Because of that, the ICAO TRIP Guide is a well thought out, detailed document and recommended for those who need to know more about the principles and limitations of air travel and border controls. Back in the US, where guides are translated into measures, layers of capability and detection are further imposed by the DHS, TSA and organisations such as the Orwellian sounding Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), whose role (according to its website) is to: ‘protect the nation by providing biometric identification services that help federal, state, and local government decision makers accurately identify the people they encounter and determine whether those people pose a risk to the United States. OBIM supplies the technolog y for collecting and storing biometric data, provides analysis, updates its watchlist, and ensures the integrity of the data.’ However, the reality of security management in the context of border controls, despite the multiple technologies and processes that have been developed to manage the flexibility, reach and scale of the aviation challenge, differs from the concept. The main problem with any security system, regardless of its sector or application, is the people who interact with it. Poorly trained, lazy, overworked and overwhelmed staff who face never-ending cohorts of fast moving distracted, and sometimes aggressive legitimate passengers will always have the potential for failure – and security gaps will appear. In most cases, where legitimate passengers either purposely or by omission do get through, the consequences may be minimal. However, a determined and well-organised criminal, terrorist or illegal immigrant will scan, identify and bypass such touchpoints of human weakness – and the consequences have the potential to be quite significant. And the errors can be straightforward. The most effective measures cannot stop those overburdened airport staff from making occasional or repeated mistakes. As an example, according to a 2018 UK Home Office report (quoted in Airport Technolog y): ‘…over 11,000 travellers have unintentionally avoided UK border checks between 2013 and 2017 due to a lack of clear directions… there has been a 70% increase in the number of passengers who were misdirected, from 1,364 in 2016 to 2,328 in 2017. Further statistics from a Freedom of Information request show that the Border Force recorded 2,394, 2,665 and 2,278 misdirected passengers in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.’ Despite Home Office assurances of follow up and measures to deal with the problem, this was simply about people being sent in the wrong direction and bypassing security without even knowing about it. No ICAO guide can stop that. So, at first glance we can look at aviation and border control and consider that we have made significant strides and advances in the face of dynamic, emerging and smart threats in a changing world. Technology is the greatest single enabler of the basis for a multi-layered and wide-ranging security management system. Conversely, those who use it are the greatest disablers of its effectiveness. And, really, at this stage we are really only thinking about the ‘good guys’. Once we begin to factor in the legitimate issues of human rights and privacy and the sheer inventiveness and undoubted determination of those who wish to act illegally or do harm to society, the balance of power and advantage begins to shift, which on the balance of probabilities means that on occasion, real damage can be the result.
April/May 2019
Hills appoints new GM for New Zealand business
Hills Ltd has appointed Michael Collins as General Manager, New Zealand (NZ). Based in Auckland, Collins is tasked with improving customer engagement, driving value for vendors and cultivating a strong sales focus across NZ branches. Collins brings 20 years of security industry experience to the position, having held senior management roles with Gallagher Security, New Zealand including Vice President Sales and Marketing of the Americas and Regional Sales Manager New Zealand & Pacific. Prior to that, Collins was employed as Regional Sales Manager with UTC Fire & Security, New Zealand. CEO and Managing Director, David Lenz, said Collins will play an important role as Hills seeks to accelerate sales growth in its security and surveillance business along with driving growth across all NZ divisions including health and AV. “Michael understands the NZ market and will utilise his local knowledge and networks to develop opportunities and capitalize on infrastructure projects planned for the future. “His commitment to excellent service and collaboration makes him a perfect fit with our corporate culture,” Lenz said. “His proven leadership skills will be invaluable as we re-focus the business and drive market growth to ensure Hills remains the leading value-add building technologies distributor across ANZ.” Collins said he was excited to join Hills at a time when there were significant opportunities to improve the business and increase sales growth. “I’m looking forward to working with the NZ team and developing a plan to move the business forward,” Collins said.
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