues to grow steadily (van Dijk, 2008,
p. 217). Recent estimates show that the security market is worth about USD 100–165 billion per year, and that it has
been growing at an annual rate of 7–8 per cent. –2011 Small Arms Survey, Ch. 4

Interesting stuff and if you guys have anything add to this data, let me know. This post will also be filed under Turkey in the categories below if you need it. –Matt

 

Private security officers in Turkey now their own ‘army’
08/28/2012
The 217,000 private security guards in Turkey outnumber armies of many many nations, according to Bülent Perut, chairman of a sector organization. Rapid urbanization is increasing the number, he says.
The number of Turkish private security officers has reached 217,000, greater than the combined military forces of Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Holland, Norway and the Czech Republic, according to data from a sector organization.
“Even though there aren’t specific figures as to the size of the sector’s economy, we believe that in general it ranges between $3-6 billion,” Private Security Associations Federation President Bülent Perut told Anatolia news agency in an interview published Aug. 28.
In Turkey, 886,000 people hold private security certificates, confirming that one has received appropriate education and training in the field. Some 604,000 of these people also hold a security ID, the state authorization to work as a guard.
Perut told Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview yesterday that many security guards preferred other jobs when they are available, because of the low wages and
poor level of social rights in the security sector.

(more…)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Black Swan Events: Volcano Illustrates World’s Interconnectedness

   What we call here a Black Swan (and capitalize it) is an event with the following three attributes. First, it is an outlier, as it lies outside the realm of regular expectations, because nothing in the past can convincingly point to its possibility. Second, it carries an extreme impact. Third, in spite of its outlier status, human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable. I stop and summarize the triplet: rarity, extreme impact, and retrospective (though not prospective) predictability. A small number of Black Swans explain almost everything in our world, from the success of ideas and religions, to the dynamics of historical events, to elements of our own personal lives. –Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan

*****

   I have decided to add a new category that actually talks about events that have far reaching effects.  Natural disasters and war are examples, and the reason we need to talk about that here is that contractors are very much needed in order to deal with these kinds of events.  Contractor operations are also impacted by these events, and this stuff can really screw up the logistics for some global operation. As I speak, there are contractors waiting to go home who can’t, or guys in airports just waiting around for their flight.  Logistics for the wars will be impacted as well.  That is why we need to care.

   BSE (Black Swan Events) can also arise from political upheaval or coups.  A BSE could be something small like a extremely deadly virus, or something odd that changes the dynamic.  Drones could be considered BSE’s, because they are something new to warfare that is forcing everyone to rethink strategies.

   I also don’t want to get in the habit of calling everything new a BSE.(I will use Nassim’s three attributes for BSE’s) This category will be for only the big stuff, that really shakes the world.  This volcano is one of those events, much like the Haiti earthquake or the Polish leadership getting killed in a plane accident.  Thanks to Matt for giving me the heads up and cluing me in on the BSE potential. –Matt

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Volcano illustrates world’s interconnectedness

By MICHAEL TARM

April 17, 2010

CHICAGO — A volcano erupts in Iceland, and the effects ripple around the globe: A mom in Romania frets about making her son’s wedding in Texas. A florist in New York worries shipments won’t arrive. Patients awaiting treatment in Nigeria have to wait another week for the doctors.

The fallout from the ash cloud looming over Europe illustrates just how interconnected our world has become.

Thousands of planes fly millions of passengers and tons of cargo each day, providing the economic lifeblood of nations and businesses. The flights deliver products for sale or items as small as a specialized tool that lets a factory keep operating.

The planes also bring medicines to hospitals and food aid to earthquake or hurricane victims. And they bring war and peace. Soldiers are often transported to and from hot spots by air.

(more…)

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