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 UKSA blog has information about what they are doing as well as testimonials from clients the UKSA members have worked with.

Visit UK Security Alliance Blog here.

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 SIA (Security Industry Authority) is a UK Government body that was started in 2004 to oversee the security industry. The SIA have two main purposes, one of which is to licence security officers. This is done by sector and being a Close Protection Officer is subject to this requirement.

To gain a licence to work in Close Protection you are required to complete 14 day Close Protection Course and hold a First Aid At Work qualification. At the end of the course you will have to take and pass an exam in order to apply for your Close Protection Licence. Subject to your application being approved, you will then get you SIA Close Protection Licence. Close Protection courses are a minimum of 150 hours and cover core competencies as set out by the SIA.

Since the introduction of Close Protection licences, there have been a large number of training providers springing up all over the place. With courses costing in the region of £1500, the CP training arena has become a crowded market place.

Personally, I strongly believe that if someone is going to teach me something, then I at least want them to have first-hand experience in what they are teaching. How could someone teach a Close Protection Course having never worked in close protection? Well unfortunately it happens on a regular basis.

As a Security Operations and Training Company, Capitol Risk has now put together a fully comprehensive SIA Close Protection Training Course.

As an operational security company who offer professional security training, we are in an ideal position to teach you exactly what you need to know to work in Close Protection.

We have put together a FULLY RESIDENTIAL 14 day Close Protection training course in Spain. We have made this course residential in order to provide you with the very best learning experience.  Our Close Protection Course also INCLUDES the First Aid at Work (FAAW) qualification (usually £200) AND incorporates our Krav Maga for Close Protection course which usually costs £297 but we have included FREE on this course.

WARNING: You Will Work Hard On This Course

The Capitol Risk Close Protection Course goes above and beyond the SIA core competencies.

Included in the cost of this course are:

• Return Flights from Stansted Airport
• Transfers in Spain
• Insurance
• High Standard Accommodation
• 3 Fully Prepared Meals Per Day (Spain Only)
• All Training Materials
• First Aid At Work Course (Usually £200)
• Krav Maga for Close Protection Course (Usually £297)

But that’s not all…

On our Close Protection course we do actually talk to you about creating CV’s and applying for work. We want to help point you in the right direction once you have your Close Protection licence, so we have put together a COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES PACK to help you in your Close Protection career. As far as we know, we are the only security training company to offer you this. Our resources pack contains:

• List of over 200 security companies with web site links
• Ebook on how to create  professional CV’s
• Ebook on how to create professional cover letters
• Professional CV templates
• HUGE selection of security form templates that we have used when planning operations
• Colour head shot and full length body shot

Our students are always welcome to call us if they need help or advice after their course.

As per SIA requirements, your exam will be taken in the UK on the final day of your course at a recognized training facility. The awarding body for this exam is Edxcel.

The cost for this course is £1650inc

If you hold a valid SIA licence or are entitled to our 10% discount, the price for this course drops to just £1485inc

Professional Security Training By Professional Security Operators

As security operators and trainers, we see things from both sides, which is why we believe in bring you outstanding training at a sensible cost. We let out training do the talking by keeping our costs low while not holding back on the things necessary to give you the very best learning experience.

Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty

Our core security business is built on the foundation of Honesty, Integrity and Loyalty. We want you to be sure that our close protection course is the right one for you and that it is the right time for you to do it. We will not talk you into completing our course. We will not lie to you about our courses. We will do everything we can to help you along the way if you choose to train with us.

We treat you the same way we would like to be treated ourselves.

For more information, please call us on +44 (0)5601 56 8485 or email us at training@capitolrisk.co.uk

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.

Through our extensive network, Capitol Risk offer specialist security services specifically to help combat the growing trend of piracy that may face your business.

The term ‘Maritime Security’ can be misleading. We supply security operators who are experienced in waterborne operations to assist and work with your current Ship Security Officer. Although many of these professional security officers hold SSO & CSO qualifications, they are not serving members of the merchant navy.

Our experienced security officers will work on high risk waterways to ensure your vessels safe passage on your desired route.

We will work closely with you and your partners and supply you with specialist security teams to enhance security on-board your vessel. Our experienced officers can help to update and implement changes to your Ship Security plan.

Depending on the flag your vessel sails under, Capitol Risk can offer an armed option.

The security officers we use are already in the regions around the Gulf of Aden and are experienced and working on vessels now.

E: contact @ capitolrisk.co.uk

With the amount of people and the types of protest groups they came from, it was inevitable that things would get a little heated.

This has been one of the biggest security operations the police have ever mounted. At the same time, local business have also been reviewing their security.

Many businesses in the local areas where protests have been held have shored up their current security measures by taking on professional security operators to ensure protests cause minimum disruption to their business and their customers.

This is similar to services we have previously offered when ‘May Day’ protests were due to take place. Working with Police intelligence, we would supply extra security officers to business who feared they could be targeted.

We are excellent at arranging security at short notice.

If you need security in 6 hours then please contact us.

E: contact @ capitolrisk.co.uk

Consulting with professional security companies at the offset can often relieve some of the stresses that go with planning visits and events. Capitol Risk doesn’t charge for security consultations when we are supplying security officers for your future task.

Make sure you plan the security services you need well in advance if you can. Imagine when the Olympics 2012 come to London. Suddenly the need for security will increase at least 10-fold. Leaving this to the last minute may mean that all the reputable security companies are completely booked or worst case a ‘less-reputable’ firm may just supply you with just ‘a body’ or you won’t have security at all when you need it.

Don’t worry about calling months in advance. If you require security services we provide, we will ensure we remain in contact with you in the weeks and months leading up to your security project. Just one less thing you have to worry about.

E: contact @ capitolrisk .co.uk

If you require Security Officers to work in-house, let Capitol Risk find you the best.

We understand security. We know you need security officers who are immaculately groomed, well mannered, calm under pressure, SIA licenced, knowledgeable (H&S, Police Law, Fire Regs, Access Control,  etc) , experienced, physically fit, computer literate,  trained in various areas of security (conflict management, first aid, fire etc), used to working with the public, used to working with others, discreet, advanced levels of English, alert … The list goes on.

How do we know what you need?

Because these are exactly the same things we look for in the officers we use for our Security Projects.

We will recruit for a position by directly interacting with the security community, checking references, SIA credentials and by talking with the applicant. We will only forward you the best applicants who apply for your position and we can even assist you or your HR department in sitting in on the interview.

If you are interested in this service, please email us at:

contact @ capitolrisk.co.uk