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.

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.

Since its launch at the end of 2010, the UK Security Alliance has been going from strength-to-strength. The UK Security Alliance was created by experienced, professional close protection officers who wanted to ensure that users of professional security services had a reliable and honest resource they could use.

Stephen Hopkins, founder of the UK Security Alliance comments “It’s great to see Simon Doull putting his name behind the UK Security Alliance. Recently we had four members of the UK Security Alliance working overseas on the same task for two months. This is just one of many jobs our members have been working on recently. It’s great to see that our unique format has started to be accepted and used by clients of security services.  I look forward to introducing a new service that will hugely benefit clients and I look forward to working with Simon again soon.”

Simon Doull – television cricket commentator says “I would recommend using UK Security Alliance personnel to everyone who requires professional security services. I have been travelling to India for many years with my job in television and the need for professional security has become more and more relevant. My experience recently with the UK Security Alliance and their personnel was outstanding and it left me in no doubt that they will be my security choice from now on. I would recommend the UKSA for any commercial and personal security requirements.”

The UK Security Alliance is a not-for-profit group. Stephen Hopkins has over 11 years experience working in the professional security industry, in operational, management and consultant positions. The UK Security Alliance has a strict application process for potential members. This ensures clients of the UKSA receive the highest levels of service from proven and experienced professionals.

For more information visit the UK Security Alliance Web Site.

“I would highly recommend using members of the UK Security Alliance for all your professional security requirements” – Jerry Springer

London, England, 17^th Jan 2011 – The UK Security Alliance is a unique group that has been created by working professional close protection officers looking to raise the standards of the close protection industry. This once self-regulating industry is now awash with badly trained, inexperienced people since government licensing was introduced in 2006. The UK Security Alliance has been created to distinguish between professional career security officers and the people who just fancied trying something different or exciting. This is achieved by our unique membership system.

Stephen Hopkins, founder of the UK Security Alliance comments “People who use professional security services don’t realise that holding an SIA (Security Industry Authority) close protection licence only means a person has passed a 14 day course, has a clean criminal history and has paid £245 to the Government to be allowed to work in the security industry. The shocking reality is that you could be entrusting your safety to someone who has never worked in the security industry before. The UK Security Alliance offers free professional advice to potential purchasers of professional security services, and if someone would like us to put a potential task to our members, we are happy to do so free of charge after we have carried out all necessary due diligence.”

Jerry Springer – media personality, user of professional security services and current user of UK Security Alliance members says “It’s very important to know that the person in charge of your safety knows what they are doing. I feel safe and secure knowing I am in the experienced hands of members from the UK Security Alliance. I would highly recommend using the members of the UK Security Alliance for all your professional security requirements.”

The UK Security Alliance is a not-for-profit group. Stephen Hopkins has worked in the security industry for over 11 years, managing corporate and entertainment close protection tasks. The UK Security Alliance aims to raise the standards of the close protection industry, and connect close protection security service buyers with professional security companies and individuals.

For further information please visit UK Security Alliance Web Site or contact:
UK Security Alliance
contact [@] uksecurityalliance.co.uk
Follow UK Security Alliance on Twitter @theUKSA

The UK Security Alliance (UKSA) has been created by working professional close protection officers looking to raise the standards of the close protection industry. The once self-regulating industry is now awash with badly trained, inexperienced people since government licensing was introduced in 2006.

The UK Security Alliance is a networking tool for professional close protection officers and a resource for purchasers of close protection service. Membership to the UK Security Alliance is by invitation only from current members, with professional close protection officers staking their reputations on the people they invite to join. This ensures that only the best qualified and experience CPO’s become members.

The UK Security Alliance is not associated with any Government organisation or with any other security ‘association’. Created by close protection officers, for close protection officers, the aim of UKSA is to ensure purchasers of close protection services have the correct information and advice they need to make an informed decision about the security officers and companies they use. This is a free service.

The UK Security Alliance are happy to forward details of close protection jobs to their members, only after necessary due diligents has been completed. This is a free service to purchasers of close protection services.

More information on the UK Security Alliance is available on the UK Security Alliance web site.

Contact with the UK Security Alliance is initially always through the UK Security Alliance Contacts page of the web site.

An official press release from the UK Security Alliance is expected soon.

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.

I have spoken to some huge guys who said they were close protection officers, and they told me that if something happened they would easily be able to stop it! The one thing that both clients and people new to the industry forget is that close protection is about spotting potential problems before they happen and getting the principal away from the threat. The “I can stop trouble when it happens” train of thought most likely comes from working on the doors for years, where that’s exactly what you have to do.

I have seen people who use close protection services surround themselves with the biggest guys they can find, but big doesn’t necessarily equal safe. If you choose to have this style of security, be aware that wherever you go, everyone will know where you are and how many security officers you have.

Regardless of what guys you have in your security team, just make sure they are suitable for the position. A good test is to ask prospective security officers what their definition of close protection is. If they answer “to stop trouble” or “to keep the principal safe” then there’s a chance they don’t really understand what close protection is really about.

I have worked with many close protection officers who have been ex-military, and they have been some of the top guys I have worked with, but if you do require close protection, do you really require ex-military personnel?

If we are talking about security details in hostile environments, then 99% of the time you have to come from an ex-military background to get these positions. But for the sake of this article, we are talking about working in a London security team.

Just because someone has been in the army, it doesn’t automatically qualify them to work in the close protection field and it certainly doesn’t make them security experts. Ex-military personnel do have skills that security officers form a “civvy” background might not, but do you really need those skills for your London secuirity?

Some ex-military personnel are lucky enough to have completed extensive courses on close protection whist serving, but most haven’t. People leave the armed forces every day, complete the same SIA close protection courses that everyone else does, and that’s it.

Personally, when I’m putting a CP team together, I don’t over look anyone who has the relative experience for the job in hand. It doesn’t matter that some close protection officers might be ex-military and some might not. What matters is that the close protection officers know how to do their job so that their principal can go about their business in a safe environment to the perceived level of threat.

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.

There are many documented cases of famous people who have been away from home and had their houses targeted by thieves. More serious cases have reported the persons family being held at knife-point.

Stories such as these could have been avoided by means of a simple risk assessment. If you are going on holiday or leaving town for a couple of days and half the world know where you are, then you should put together a simple security plan to safeguard your home and/or family. What people sometime forget, is that it’s not just the law-abiding citizens who are reading the news papers and magazines.

For celebrities who need the media for their careers, they must remember that the thing that keeps them in the public eye can also be their enemy. I remember seeing a large photo in a tabloid news paper of a football player leaving his house, wallet in hand, and it was clearly stuffed with £50 notes! Possible future target?

Its not a case of surrounding yourself with bodyguards. It’s about making yourself aware that being in the public eye can make you a target, and raising your personal security awareness could dramatically lessen your chances of becoming a victim of crime. Just because something hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean that it won’t happen in the future.

The number one rule of personal security is that YOU are responsible for your own personal security!

This rule doesn’t mean you have to undertake every aspect of your own security. Just recognizing that you need to make some changes and reporting them to the security manager is a great start. If you work for a large corporation or are a celebrity in your field, you will usually have an in-house  security manager you can ask for advice.  They should then be able to make some recommendations  for you. If you don’t have an in-house security manager but still recognize you might need to make some changes, then contacting a trusted, professional and experienced company like Capitol Risk is a good place to start.

Building a relationship with a good security company can be an invaluable asset.  It’s assuring knowing you have someone to turn to if you really need help any time of the day or night.

Supplying security services now days is more than just about supplying security officers. Capitol Risk for example can organize for you to be picked up, driven to a private airport to meet a private aircraft and then flown to an exclusive luxury paradise island. Then once you are fully relaxed, bring you all the way back home to your door step. If you would one day be on holiday and happen to find yourself in the middle of a political uprising, then we would also be in a position to get security officers to you and get you out of the country.  Extensive networks and connections enable us to bring you fully managed security services for every aspect of your life.

I once had a client say to me that he wasn’t going to call me about a specific task as it was only small and he thought it would be too much trouble. I told him that it doesn’t matter what the task is, it’s always best to call as that’s what we are here for; and I would say that to everyone who might think the same. Every security task we undertake gets 100% of our dedication, nothing is ever too small.

Remember – There is no such thing as random crime.

Making arrangements and using security services before something happens is never a waste of time or money.

Security Services introduction from Capitol Risk

contact @ capitolrisk.co.uk