‘It’s chic to have guards’
Whether installing electronic security systems, acting as bodyguards or delivering cash, security firms are making their presence felt. Greek security firms are in their heyday. According to the Public Order Ministry, 1,090 security firms are registered in Greece and 38,000 permits have been issued since 1997. Annual revenue from electronic security systems is around 110 million euros and the overall turnover (for private guards and cash deliveries) is in the region of 300 million euros. «There are security firms everywhere, even in the smallest towns and on a number of islands,» the Karakitsos security firm’s managing director, Vassilis Mavroyenis, told Kathimerini. «A number of them are franchises which have their own permits and receive expertise, uniforms and so on from the parent company.» Private security services are hired by hospitals, airports, ports, ministries, public services, embassies, banks, businesses, shops and homes. «There is one hospital that has 70 security staff,» said Mavroyenis. In the private security market, there are four types of clients, according to Vassilis Antonopoulos, managing director of Wackenhut in Greece: homes, companies, banks and large public and private projects. The systems they buy vary according to their needs: simple alarm installations with or without a connection to a phone center, complex access control systems, fire detection mechanisms, closed-circuit television and, of course, security guards. «Alarms are very popular, especially those that are connected to call centers that operate on a 24-hour basis. There are about 18,000 alarms in Greece, of which an estimated 120,000 are in Attica,» said Antonopoulos. As to the costs, private guards working around the clock (one person per shift) cost an average of 7,000 euros a month, while night guards cost around 2,500 euros. «No more than 1,000 clients in Greece actually buy the service outright,» explained Mavroyenis. «And they are very rich families. It is more common for clients to hire guards when they go on a trip or on holiday, or for special occasions, such as receptions, parties, weddings and openings. It is considered chic to have guards.» Demand for closed-circuit television has grown by 10-12 percent annually in recent years. The most advanced security system, which is not yet in use in Greece, is access control using biometric data, such as fingerprints. ‘Underworld used to sell protection’ Since 1997, when Law 2518 put security firms on a proper legal basis, there has been a huge increase in the demand for private security services. «Until then it was underworld characters who sold protection,» the managing director of the Karakitsos security firm, Vassilis Mavroyenis, told Kathimerini. «They exploited the legislative gap and operated illegally.» Insecurity Rising crime and the resulting wave of insecurity has been a big reason for the rapid expansion of the security sector, but it is also a fashion Greece has copied from abroad. Prestigious firms and people in the public eye also believe it looks good to employ security services. «Rising living standards in the West and deepening socioeconomic inequalities have led to more crime and the need to protect property,» explained Mavroyenis. The attacks on the Twin Towers in New York also spurred demand for security services at airports, ports, stations and public spaces. «In Greece there was great interest in security with the Olympic Games,» noted Wackenhut’s managing director Vassilis Antonopoulos.
