One on one with the man who runs Centurion Security Services
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 11/01) - Dave Beckwith, the owner of Centurion Security Service, is quickly becoming a household name in the city, his cameras mentioned in the same breath as Big Brother.
Beckwith hasn't read George Orwell's dystopian classic "1984", but he sees no problem with surveillance cameras throughout the city. They will cut down on crime, he said.
"The ones that disagree (with the surveillance cameras) must have something to hide," said Beckwith.
Beckwith has always been drawn to the enforcement side of society. He's tried repeatedly to get into the RCMP, writing and failing the written exam four times.
"My goal was to be involved with the RCMP," said Beckwith, 31. "But I found out I was dyslexic and I had a low grade leve."
After high school Beckwith, then 18, joined the Canadian Military Airborne Regiment but left on a voluntary discharge three years later on what Beckwith called a conflict with a superior officer.
"That's what you get when you try to turn an 18 year-old into an officer," said Beckwith.
Beckwith, a former gymnast who's favourite event is the trampoline, is not a nine to five type of guy and said law enforcement drew him with its wide range of challenges.
"Every day is not the same, it's about self-motivation," said Beckwith, who chose security as a natural next step.
Beckwith made a deal with his father, who owned a stake in Centurion Security, for control of the company if he could make it profitable in one year.
He did and his father allowed him to buy the company.
Beckwith, who has no security certification at this point--none is needed in the territory for the security business--said he has a natural predisposition for security.
"I'm known as a talking things out type of guy," said Beckwith.
"I've worked in several bars as a bouncer and I was known for talking things out," he said.
He's currently working on completing a correspondence certification program called the International Foundation for Protection Officers based out of Nova Scotia. He applied for the Secure Check program, but was rejected.
Beckwith is divorced and has a seven year-old daughter in Nova Scotia. He'd like to see her more but the North's sky-high air fares make it tough. But he said he's happy here, trying to establish private security as a legitimate piece of the law-enforcement puzzle.
"We can be an extra hand for the RCMP," said Beckwith who has not given up on his desire to join the boys in blue.
"I'm going to attempt the RCMP exam one more time," he said.
