Security guards role in preventing crime or terrorism

Our current security environment is dynamic with many threats to our businesses and personal lives.

Terrorism still a major concern both in Australia and overseas.

We place a huge responsibility on in-house or contracted security guards’ shoulders to ensure that our facilities and premises are safe from terrorist and criminal attack.

This requires guards’ to be alert, disciplined in their observation and reporting skills and have a mature, experience-based knowledge of people’s behaviour in determining what activities and actions may be innocent and what may be suspicious and of security interest.

As a security guard, your observations and reports form the basis of any intelligence led drive towards reducing the risk of criminal or terrorist action against your company or client.   Log Sheets detailing information relating to suspicious activities, provides security and risk managers additional information that assists in analysing the event, passing information on to Police for further action and hopefully reducing the threat through proactive security measures.

What then are we looking for?

Unusual videotaping or photography of official buildings, corporate headquarter offices, shopping malls, churches or critical infrastructure.

Videorecording is one of the ways terrorists gather information about a target. In 2001, a major terrorist plot in Singapore was averted when videotapes of buildings to be attacked, including the Australian High Commission, were discovered.

Be aware and be alert to any suspicious activity of persons filming the area where you are stationed.

Suspicious vehicles near significant buildings or in busy public places

Terrorists and criminals use vehicles for many different purposes, from surveillance to planting bombs, such as in Bali.

Vehicles may be parked for an unusually long time, sometimes in no-parking areas.

Explosives can be heavy, so cars and vans may sit abnormally low on their suspension.

They may be out of registration or have false or missing number plates. Overseas, a terrorist attack was foiled after police became suspicious of a car with front and rear number plates that didn’t match.

Criminals may visit premises several times to gather intelligence on behaviour patterns of staff and security in order to seek the best time to commit a crime with the least possible chance of detection.

False or multiple identities

Terrorists and criminals frequently use stolen or fake documents, including passports and driver’s licences. They can also have several identities and may give conflicting details to those they come into contact with.

Overseas, alert bank employees noticed a series of unusual transactions and identified an account that had been opened in a false name. They reported it to authorities, who uncovered links to a terrorist group.

Unattended bags

If you see an unattended package or bag in a public place, with no apparent reason for being there, here’s what to do:

·                Ask if anyone owns it.

·                If no one does, don’t touch it.

·                Alert others to keep away.

·                If in a shopping mall or building where there is mass gathering, contact their security, or

·                Call local police or the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.

Please Accept Heightened Security

Security has been substantially increased in Australia. It can seem an inconvenience, but it is important to remember that these measures are in place to protect us all.
 
As security guards, you have an important role to play in our overall protective strategy within this heightened security environment