Crime & Security Awareness: some thoughts by Raymond V. Andersson

Media reports over many years now have highlighted the threat of criminal activities to individuals, properties and businesses in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs and other areas within the NT and of course, other states in Australia.  
We live in a society where many criminals operate within their own system of ethical and moral standards, having no respect for the law, age, disabilities or common standards that conform to the general population’s own standards of citizenship.  

The ethical standards and moral positions that we may treasure as being the cornerstone of our communities are regarded as a weakness to be exploited.    This is often supported by arguments regarding the rights of the individual overriding the rights of the many, thus exploiting our own belief system to the criminal’s advantage.   After all, we as a community also believe in the rights of the individual, however we temper this right with our citizenship responsibilities as members of a community.

Much of this crime is blamed on our youth however it must be realised that for every juvenile delinquent there are always one or more adult delinquents – people of mature years who either do not know their duty to their community and nation, or who knowing it, fail.   It is a fundamental fact of life that children emulate adults and adopt the adults’ ethical and moral beliefs in most instances.

What then can the average person do to minimise the threat of crime?

First of all, you have to ACCEPT THAT THE THREAT EXISTS. Human nature is a funny thing. We don't like living with threats.  Crime is a subject of conversation nearly every day, or night in homes, bars and workplaces.  You read about it in the papers every day, and the TV and radio tell you about it constantly.  But as soon as we've finished lamenting the problem, we stick it in the recesses of memory; we forget about it.

You cannot allow yourself to forget that the criminal is out there. They steal for a living.  They assault so they can steal.  They will attack to create an environment of fear and intimidation, so they simply aren't going to forget about you.

Next you have to consciously accept that YOU ARE A TARGET. Now this is quite difficult for the average person, because the average person is a nice person and it doesn't figure that someone you've never seen before in your life wants to harm you. The bottom line is simply that you have something he or she wants. This goes for every crook or assailant on earth. The criminal assault may be purely an act of theft, or low-level terrorism conducted to gain personal satisfaction in the fear or pain created or just for the individual or groups self gratification in stamping their control over ‘their turf’.  You have to accept that they do not see the world the way that you do. To them you are simply an anonymous target; a bit like those legs dangling in the ocean in front of a shark.

The main problem is that very strong human belief that 'it will never happen to me'.  Every single crime victim is a 'Me'.

There are a few easy steps that anyone can adopt that can reduce or remove the risk.

a. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL: Control your environment by being aware of your immediate and proximate surroundings and being able to react to any apparent potential threat. If the criminal wants to mug you, steal from you, pick your pocket, sell your kids some drugs, they have to take control of the environment in which they are to operate. They might do this by stealth or by force.   By controlling your environment, you take the initiative away from them.

b. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: Think about it like this, if I am aware of my environment I will be able to react to anomalies.  Get to know what is happening around you.  Be aware of the normal pattern of life in your neighborhood so that unusual patterns or people will stand out.  Harden the security on your home or business then look outside of this perimeter at the environment that you live and work in.

c. CONSCIOUS SELF-INTERROGATION: This is self-explanatory. As you drive your car or walk, along the street where you live, on your route to work, wherever; ask yourself, consciously what is going on around you, who else is also driving or walking within your local environment? Are those persons standing on the corner legitimate pedestrians, or watching the behaviour of residents or businesses?  Police patrols and well-trained Security Officers carry out self-interrogation at all times whilst working as a matter of street survival.  

Make sure you do it consciously, just to make sure that you are keeping up the habit and after a while, your subconscious will take over.   Healthy suspicion may avoid placing yourself in a position of risk.

d. CORRIDORS AND PATTERNS: Ever heard the saying that 'we're slaves to habit'? It's absolutely true. We oscillate between known points; home, work, the bank, schools and we go to them at given times and along favourite routes. This plays into the hands of criminals.  Vary your routine.  Watch for corridors that afford the criminal any advantage.  This includes intersection stop signs, traffic control lights etc.  They all afford criminals and also terrorists the advantage of time whilst the target has their attention elsewhere.   Many thefts, car-jacking and assassinations have occurred at intersections and traffic lights’.   Be aware of your environment and what is occurring around you.

e. LEAVING AND APPROACHING YOUR CAR: This is particularly important in parking lots. Imagine you are at a shopping centre and you are driving into the parking area.    This is an area where many people develop patterns or create corridors of opportunity for criminals.

Get into your well-lit parking place as quickly as possible and then get out of your car and stand up as quickly as possible, gaining control your environment once more. Remember that if you are bending down peering at the lock you are surrendering environmental control. After locking up, walk briskly away from your car, observing who is watching you. You don't have rear view mirrors, so consciously turn around and look at your sides and behind you. An observer with ill intent will note that you are alert and in most cases, will look for an easier target, but don't let this make you 'cocky' they will still have a go if they don't find easier pickings.

Inevitably your going to come back to your car, so as you walk out of the supermarket, the hairdresser, restaurant, you must once more interrogate the area around your car. Do not walk directly to your car, go away from it, at an angle so that you can keep it visual and watch for any reactions in the people around. Once you are happy that the area is clear, walk back to your car from a different direction.

Walk to your car as quickly as possible, unlock it while standing upright, get in the car, lock it and get out of there. If you are carrying goods, stay upright as much as possible and put things in the car from a standing position. Do not lean into the car and thus make yourself vulnerable.  Having two people can assist here as one can always remain alert whilst the other packs the car.  If you have a remote electronic central locking system, make sure that locking and unlocking is accompanied by a minimum of flashing lights and certainly make sure that your car does not make any bleeping sounds. That will alert anyone in the parking lot that someone with the means to open the car and drive it away is approaching a specific vehicle and that makes you vulnerable to the opportunist

f. ON FOOT: We previously looked at controlling your environment when out of your car.  Using this principle should also enable you to identify areas you should stay out of; alleys, bushy areas, unlit areas, shanty areas where environmental clutter makes it hard to control the environment. You just don't go there without adequate protection.  Ask any expert self defence exponent, what they would do if four men attacked him or her whilst alone in a dark alley. Their response would most likely be that they wouldn't be alone in a dark alley. That's the best possible rule of thumb; if you can't control it, don't go there.  

Studies and practical implementation overseas has revealed that street and other overhead lighting has dramatically reduced the level of crime in those areas that have adopted this strategy.   It also dramatically reduced the fear factor of people going out at night in those same areas.   Lighting is a primary tool in Crime Prevention Through Environment Design and should be considered as a matter of priority by Councils responsible for areas of high crime risk.   Lighting assists in bringing control of the night away from criminals and back to the community and as ratepayers you have a right to live in a safe environment.

When crossing the street in a built-up part of town in a reasonably developed part of the world, you can use shop windows as mirrors if the lighting is right, but it still pays to have the odd look behind you, just so they know you are alert.

Maintaining control of your environment is particularly important at ATMs, which are constantly observed by opportunist thieves. Don't fixate on the screen, examine the screen before you start work, look for any tampering with the machine, but at all times, look around you every couple of seconds. In this instance, as in all other situations, you must have your escape route planned.  If you don’t feel safe, simply walk away.  Trust your intuition when you feel you may be in danger.  Intuition or gut feelings can be more often right than they are wrong.

When using mobile phones, it's best to stand with your back to a flat high wall. A shop window is good. Now you only have to sweep your vision through 180 degrees. But remember when you walk off, your environment is 360 degrees again, because some interested party has just seen you use that phone…

Crime will not go away.  We must therefore attempt to control it by reducing the opportunity, increasing the risk of detection and capture. Making the criminal act less desirable to all bar the most desperate offenders.   This can be achieved by being crime & security aware and taking control of your environment.

The Public and Business Image of Security - Its time to Step Up.

In our Australian media, NSW has recently identified the risk posed by untrained or poorly trained security guards in the industry. Our own licensing people in Darwin appear to be ignoring the issue hoping it will go away.

Despite guards wearing flash uniforms or paramilitary uniforms, this is not an indicator of a well-trained guard force.  Poorly trained guards are a danger to the community and themselves.

I'd love to set a quick test of guard knowledge to see how many Territory guards can read, write and speak English to a standard that meets current AQTF standards and pass a simple test of security law and operational techniques.

Adverse media reports of crowd controllers and security guards devalue the work done by well trained and skilled security practitioners working at the coal face in the industry.  Criminals working in the industry, scam qualifications issued by unscrupulous training providers and crowd controllers who are more hotel employees than security that have exceeded their powers on many occasions bring the security industry into disrepute. 

Crowd controllers, in the main, use the power of force whilst well trained security officers use the power of psychology, well-tuned interpersonal relationship skills, security technology, rules of engagement for security, the force continuum and the law to carry out their role.

The security industry is not well understood in Australia by all levels of society, even our political leaders. This has to change.  The industry has been constantly evolving over time and Australia has reached the stage of having security professional status for those that meet stringent criteria similar to other professional groups in Australia, yet it operates in the dark where it comes to public or political awareness.  ASIAL have accredited trades personnel certified in security technology yet the general awareness in Australia is severely limited. 

Security is a profession, having a body of knowledge, education and training standards and a code of ethics. Our guards are at the first stage of their career that can evolve into being recognised as being a professional within the industry, after gaining the experience and educational qualifications.  Even our own Australian police are moving towards attaining that goal but have not reached it as yet.

Its up to our security officers guards and other practitioners in the industry to excel in their role, choose ongoing learning as part of developing their skills and knowledge and perform their duties in  professional manner. We don't all have to reach Registered Professional status but we should all strive to be the best at what we do.

We may not get rid of the cowboys and bullies that seem to gravitate to security guard or crowd controller jobs but each individual has the potential to change the attitude of their client employer and the general public through exceeding client expectations.

Yes I am a Registered Security Professional having done my time as a guard in a range of different contracts, been involved at the middle and senior roles in national security in government agencies and have been accepted as a professional in the US, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and China (not to mention Canberra and other capitals around Australia). I have trained Australian and Chinese in security and crime prevention, have been active in international working groups developing international standards affecting security so trust me; this is not bull shit. We either raise the standard of our industry or be prepared to be relegated to the status of the lowest end of employment in Australia.

Its up to each and every one of us in the security industry to drive change and enshrine professionalism as a byword of security.  There are more security guards out in the coal face than specialists working in the field but it will take the will and personal drive of all to make the necessary changes.

Providing security training in China – the challenges and gains

The partnership between security providers and training companies supporting the professionalization of the security industry in Asia and the Asia Pacific region is evolving at an increasing rate, with increasing training and professional development opportunities now available that will make the region internationally competitive in providing high quality security services and technology to clients.

At a recent training program in Beijing, where Chinese security operatives completed class work to achieve the Australian qualification of Certificate IV in Security & Risk Management, the overarching theme of improving the status of security through education, training and professionalization was most evident, through questions from students and their attitude towards the training.

Conversations with senior officials of the China Security Association and Beijing Security Association reflected a move in China towards increasing both security management and security officer’s skills and knowledge for the benefit of the individuals, their companies and China. This, of course creates a challenge for non-Chinese national security professionals, who engage with Chinese companies to train up their management and security officer’s.

My time in Beijing, conducting a three-week Certificate course of class work to be followed by individual project work that would be assessed was a challenging and most professionally enjoyable experience. Training students who have all come from military and police backgrounds in subjects that related to business management, security and risk management required an adaptable training style, working closely with my translator (who was also an educator) to ensure that students were able to take in the knowledge required to meet the course requirements.

Course training involved subjects such as:

• ·         Coordinate business resources.
• ·         Promote innovation in a team environment.
• ·         Lead effective workplace relationships.
• ·         Establish effective workplace relationships.
• ·         Lead team effectiveness.
• ·         Implement continuous improvement.
• ·         Develop work priorities.
• ·         Manage a safe workplace in the security industry.
• ·         Implement effective communication techniques.
• ·         Advise on security needs.
• ·         Monitor and review security operations.
• ·         Facilitate workplace briefing and debriefing processes.
• ·         Assess risks.
• ·         Assess threat.
• ·         Identify and assess security of assets.

I found Chinese students to be receptive to new ideas and, at the course closing ceremony, took great pride in watching them conduct presentations of their new found knowledge to officials of the China and Beijing Security Associations and local security companies, in the presence of their Company, Group Chairman, where they exceeded the expectations of Directors and officials in providing security risk assessment analysis and reports on three projects covering VIP protection, anti-piracy security and critical infrastructure security.

Some lessons learnt during my stay in China.

Conducting training in China requires a transition of mindset for those coming from western orientated countries. The business culture in China has idiosyncrasies that, if not well understood, can create a barrier to undertaking business in the nation. It cannot be assumed that all students have equal levels of education and can understand, what in many cases is western concepts in business and security education. Students can come from backgrounds of being well educated to that of not being literate in reading Chinese.

Trainers must spend preparation time, prior to commencing any course, understanding their audience and becoming well acquainted with their translator (if needed). Any Chinese translation of study material or overhead slides must be done in the language of the target audience. 

Although educated Chinese who may have regular dealings with Hong Kong or Taiwan may be able to read Cantonese or Mandarin, it cannot be assumed that all students can do so. It should be recognised that China has 297 living languages, however mainland China now relies on standard (or simplified Chinese) for their written work.  All material for mainland China students should be written in simplified Chinese to avoid misunderstandings.

Unless students can fully understand the written Chinese on an overhead slide, a translator that translates word for word what is said or may be stated on a presentation slide, may lead to mis-translations and errors that create confusion in students minds and can lead to not caring to listen any further. We must be critical in ensuring technical terms and western concepts are translated properly or can be explained and understood through having a translator that can go that extra mile to ensure he, or she, understands the term sufficiently to explain it to students.

The educator and translator must be as one in being able to explain the context and provide examples to reinforce the message that is trying to be imparted to ensure that students understand what is being stated and can relate it to their own situation of prior experiences. This requires a sound inter-personal relationship being built up between the trainer/educator and translator.

Training styles must be adaptable to ensure students clearly understand the material being provided. Some testing adjustments may be required and desk-top exercises may provide enhancements to the learning that questions and answer style testing cannot replace.

Using western academic models on slides will cause students to hold back as they attempt to interpret the multitude of information that often are included in such models.  The use of straight forward slides that provide the information necessary is recommended to allow easy interpretation by students.

As China is becoming more engaged in protecting Chinese interests internationally, trainers/educators must be well informed on a wide range of international laws and protocols that impact on the operations undertaken by many Chinese companies outside of mainland China. Compliance with international law and United Nations protocols and agreements is critical in ensuring security companies are seen as ethical and credible entities in the countries in which they operate.

The success of training to date has reinforced Chinese companies desire to source training and knowledge from countries that are honourable partners. My recent trip allowed me to introduce the International Business Director of our client to the Chinese security industry becoming involved in raising the profile of the security industry in China through the ‘Outstanding Security Performance Awards’.

The Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) is an international initiative to recognise and reward companies and individuals across the security sector. The OSPAs are designed to be both independent and inclusive, providing an opportunity for outstanding performers, whether buyers or suppliers to be recognised and their success to be celebrated. Current countries involved are Australia, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, the UK, the USA and Nigeria.  

With the support of the China Security Association, China may soon join this international initiative.

China, like other nations in the Asia, South East and Asia Pacific region, is open for business and there are opportunities for partnerships that can be mutually beneficial, if managed properly and respectfully.

I found the experience of conducting training in China to be positive and professionally enlightening. Coming from Darwin, Australia, which is the Australian gateway to Asia; I see future cooperation and partnerships with the many countries in our region as being the bedrock for a great future for our region. Our industry in the region has much to gain and little to lose through our inclusive society of security professionals and practitioners.

International Security Training, Beijing PRC

Course Photo

Syndicate seeking guidance from teacher and translator

It was an honour and a privilege to have been invited, on behalf of Complex Training Institute of Education, to teach students of Hua Xin Zhong An (Beijing) Security Service Ltd, in security and risk management.

The company is a forward-thinking security service provider that has embraced education and training to provide high quality guarding and risk management advice to Chinese clients.

The company is well on the way to increasing its footprint internationally, with new initiatives in planning that will capture the new skills that students have developed on the course.

The students, having just returned from operational duty with the company in Maritime security and land based contracts in the African continent, were faced with a number of challenges.

• Moving from a military orientated, tactical mindset, to one of strategic business and risk management.  

• Taking in new concepts based on western business and risk management models. 

• Undertaking education in a western style competency based training style.  

• Receiving training in English, with Chinese translator, that can be confusing at times and requires additional patience as the teacher and translator reach an agreed translation of technical terms that have no equivalent in Chinese.

Students worked hard and brought credit on themselves, their company and China as they presented the results of a series of desktop syndicate risk management projects to the company owner, its Directors, a visiting security academic and members of the China and Beijing Security Association.

Feedback from official audience members revealed that the students had exceeded their expectations.

I congratulate all students on their completing the class work.  They must now complete the independent projects for completion of the course and obtaining AQF qualifications.

Visiting Beijing was an experience and the training was both challenging and enjoyable.
I thank Hua Xin Zhong An (Beijing) Security Academy for their hospitality and support.

The Security Officer Shift Activity Report

An issue that I have observed over my career in security is that of differing standards in writing up Daily Activity Reports or Shift Activity Reports. I have observed reports that lacked detail and written with such poor knowledge of the English language that they are difficult to read and fail to provide the detail required by service providers, clients and courts.

The Shift Security Activity Report (SAR) is critical to well-run security operations on any site. The SAR not only informs the security provider of activities, performance and security incidents that occur on a site but also allows the client to be able to review a document that accurately details the services that they are paying for and get a understanding of what is occurring on their site. The report is also important if required for any court case, where accuracy is critical to the successful defense or prosecution of any legal case.

For the most part, the client isn’t going to see the actual work security officers provide. They will not see the myriad of tasks security may perform during a shift, to keep their property secure. They may request to see the SAR to gain an overview of what is occurring on their site, and if it’s sloppy and incomplete, they’re going to assume the work you do is similarly poor. The more time security officers put into the report to make it accurate and factually comprehensive will have a flow on benefit of providing a positive reflection of your company and its employees, and goes a long way to enhancing how your customer views security officers and security provider services on their site.

This idea, that your SAR might someday be used in a court proceeding, is a good one to keep in mind. That’s why it’s so important to make note of all the small details, as well as the big incidents. You never know what might end up being important down the road.

The report, thus, becomes a permanent record of hours of work performed, any special instructions relayed to oncoming shifts and records matters that cannot be safely entrusted to memory. It becomes a full, accurate and unambiguous source of confirmation for evidence given in any court of the land, particularly in respect of conversations resulting from incidents or interactions between security and others and other material that may be relevant to legal proceedings.

Information in the report should be clear, brief and to the point except where conversations are being recorded verbatim. Use plain unambiguous English, limiting technical phraseology and slang to ensure that the report is understandable to the reader. Do not include personal opinions unless it is important to the report and based upon sound facts. 

Every observation that an officer makes should be accompanied by the time that the officer is making that observation. If you are using electronic daily activity reporting software, a time stamp will help demonstrate to your customers that officers are active throughout their shift. In addition, if the report turns out to have legal significance an accurate detailing of activities will be important.

Do not delete any comment or statement. If changes are necessary, draw a line through the original statement and initial it before correcting it, in writing or ensure that any electronic reporting tool accurately notes the changes for chain of evidence purposes.

During the course of a shift there are a number of things that officers can add to their activity reports. Officers should provide the Who, What, When, and Where for observations that they are making. Even on uneventful shifts the officer’s report can include things like:

• How long it took to complete a patrol 
• People that the officer sees or talks to 
• What the officer has observed looking out of the window 
• Things that the officer hears 

A common issue seen in many reports is the ‘cop out’ statement of ‘nothing to report’. this indicates laziness and can allow issues that were identified, not to be properly recorded. Instead of recording ‘nothing to report’ or ‘all is well,’ why not expand the statement such as, ‘A patrol was conducted of the perimeter fence, I checked the fence (and note any issues that you may have discovered or state that the fence-line was found to be in good repair etc), or, I checked the valuable assets on the property,’ and list them off with information on any issues found. Go through the detail of the activity that was completed. Not only does this extra detail show off your hard work to the client, it ensures that there are no discrepancies or inaccuracies in your report, and can protect you from liability.

Moreover, recording small incidents can be useful in terms of figuring out what important tasks you might be missing, or what processes can be carried out more effectively. If you don’t know what you’re doing in the first place, you can’t come with ways to improve. The SAR can assist in identifying gaps in tasks that may leave a site vulnerable.

The SAR is more than a tool for your Shift Supervisor, it is a permanent record for your company management, client and yourself. If you find yourself in court needing to remember activities and conversations that occurred in the past, you may regret not including complete details in your SAR. Whether your company has implemented digital reporting or is still using handwritten reports, if your officers understand how to write a daily activity report your reports will be professional, useful and reflect well upon the company. 

It is too important to neglect.

Certified Corporate Security Management Specialist course - Malaysia - Aug/Sep 2016

Ray Andersson and Mr Munies Pillai from Global E2C

The Course

L-R: Mr N. Nadaraja (Singapore), Capt Ismail Trapshah (Malaysia),
Mr R. Andersson (Australia), Brig Gen Apolinario Y Alobba Ret. (Philippines)

It was a pleasure to join 12 international professionals, successfully completing the Certified Corporate Security Management Specialist training and testing in Kuala Lumpur endorsed by the Chartered International Institute of Security and Crisis Management.

The course, conducted by Global E2C was intensive and comprehensive, making one consider issues faced by security professionals at the strategic C-Suite level.  Some issues that are take-aways for me are:

The underlying multi-faceted threats to business in today’s environment brings challenges that security practitioners and professionals must be able to plan for in order to ensure the business remains resilient in the face of events that may impact on them.  I can fully appreciate the change of viewpoint that security managers must make now in changing from a mentality of guards, gates and guns to that of Man, Method and Machine (M³). 

Man: An organisation is only as strong as its people so a focus must be made on people, their skills sets and loyalty to the company or brand within any business. Method: Experience and competency are the key to designing and implementing effective processes and security solutions and Machine: Technology enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of Man, making it a critical enabler for any business.  In addition, by ensuring resources are available to support security and appropriate metrics are in place to measure processes and solutions, we have a holistic methodology for managing protective security in business today.

What has occurred over the years is that the business of security has shifted from purely risk mitigation to being a new source of competitive advantage.  Effective risk and crisis management along with protective security can provide a competitive advantage over businesses that do not have these in place. Security then is not about hoping (or wishful thinking that we see in many parts of government, business and society) as hope is not a strategy. The implementation of robust security mitigation strategies is never an accident. It is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives.

Security practitioners have to think differently and gain a clear understanding of the internal and external strategic structures that can impact on the effectiveness of any strategy and ensure buy in by the C-suite. Understanding will provide clarity of vision and the way forward.

I thank my colleagues on course for their friendship and humour. Having attendees from Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines made it a true Asia Pacific event that enhanced the value of the course through looking at common issues through different cultural/country perspectives and made for great networking. 

Security and Crime Prevention in North Australia

North Australia, as the gateway to the South East Asia region and a major Defence footprint in Australia, has been identified as a potential key growth region that requires companies and government businesses in the region to focus more intently on the threats and risks involved in their business in an ever-changing security and crime landscape.

Evolving protective security governance rules for government agencies and increasing risk of violence from extremists continues to challenge many smaller government agencies both at Federal and State/Territory level. Many of these businesses do not have dedicated security professionals within their organisation to provide current strategic advice that can increase safety and security within the business unit. Peace and security is a fragile concept and we do not always have the necessary insight into what will occur next to destabilize our national security or the safety of society within it. Agencies or government contractors who ignore the threats expose themselves to vast risks.

Escalating levels of crime across the north is creating fear and uncertainty in citizens and business owners. Losses incurred through crime can potentially put small businesses ‘out of business’, creating a supply and employment vacuum. This has a direct impact on the economic stability of the north and its ability to promote a stable future for all citizens and businesses. The solution lies in a cooperative effort between government and private enterprise with its citizens as the major stakeholder.  Crime and national security threats cross over as we continue in this unstable international security environment.  Terrorism is a crime that effects not only nations but the citizens of that nation, who are often the victims. Theft and fraud may be linked to other activities, including organised crime, which may also be linked to extremist groups within Australia that have the objective of destabalizing our nation.

In this environment, government and business require credible and responsible advice to ensure that they do not overreact but can create an environment that mitigates identified threats based on sound risk analysis. 

Proactive risk mitigation and treatment is far better to manage than post incident crisis management. 

More information on the author is available at https://rayandersson.wixsite.com/raymond-andersson.