In today’s world of mp3’s, iphones, tablets and gadgets, it’s easy to be engrossed in emails, games or movies while on the train, sitting in the pub or waiting at the bus stop. Did you have a quick look around before you got your ipad out?

Being aware of your personal security doesn’t mean that you have to be in a paranoid state of mind. You risk assess things every day – is it safe to overtake this vehicle on the motorway? Can I make it on to the Tube before the door close?  Being security aware just means that you might question whether it’s a good idea to listen to your mp3 when you leave for work early on a winter’s morning.

One thing I hear is ‘I know martial arts so I can look after myself!’. It’s great that people take the time to train, but if you have to use it then something has gone wrong. Learning how to defend yourself teaches you about what to do as the last line of defence; Being aware of your personal security means that you will see the signs that will lead up to potentially dangerous situations, so that you can avoid them BEFORE they happen.

Below are a few important points you should take in to consideration when thinking about your personal security. Please feel free to copy them and send them to colleagues, add them to company newsletters and pass them on to loved ones.

There is no such thing as random crime
It may be opportunistic, but it is never random. Criminals target people because the opportunity SUITS THE CRIMINAL. This could be due to the location, time of day, physical state of the victim or many other factors, but the thing you can be sure about is that it will favour them and not you.

YOU are in charge of your own security
Know your limits, tell people where you go and who you meet. You don’t have to do this all the time, but if you are going somewhere new or meeting unfamiliar people then it’s a good idea. Even people who hire close protection officers must understand that they are still in charge of their own security. Knowing that you need extra security means that you understand there is a need, but don’t now think you can do nothing as you have hired people to do it for you as it removes an important layer of your security.  Don’t be drunk and incapable, alone and asleep on a train!

Don’t look like a victim
The way you carry yourself can say a lot about you. You have probably heard people say you should act confident, walk upright and never appear to be lost or confused which you should do, but there are ways where you can also project security. For example if a criminal sizes you up and notices a small black clip on your pocket (just a torch) that looks like it could be something to defend yourself with, he will most likely choose someone who doesn’t look like they have something to put up a fight with.  Don’t let pride or embarrassment stop you from using good security precautions.

Spot trouble before it happens
There are usually indicators that can warn you of potential trouble. There are many, but ones you have probably come across might be when a stranger tries to initiate conversation that makes you think ‘this is strange!’ or when you see someone whos movements make you think that something about them just isn’t quite right. Any physical contact by strangers should raise your awareness.

When you develop a good level of personal security awareness you will notice that you become more situationally aware and more confident.  You can apply this knowledge where ever you go in the world and pass it on to the people you care about.

Having worked with the guys from Hans Global we know they will deliver the very best Health and Safety courses, offering the same high levels of service and commitment needed to come under the Capitol Risk umbrella.

For more information on health and safety courses or personal security training courses, please visit the Capitol Risk Personal Security Training Web Site

We have been working in various countries all over the world, on some very specialist security operations.

It has been great to meet new people and form new ties with other professional security companies, who we look forward to working with in the future.

We would also like to say Thank You to the clients of Capitol Risk.

While August remains our quiet time, even with the current situation in London, the outlook for the rest of the year looks very good.

If you would like to get in touch with Capitol Risk Security Risk Management, please email.

Being a professional security officer is like being a boy scout; prepared for anything. While I think it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with firearms, I don’t think most people really need to know how to tactically clear a house, after all, it’s our job to get the principal as far away from the threat as possible.

Forewarned is Forearmed

Working at a professional level isn’t just about the physical skills you have. I have acquired an extensive book collection over the years that details various different things bad guys might do. If you think like they do, you’ll know what to look for.

The nature of close protection means we spend a lot of time in airports, hotels and facilities, on the street and travelling. It’s worth arming yourself with the knowledge of what type of incidents happen in these types of places and the general response procedures. Learn and understand how these different places manage their security. You can find out a lot about hotel security if you look for it.

The internet can be a great asset and you can pretty much find eBooks on any subject. There are many free resources available online, for example Identifying Undercover Activity and Agents . While some of these resources may seem old, they can sometimes offer you one or two nuggets of information that you will carry with you forever.

Remember, it might be worth more knowing how someone can defeat the swipe card system in a hotel, rather than knowing how to do a high speed J-turn.

The shocking reality is that the person you could be entrusting yours and possibly your families safety to, may never have worked in security before.  Yes, they may have a close protection licence issued by the SIA (Security Industry Authority), but all this really means is that they have completed and passed a 150 hour course, have been vetted by means of a CRB check (Criminal Records Bureau), and have paid £245 to the government to be allowed to work legally in the UK security industry.

Many security companies advertise that all their security officers are SIA licenced – Well they should be anyway as it’s the law, BUT, just being in possession of an SIA Licence DOES NOT guarantee that you will get the experienced and knowledgeable security officer you think you are getting.

Licensing the close protection industry meant that the once self-regulating CP industry was now open to all. There are now over 6,500 licenced close protection people.

I have personally seen people who are willing to work for minimum wage to get their foot in the door and get some working experience in close protection. I would never even consider putting someone with no CP experience on a task, but other companies do, and they do it because there is profit in doing so.

YOU are solely in charge of your security. This means you decide if you need close protection services, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s still up to you to make sure you have security officers that have the knowledge and experience to carry out the task. If you or your representative purchase close protection services based on price alone, then you are cutting corners on something you could end up regretting.

Anyone can put up a web site, borrow text from other sites and make it seem like they are experts in the security industry. Some security companies throw the huge security net out there, hoping that if they offer every security related service, that they might get a bite. We write this blog so that it gives you an insight into how we think, and we have considerable experience in the security services we offer.

If you need close protection services and think you’ve negotiated a great deal for £10 per hour, after the company has taken their part, the person on the ground might be lucky to get £8 per hour. Be aware that this is the type of cost that you won’t find experienced CPO’s willing to work for, but the people who have no experience will. You have just taken a huge gamble on your security.

We have quoted for jobs that we didn’t initially get, only to be called half way through to come and take over because the people they had chosen for the task turned up late every day, were scruffy, didn’t have any people skills, didn’t understand the job requirements or were completely the wrong type of people for the environment … but they were initially chosen because they were cheaper!

If your security is important to you and you require experienced, professional close protection security officers, then please contact us.

With Capitol Risk, it’s all about the quality of service we can offer you. Our security officers go above and beyond the call of duty and ensure that they always have the client’s best interests in mind.

Capitol Risk are experienced in providing Static Security Services. We provided security services to one client for an office building in their portfolio on a 24/7 bases, which lasted for five years until the building was sold. Our security staff also collectively became the building manager, taking care of any issues that arose, and we were also the general point-of-contact between the tenants and the landlords. As the security provider, we were also charged with the design and specification of the security control room. Even with the extra tasks we picked up, our priority of maintaining security for the premises was never compromised during this time, all thanks to the capabilities of our excellent security staff.

One of the most important things that commonly get overlooked are the security officers on the ground. When companies take on security services from a new supplier, they will talk to the accounts manager, the area manager and possibly the director … but the most important people are the actual security officers who will be at customer / client facing level. With Capitol Risk, it’s just not good enough that a security officer has the right SIA licence. We always closely look at and select the very best security officers to work at premises.

Quality over Quantity

Usually such a personal service can sometimes come at a premium, but you would be surprised at how competitive our Static Security Services are when compared to other companies.  To maintain the highest level of service and professional security officers, we have a simple ideology … We simply don’t take on more than we can handle.

Please contact Capitol Risk for more information about Static Security Services.

contact @ capitolrisk . co . uk

With so many security companies to choose from, how do you select a goood one? Or more importantly, the right one for your security task?

I can’t tell you how you do that, but I can tell you about Capitol Risk and how we do things.

At Capitol Risk, we still have old school values when it comes to the security officers we use, no matter what the task is.

We don’t believe that just because a security officer is ex-special forces or police, makes them the right choice to be placed on your security detail. We don’t try and force that point on potential clients either. If the security task requires someone to stand in the same place for 5 hours, you still need the right person for that task.

People who are unfamiliar with the UK security industry may think that just because a security officer holds a valid Close Protection licence, they are qualified and experienced enough to give you the level of protection you require. On paper, these security officers are qualified, but the unfortunate reality is that many people who hold SIA Close Protection Licences have never worked in the security industry, and many CP licence holders who do work in the security industry may never have worked as part of a real close protection detail.

This is where our experience in the security industry and our values really come in to play. We only use professional career security officers who we have personally worked with, or who have come through our network of professional security officers. Professionals will never risk tarnishing their reputations by recommending someone who might be below standard, so to us it makes perfect sense to hire using this format.

There are many factors that go into team selection, but when you use Capitol Risk, you can rest assured that we will have found the best people to suit your security requirements. We have never placed someone on a security team just because they have the right SIA licence.

Capitol Risk are very well connected in London and work with the best supplementary services in the West End. We have access to a  fleet of brand new, very high spec Mercedes, at your disposal, with a brand new Bentley for that special occasion, and other vehicles available on special request. We have access to a Box at the o2 Arena and can usually arrange tickets for booked out shows and restaurants in the West End. Offering more than just personal security services, we can assign a personal assistant to the team who will manage your complete visit.

Contact Capitol Risk to find out how we can help you with your next security task.

contact @ capitol risk. co.uk

The really good news is that it’s still with the same great instructor (Brandon Clifford) and all the courses are still executed at the highest level.

We are fortunate enough to have verified training centres in England and the Czech Republic, with more going through in other countries at the moment.

We have made some slight changes to the way we schedule our security training. All 1 – 3 day course can now only available to group bookings of ten people or more. We will still be scheduling  the SIA Close Protection Course and Krav Maga Bootcamps. Please check the Personal Security Training website for more information on these courses.

We still offer a 10% discount to holders of valid SIA licences.

Our recent SIA Close Protection Course in the Czech Republic gain a lot of press interest from both magazines and TV. You can check out the articles on our Personal Security Training Blog – SIA Close Protection Training in the Czech Press. Although they are written in Czech, there are some nice pictures!

We had TV crew express an interest, and they came down to record a segment for a show called SOS. The Close Protection Training starts about a third of the way in at 4.45.

If you have any questions about our security training, please email us at training@capitolrisk.co.uk.

Most training companies today are happy to take anyone’s money, teach them the very basics and then show them the door. As such, the security industry today is flooded with personnel who have no experience and generally no skill. This has had a knock on effect to the industry as a whole. Whereas the Close Protection industry was a once specialized area that you could only crack with hard work, it’s now open to anyone who can pay £1500 for a course. Looking in from the outside, my years of experience means nothing as I now have the same licence as the shelf-stacker from Tesco who fancied being a bodyguard, did a course and got a licence.

So what has this done to the industry? The person who has just obtained his licence now need some experience. I have personally seen people offer their services to companies for free to get this experience. Some companies see this as an opportunity to create more profit, so they are happy to supply less-experienced security officers on tasks that may require a more suitable person. Once again, it’s the client who pays the price at the end of the day.

With the influx of people into every licensing sector, the security industry standard has dropped significantly.

It Starts With The Training Providers

As security training providers, it is possible that we can do our part to raise the standard of security officers. I offer a Close Protection Course, but I select every person who attends. My goal is to be able to say that I would work with every single person that attends my course. Selection is not a difficult process, just an informal chat about your expectations for your close protection career, what you have done to prepare and a few other simple questions. But if I feel you are not ready, then I’ll tell you. We do tell people what they can do to better prepare but they are more than welcome to use a different training provider if they wish. People who do attend my course will find it both physically and mentally challenging.

People who work in Close Protection need to be fit. They need to be able to communicate in English. They need to be able to work on their own and they have to be dedicated to what they are doing.

Security Training Is A Business

There are many people who make a living from the security training business, but since the introduction of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), sadly it has been to the detriment of the security industry.

If you are a person serious about Close Protection Training, make sure you get the very best training you can afford. Ensure that your instructor has at least got some real-world experience. Visit the many different security forums and ask questions about training providers. If you use the search facility you will find hundreds of posts on the subject of Close Protection Training. There  are some great courses available for between £1,400 – £2,000.

So Is Selection Really Necessary?

I think so for two main reasons.

1. It raises the level of Close Protection Officers entering the field.

2. For our course, it ensures everyone is 100% dedicated to the training and knows where they are going and what they want. As we offer a residential course they will live and breath close protection for two weeks. This ensures everyone gets the most from their training.

The bottom line is that it would be an uphill struggle to make any changes to the security industry as it is at the moment … But nothing is impossible! One step at a time, one training provider at a time.

Having worked in security for most of my life, it is now second nature for me to look at what security is in place when I visit somewhere. This usually takes the form of just having a look at how the security officers operate.

If you are going to employ security service, then you obviously have something specific in mind that you want them to do. I recently visited a well-known high-street supermarket that I have been to many times in my local area. I know that they employ one security officer.  On entry there was no security – nothing wrong with that so far. Having a quick look around I couldn’t see security anywhere. I could however, see who I thought was a traffic warden thumbing through the newspapers. However, on closer inspection I noticed a tiny badge on her hat that said security. By the time I left the supermarket, she was standing by the front door looking totally disinterested in what was going on. She looked in a world of her own.

I understand that this store uses security as more of a deterrent rather than to catch shoplifters, but for this to work your security officer needs to be seen as being alert and proactive. Having a security officer completely disinterested in what they are doing can have the reverse effect, making your premises an easier target.

Security in this store would have been arranged by head office, who possibly have never even been to the shop. The store manager won’t get a say and will just have to make do with whoever he gets sent.

Security officers are still ambassadors for the store / business they are working in. They may be asked for their recommendations on how security can be improved, and if the security officer doesn’t know, who does?

The security company who hold this contract are a recognized company. The problem today,  is that it is more important for large companies to secure the contract and protect the bottom line, than supply quality security officers who actually have an interest in what they are doing.  Protecting the bottom line usually comes at a cost to the client. Just because someone holds an SIA licence, doesn’t necessarily mean they know anything about security.

But sometimes security can be misunderstood. You have proactive security officers but the person arranging security doesn’t really know how to deploy them properly.

Take my recent visit to the cinema. It was a large 15 screen cinema with a bar and a few uniformed male security officers. On the front door to the cinema was one officer standing at a table just inside the doorway looking in women’s bags as they entered. The first problem was that there were two separate ways in to the building, so if you wanted to bring something in, you could just take the lift from the car park! There were also no signs posted on the way in informing people they may be subject to a bag search. It was good that security were being proactive, but they did need some direction from a person who understands how security works.

I once heard someone say ‘If I can’t get a job, I’ll just go and work in security‘. That is the person who will work for minimum wage for a large security company, who will then be posted at a clients premises expected to look after their best interests.

Over the years, the way security contracts are procured has changed. Clients are now more likely to be talking about their security requirements with a salesman, rather than with someone who actually understands what they need. A key accounts manager in charge of securing new contracts will start on a salary of £42,000, while the person you really need to look after your business could be working for £5.75 per hour and have no interest in what they are doing.

It’s not just about supplying ‘bodies’

There is of course a place for the large security companies, but sometimes it might be better to work with the smaller professional security companies who are usually able to offer the same services as the larger companies, but who keep their emphasis on the work rather than the profit margin.