Loss control, investigations course introduced

Business Reporter

The Chartered Institute of Professional Financial Managers has introduced a loss control and investigations programme to equip people with skills to fight crimes both in office space and cyberspace.

The three-month course, to be offered at three levels, will cover areas such as loss prevention or risk assessment, loss prevention and crime prevention methods, security operations and equipment and applications, public relations, and criminology. It will also include courses on digital crime or computer forensics, geographical information and crime analysis, white collar crime, crime scene analysis and strategic management.

The programme is open to security personnel, police, loss control officers and school leavers

“Business and various organisations need specially trained professionals to help their organisations in preventing loss, reduce risk, eliminate exposures, and withstand disasters,” the institute said.

“Gone are the days when a private security officer required only physical muscle. Criminals are now employing intelligence and defeat technologically advanced theft detecting systems. “The immediate call is that loss control officers must develop equally powerful mental muscle and competencies to remain relevant to their organisations and be competent enough to combat sophisticated crime.” Police officers will be equipped with skills to determine how and when crime was committed, the sequence of events occurred at a crime scene, dealing with digital crimes and knowledge on security surveys, among others.

The CIPFM is registered with the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Ministry, and is affiliated to professional institutions of higher learning in over 30 countries such as Antigua, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, China, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Malta, South Africa, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, The Philippines, Yemen and England.

It has been operational since September 2009 and gained chartered status in 2011. All programmes offered by the institute are highly specialised and geared towards producing the best employees and business personnel possible, who have a global perspective and up-to-date knowledge of their chosen profession.