Responding to the wider threat

Given the current heightened international security environment in which our industry finds itself, it's understandable that terrorism has become an almost daily concern for most organisations – but are we in the UK terrorising ourselves with the fear of terrorism as opposed to recognising (and preparing for) the diversity of threats faced by the security industry and society at large?

By analysing recent events, there are certain widely accepted assumptions that can be made in relation to the activities of Al-Qaeda and its 'franchised' network of associated groups.

First, the USA, UK and Israel remain the prime targets for terrorist activity, both inside the countries themselves and in terms of their overseas interests. Second, spectacular mass casualty attacks are still the primary aspiration of currently active groups. Third, today's terrorist cells will revert to conventional methods as well as the more spectacular, high casualty events if required.

What's the private sector's role?
The three main priorities of preventing attacks, reducing vulnerability and lessening the impact and consequences of terrorist action seem to be working, but what role does the private sector have to play in the war on terror?

At senior management level, protocols in relation to intelligence sharing between the private and public security sectors already exist. Indeed, it's against such a backdrop of shared information that we've recently seen, for example, the cancellation of a number of flights to the USA and the Middle East by operators like British Airways.

In conjunction with enlightened members of the architectural fraternity, manufacturers of physical security measures and new technologies are also playing a vital role in designing-out vulnerability, helping to ensure that premises protection is reliable and can be adapted to address increased threat levels.

Unfortunately, some service providers report that the balance between improved security measures and reassuring customers that the ramifications to business continuity have been thought through is often difficult to achieve. These concerns are echoed by Bruce George MP ('Strong in attack... Civil in defence', SMT, February 2004, pp18-20).

Using officers in emergencies
At security operative level, the draft Civil Contingencies Bill indicates a number of possibilities with regard to the use of security officers in an emergency scenario. To this end, experience gained by many guarding companies as a result of providing security services for clients in Ministry of Defence establishments, at economic key points and political events – and more recently as a result of the Community Support Accreditation Schemes – could be invaluable.

That said, until such issues as training, resourcing, funding, liability and strategic command and control protocol are resolved (and that could be a long process), preventative measures should remain the central focus. The most effective security measure of all is preventative protection. Even within the SITO Basic Job Training programme it's taught that the primary objectives of a security officer are to protect life and property, prevent loss and waste and deter crime.

In recent times, we've seen a number of 'advisory' documents published to provide guidelines on how to recognise terrorists, but producing such guidelines in isolation can often prove to be misleading. When set in context, terrorism is a crime. An extreme and heinous crime, but a crime nonetheless, and training should be focused on how to recognise any activity that's potentially criminal (starting with the identification of pre-crime reconnaissance and planning).

Professional criminals usually have a good level of education and are very rational. While some criminals and even terrorists can be opportunists, large-scale attacks – such as robberies, burglaries and acts of terrorism themselves – will be calculated and planned.

Unfortunately, some service providers report that the balance between improved security measures and reassuring customers that the ramifications to business continuity have been thought through is often difficult to achieve

The security challenge
The fieldwork involved in most successful serious crimes and terrorist attacks can be both astounding and meticulous. It's unlikely that a security officer would detect a major crime in progress. What they could do is identify any key components which – if challenged, documented and reported – might bring down the criminal's plan.

For their part, security officers should challenge all unknown persons entering or attempting to enter the client's premises as penetration testing is a very common criminal ploy. Often, criminals will frequently penetrate a site, establishing a rapport with security officers by engineering social interaction. It's therefore imperative that officers operate to a stringent access and egress control system, checking all identification, eliciting the purpose of any given person's presence on site and documenting all unusual incidents.

Confidentiality is also vital. Security officers should never offer any unnecessary information as criminals will pick up on every detail, using it at a later date to make their cover story more plausible. Any excessive interest being shown in the customer's premises could – as suggested by a number of published guidelines – be due to terrorist reconnaissance. It's just as likely to be criminal interest, though.

The Cash-in-Transit industry has researched this topic and, in interviews with a host of former robbers, the offenders questioned have described the planning stages in great detail.

Security officers are often privileged in that their position will provide them with a day-to-day overview of activities. As a highly visible deterrent, those officers will often be effective in transposing criminal activity, as criminals will tend to look for a weaker target.

Professional development is vital
This is where the high profile presence is useful, and security officers should be well trained in site/premises patrol methods in order to show would-be offenders that the building perimeters are well protected and security integrity is intact.

In truth, all of the topics covered in the current Basic Job Training package are vital to crime prevention and counter-terrorism. If delivered by qualified, sector-competent trainers and supported by ongoing refresher training and professional development, this will assist in making sure that security officers are a force to be reckoned with.