After falling victim to an attempted hijacking in July last year, Marc Smith, who is a student reservist constable at Florida Police Station, decided to open his own security company to alleviate crime in Sandton.
Smith said of his experience, “I never thought it would happen to me, but in a way, I am glad it happened to me and not a lady… For a long time, I’ve wanted to fight crime, and enjoy crimefighting. I believe I had the upper hand in that situation because of all the training I had.”Smith said he was surprised by the fact that hijackers approached him in broad daylight at a busy intersection at the corner of Rivonia and Naivasha roads in Sunninghill.
“When I saw the guys stop behind me and the men get out the car, I thought they were being dropped off to start work in the morning. The next minute they were at my window holding a gun to my face.”
He complied with their demands to step out the vehicle, but when they became violent, he took out his own firearm and proceeded to shoot one of the attackers in his leg and foot. “The guy got up and wrestled me for what felt like hours and no one stopped to help.”
Two of the attackers fled shortly thereafter and the injured attacker was restrained until police arrived on the scene. Smith said he was in court for a month after the incident and was pleased when his attacker was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Tighten up on security because high walls don’t always help
He approached Masav Group, a business investment company in Sandton, after organising a Christmas run for the police, proposing the idea for his own security company. Mario Andreou, chairman of the group approved his plan and Ares Protection was born.
“I want to do things differently to other security companies by not just deterring criminals, but catching them. We will be working hand-in-hand with the police.
“I don’t want anyone to experience what I did at the hands of criminals. What happened to me was very hectic and it bothered me for ages – I lost 25kgs in three months. If it takes a security guard on every corner, I will do it.”
Ares Protection will launch in August, and will also offer Sandtonians the power to fight crime on their cell phones through an app that will provide speedy responses in emergency situations.
Smith advised road users to always stop at intersections with a car-sized gap between the vehicle in front of them so that they can drive away if a hijacking occurs. He also recommended that people drive with their windows slightly open to prevent windows from having a weak spot in the middle.
For more information on Ares Protection, visit www.aresprotection.co.za or check them out on Facebook.
