2024-01-29 06:50:52
Lino Ribero (53 years old) is more than just the doorman of the Centro Líder building on Schell Street in Miraflores. Checking the water pump and the garbage chute are functions that he also assumes without reproach. However, his main task for ten years has been to protect 53 families who entrust him with their peace of mind.
Just like Lino, the doormen and security guards of buildings and neighborhoods are the first link in preventing citizen insecurity, as they are attentive to reporting any suspicious behavior. There are many occasions in which, due to the lack of response from the authorities, they risk their lives to avoid a crime. Their work exceeds 12 hours for 6 days a week.
Lino Ribero lives in Pamplona Alta, San Juan de Miraflores. He received training from the Police as part of his neighborhood’s neighborhood council. Thus he sparked his interest in working in the security field. Photo: Hugo Pérez.
“In June [del 2023], a boy was almost kidnapped when he left the building at 2 am and two people tried to put him into a car parked at the door. I went out into the street while calling the security guard and screamed loudly for help. Two police officers who were nearby ran and controlled the situation, so I picked up the young man from the ground and returned him to the building,” says Lino.
The ‘owler’
When the sun sets, Miraflores becomes the epicenter of Lima’s nightlife and thousands of people come to the district to indulge in fun until dawn. Quite the opposite for Edwin Izaguirre (57), who starts his 12-hour shift at 7 pm in a building on Tripoli Street. He has been working in the security field for 25 years.
Edwin Izaguirre also speaks English. This allows him to easily communicate with tourists who rent apartments in the building where he works. Photo: Hugo Pérez.
The discipline he has forged over this time prevents him from sleeping all night, while many of his colleagues succumb to sleep or, he says, some take the opportunity to party. “Mainly, the youngest ones escape in the early morning and one has to stay ‘stuck’, that is, work a whole day to complete their shift, because they don’t come back,” he says.
“Between 2 to 4:30 am the ‘sleep hours’ of the security guards occur, the time that criminals take advantage of the most to break into houses and buildings. During that time, I check the cameras every now and then to detect any strange movement and go out to verify what is happening if necessary,” explains Edwin.
He knows that maintaining his position depends on the trust of the building’s neighbors. For this reason, Edwin seeks to earn their respect every day with his work, regardless of whether they also ask him for help carrying bags from the market or other errands. “I take my job seriously and treat my neighbors kindly, just as they do me,” he says.
Allies of the press
The work of doormen and security guards not only makes them great partners for the police and district security, but also for journalism.
On March 18, 2023, Sergio Tarache Parra tried to burn Katherine Gómez alive near Plaza Dos de Mayo, which caused her death six days later. A video surveillance camera from the Municipality of Lima in the second block of Av. Óscar R. Benavides captured him escaping this way; However, his subsequent course was unknown.
El Comercio reconstructed his escape and revealed that Tarache continued his escape through the Ascope strip without being pursued. This was possible thanks to the support of Luis Páez (41 years old), who provided access to the images from a camera of the condominium he guards. Tarache passed in front of his eyes.
New pictures from Sergio Tarache
Moment in which Sergio Tarache passes through the door of the Jr. Ascope of the ‘La Colonial’ condominium after trying to burn Katherine Gómez alive. The subject passed in front of Luis’s eyes. Photo: ‘La Colonial’ Condominium
“It was strange to see a boy running without a polo at that hour, but I didn’t imagine that he had done something so terrible. When I found out, I looked for a way to support and that’s why I allowed them to check the cameras,” he says.
Luis arrived in 2018 from Venezuela and since then he has served as a doorman and security guard in a condominium inhabited by more than 170 families. He knows that he carries a great responsibility, since he must warn the neighbors of the cell phone thieves who circulate along Jr. Ascope towards the Las Malvinas shopping center and prevent thieves from entering the condominium at dawn.
Luis Páez worked as a customs broker in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela. This work allowed him to obtain first aid knowledge. Photo: Hugo Pérez.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Luis performs a sacrificial task. Although the condominium administration pays him the minimum wage, he does not receive other work benefits that every worker deserves. Likewise, some neighbors have disparaged his work.
“Few are born to serve others and not everyone values it. They have called me ‘starving’ for complying with the order not to open the door to those who do not pay for the garage. But this is my responsibility and my commitment is to all the neighbors,” he says.
Cooperator network
José Bendezú (49) and Porfirio Godoy (69) have been guarding Jr. Enrique Salazar and Jr. Los Alguaciles in Surco for more than 25 years, respectively. Although both have wanted to ‘hang up the whistle’ on more than one occasion, every year-end the neighbors insist that they remain twelve more months in the care of the shreds.
José Bendezú bought his guardhouse ago with the support of neighbors. This one is moth-eaten, so he asks the Municipality of Surco to help him get a new one. Photo: Hugo Pérez.
José learned to patiently earn the respect of families. He has always been helpful to neighbors, even those who do not contribute to his salary.
“Six years ago they tried to rob a house on the second block [Jr. Enrique Salazar]. A black car parked and lowered a ‘choro’ to maneuver the door handle. I saw them from my booth and ‘at the touch’ I blew my whistle. The neighbors started shouting, so the ‘choros’ ran away. The family in that house was on vacation. They didn’t pay me. When they returned, I explained to them everything that had happened and since then they have had tremendous affection for me,” he says.
The work of José and Porfirio was favored last year thanks to the ‘Network of security cooperators’, a strategy between the Municipality of Surco and the National Police (PNP) to train more than 440 block guards and register them as allies of security actions in the district. In addition, they receive training in surveillance techniques, emergency reporting, first aid and civil defense.
Porfirio Godoy protects 24 families in block 4 of Jr. Los Agualciles in Surco. Photo: Hugo Pérez.
Likewise, last year the Municipality of San Isidro registered more than 200 security guards of urbanizations, condominiums, buildings and financial areas in its Central Communications alert network so that they can notify them of possible criminal acts or suspicious actions that they observe in their work areas.
On the other hand, the Municipality of Miraflores registered 60 building janitors, 120 private street guards and personnel from 10 private security companies to join them as allies in the community’s work to reduce risks and criminal acts.
What law protects your rights?
There is a common characteristic between stable guards and building doormen: their work requires them to work 12 hours a day, at least, 6 days a week. Some like José and Porfirio work the day shift. Others like Luis, Edwin and Lino spend the night to take care of the neighbors’ sleep.
This affects your sleep routine. The guards and doormen interviewed by El Comercio confessed that they only sleep between 4 to 5 hours a day. Those who work all night have greater difficulty falling asleep when they get home. “My Sundays are sacred, because it is the only day I can sleep well,” Lino emphasizes.
Edwin works for a building management company. For their part, Luis, José, Lino and Porfirio were hired by the boards of owners of the buildings and neighborhoods they monitor.
“That a board of owners is not registered in the public registry or that it does not have a RUC are not impediments for it to comply with all the labor rights of a security guard. If this occurs and there is a claim to Sunafil, the board will receive a fine, which can amount to the value of 5 UIT’s (S / 25,750)”, he explains.
For César Ortiz and Frank Casas, specialists in citizen security, the preventive and dissuasive work of citizen insecurity carried out by security guards and doormen will only be effective to the extent that they obtain all labor rights.
Likewise, Ortiz maintains that their employers must give them access to training on safety, crime reporting and first aid. Casas adds that municipalities must provide training for security guards and doormen in their district with the aim of integrating them into their strategies against insecurity.
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