Circuit Magazine #13

Q3

TWENTY ELEVEN £4.50/$8

Circuit The

The Magazine for Security Professionals

Cover:

TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS The CPO and their Principal

Travel Security

For the International Businessman

RELAX

Recognising and avoiding the symptoms of PTSD

TRAINING

Why is it so important?

SURVEILLANCE IN SOUTH AFRICA UNDERSTANDING COVERT BULLET PROOF VESTS

+

Book Reviews & Author Interviews Where do you read your copy of The Circuit Gadgets Galore How your Smart Phone may be giving away more than you think

A Quarterly publication from the British and North American Bodyguard Association

� Foreword 4]

An introduction from Shaun West & Elijah Shaw

� readerswrites 5]

Your Comms to HQ

� ontheJob 6] 9]

10] 12] 14] 16] 18] 21]

Travel Security for the International Businessman Close Protection, The Softer Skills - 39 Golden Rules Physical Fitness Training Legal Testimony and The Close Protection Agent Breaking the Communications Barrier Understanding Covert Bullet Proof Vests Medical Training Preparing the Tool - One handed operation

Contents

� shoptalk

26] Training - Why is it so important 32] Remembered - New Memorial remembers the Fallen of Sunderland 28] Two Different Worlds - The CPO and their Principal 34] Relax - Recognising and avoiding the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress 36] Surveillance South Africa 38] Using Tech to Refine ‘Soft Skills’

� Features

11] Where do You Read Yours?

- Members pics from around the globe reading our favourite magazine 22] BooKlub - This month’s reviews plus an Author Interview with Luke Duffy author of Running the Gauntlet 30] PodPickers - This issue’s top ten apps for apple fans 31] Working Girl - with Jacquie Davis 35] Keeping your Edge - with Elijah Shaw - The Choice

� boyZone

40] Get Your Kit On - Gadget Reviews 41] What’s in your Go-Bag? - Pt5

� techtalk

42] The Silent Witness and Hacking - Smart Phones, Too smart for your own good.

I

s there a happy medium for those of us involved with the Security Industry and if there were would you really want that? Maybe one of the aspects of our lives that keeps us sharp is the nature of our great industry. Sure, it can play havoc with the home and social life but you have to take the rough with the smooth so when the phone call comes minutes after you have just put your feet up then don’t moan too much, be happy that it is your phone that is ringing, it means that someone out there rates you and your skills.

Despite the BBA head shed being all over the world for the past 3 months (seems like forever) we have in this quarter made as much

Foreword

progression as we ever have with the launch of a new website and a massive upgrade to the members area. We have introduced more tiers of membership because the comments that we had from the members was so strong we felt that we had to and so far those extra tiers are proving to be extremely popular. Have a look at our directory page to see what the higher levels of membership get you and there is more to come but we have not forgotten those who wished to maintain a more basic level of membership, each member now gets a BBA membership card….we hope that you like them.

There is more to come, the shop will soon be filling up with business cards, clothing and more. We have more iPhone apps on the way and of course your magazine, the Circuit Magazine continues to be full of relevant content and not irrelevant advertising.

The production of the magazine is big Team effort and we are grateful to have the Kal onboard, without him in this role would make the getting the magazine to print infinitely more difficult.

People often say that one man’s loss is someone else’s gain and as the recent events in Libya have shown that once again this is true as many of our colleagues head out to that particular region to advise those less accustomed to such hostile activities. Stay safe fellas. Marsec continues to grow as an industry with many people making the transition from sand to water without too much difficulty. With this boom in waterborne tasks the marsec training is of course going through the roof!

If you have had a busy summer period I hope that you have increased your network and kept an eye on your Continual Professional Development so that you remain an asset now, tomorrow and in the future.

If you would like to write for the Circuit Magazine then please do get in touch, we are always looking for interesting articles from fellow professionals.

Till next time, stay safe!

Shaun West, The BBA Team

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been overwhelmingly positive. A while back, when I was graciously offered the position of Managing Director of the US Edition, I wanted to make my primary goal increasing The Circuit’s presence in the America’s. I mean what’s the sense of having the best Hamburger restaurant in the world if no one knows where you’re located?

So via the Internet, word of mouth, and trade shows we’ve begun picking up the pace and letting the Yanks (& Canucks) know that while “guns & ammo” might be nice it’s not going to help you much with planning an Advance or offer pointers on how to secure maritime security jobs.

Having recently had the chance to speak at the International Executive Protection Conference, I brought a stack of current and back issues with me and placed them on the vendor table. Saying they went like hotcakes is an understatement. To have a group of industry professionals excited about the magazine told me two things; one, that we’re doing something right in terms of content and format, and

elcome back to another edition of The Circuit -The magazine for the security professional. Once again we’ve packed page after full color page with news, information, reviews and tips on all things related to the world of Security. Since you have a copy, it should come as no surprise that word is spreading about the magazine, and that issue after issue, the reviews have

two that we still have a lot more work to do with getting the word out.

Here’s where you come in: (In car sales, this is called “the pitch”) if you enjoy The Circuit, please tell people about it. One can never underestimate the power of a good referral, and if you’re passionate about the industry like me, having something that helps in professional development can only be a positive. Corporate Managers and Detail Leaders, this beats comic books in the conference room! Plus a subscription for a friend makes a great gift!

Along those same lines, I’d like to give special thanks to Hans Van Beuge and Christos Feretopoulous for spreading the word in Australia, Tony Scotti for letting some of our Mexican counterparts over the border know of The Circuit, and Wade Stephens & Mark “Six” James for being great US Ambassadors. We’ll keep producing a quality product, and if you like it, please tell others. As my Uncle Sam says, “we’re looking for a few good men (and women)”.

Elijah Shaw, Managing Editor - US

Circuit :: ReadersWrites

Your Comm’s to Sir I would just like to congratulate you on the latest incarnation of the BBA Website and also the new members area.

It is a much more pleasant experience than previous versions and has maintained the professionalism that we have come to expect from your association.

Mike H

Mike, this has been a labour of love to say the least, I cannot put into words the journey that we have been on in order to get where we are but we are pleased with the results so far. It will move forward again over the coming months but we are at a good place just now.

Hi Guys I seem not to be getting email alerts from the members area, can you sort this out please?

Have not had one for weeks now.

Pete T

Pete,Please check you are ‘watching’ the topic or section(s) and also have a look in your spam box, it may be that the mails are going there. If the issue continues please get back in touch. Everything appears fine at our end.

Are there going to be BBA networking events anytime soon?

Harry S

Harry, we have networking events on our radar but it is unlikely that they will be soon. Unfortunately all the BBA guys are very busy with work both with the BBA and other projects making it extremely difficult to organize such an event. This is an often asked question and one that will

be addressed but maybe not in the shortterm.

I am always in the chat area but have so far only seen a handful of members in there, maybe times could be arranged for greater participation?

Simon A

Simon, some people like to chat, others do not and with busy schedules this may not be possible to do. We think it is better to let it run naturally and see what the uptake is. The BBA staff visit it whenever possible and hope to see you in there soon.

What level qualification do you think is most appropriate for a newly qualified CPO to pursue as a next step? I see lots of levels but am just a little confused.

Grace R

Grace, much depends on your academic background, the time you are able to devote to a course and also the money that you are willing/able to spend. Aim too high and you may end up dropping out, losing money and becoming de motivated. Go in too low and the same could happen. Speak with the providers, discuss with them your previous academic achievements and see what they advise.

Speak with others that have done the course(s) that you are interested in. Make sure that whatever you do that it does actually develop you!

Good luck!

Dear BBA, I am trying like MAD to get my directory entry sorted but just cannot seem to make it

happen! Can you help?

Sam P

Sam, all you have to do is go in to your profile, edit (top right hand corner), select company profile tab and enter a part of full postcode and a company name. You can enter your own name in this section as others have done. In order for people to get in touch with you, you will course require an email and/or telephone number.

The different tiers of membership are able to input more and more information. Any further issues then please let us know.

Totally enjoying the new members area of the BBA, just wondered why it is now called Security Professionals?

John M

John, the BBA and the NABA are full of Security Professionals from across the industry and not just those involved in Close Protection so for us it seemed an easy step to take. We want to embrace professionals and those that aspire to be so from across the security industries vast spectrum. So far, the reaction from the members has been most favorable; we hope that you agree with this step?

As a newcomer to the industry I am trying hard to get everything in place that I possibly can.

Some people are advising me to have my CV written by a professional while others are telling me that potential employers may see it as a ‘bad thing’. What does the BBA recommended?

Rich T

Rich, you cannot and will not please all of the people all of the time. Some employers may well not like this…..who knows. Our own opinion on this is that it shows that you are serious about your career as you are willing to invest hard earned funds on the services of a pro to ensure that your CV is the one that is selected. It is an extremely competitive market right now and you must do all you can to be selected for interview. You should also ask yourself why these people are advising you against this? Ulterior motives perhaps? GO FOR IT but chose your CV writer carefully……. from personal experience we recommend: www.cvspecifics.com

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Circuit :: OnTheJob

TRAVEL SECURITY for the INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSMAN With few exceptions, today’s criminal gangs, whose sole aim is to extort money monopolise the act of kidnapping prominent foreign businessmen/women.

Experienced gangs target wealthy locals and business travellers visiting the country, with the latter being the most vulnerable to kidnap as they present themselves as an easier or ‘soft target’ with less ‘in country’ knowledge, back up or support. In Latin America even the drug cartels are turning to kidnapping as an easier way of supplementing their income, which has been hit by more stringent US controls on border security trafficking.

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idnapping tends to flourish in the absence of an effective state security infrastructure and penal system.

For example, the states inability to curb kidnapping in Mexico results from extensive corruption within the police force whose officers openly collude with the many gangs, safe in the knowledge of the impunity afforded to them by the small number of successful prosecutions. Mexico is not alone in suffering the attentions of organised kidnapping gangs, and is not even the number one hotspot for such crimes, where Pakistan rates as the top offender of the following list: The deep drivers of any financial criminal act – corruption and so8.

Somalia 3.

Venezuela cial deprivation – have 9.

Brazil 4.

Nigeria no swift solutions and 10. Philippines 5.

India countries such as those named above where the problem is endemic will see little change in the years to come and will continue to experience high levels of crime for the foreseeable future.

Due to the rapid expansion of foreign corporations into these places, it is expected that there will be an increasing stream of executives traveling there, inadvertently presenting themselves as soft targets for 1.

Pakistan

6.

Afghanistan

2.

Mexico

7.

Colombia

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STEVE LAMBERT

criminal elements.

So what can you do to protect yourself should your business take you to these places?

There are many simple steps that you can take to aid your safety whilst away on that all-important business trip simply by being cautious, vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Steps such as briefing yourself on any criminal activity happening in the city that you are to visit before your trip and the methodology of any organised criminal elements operating in that area. For instance are you aware that the gangs operating in Mexico have infiltrated the government agencies so well that they can ‘target’ the first and business class passengers (the potential targets) getting off the plane at the airport to which you are disembarking? How do you combat this? Quite easily as it happens.

First of all, prior to your trip, log in to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website and research the area/country you plan to visit.

The FCO website gives you vital information regarding the political climate, criminal stats, embassy details, areas to avoid, medical facilities, etc: Everyone knows that first and business class passengers disembark first once a plane has landed so simply remain in your seat and get off the plane last with all the economy passengers; don’t travel in your expensive suit, dress down and BLEND IN, avoid using any ‘express’ busi-

Circuit :: OnTheJob ness class queues once you’ve landed. These simple steps will allow you to exit the airport unnoticed and proceed to your hotel without a ‘tail’. This is often the first stage used by gangs to identify victims and follow them to their hotels for further surveillance.

When reserving a hotel make sure it has security personnel 24 hours a day and use a hotel away from government buildings, embassies, major religious centers and icons.

Also ensure that the hotel has a tested evacuation and emergency response plan. If you are staying in a city with a high crime rate such as Rio de Janeiro or Mexico City, only use hotels with electronic key card access and elevator key cards.

People often consider their hotel room to be a safe place, however organised criminal elements will have hotel staff on their ‘payroll’

acting as their eyes and ears identifying potential targets for robbery or kidnapping. If you feel particularly vulnerable, check in to a room with one member of the reception staff and then come back an hour later when that person is not around and ‘complain’ about your room to another receptionist and ask him or her to assign you another room. By doing this any details that may have been passed on are of no use to the criminal. When checking into the hotel and filling out the reservation form put the minimum of personal details on the form or even put down false information. This information is, after all, just for the hotel’s records! I have done this many times before whilst travelling; the reality is, that other than passport control agents, no-one you meet during your trip needs to know these details.

Avoid booking rooms facing busy streets or at ground level with win-

dows. Always try and reserve a room between the 3rd and 7th floor whilst also avoiding any directly above the lobby. Ensure the room has access to fire ladders and is away from the stairwells and elevators.

Keep your room door locked and bolted while you are in the room. If you have a room at a bed and breakfast, make sure that you use the door lock to secure your room at all times. If the security lock in your room locks from the inside with a key, keep your key in the lock, so that you can open the door in case of an emergency. Doing so makes it easy to find the key and in case of intrusion stops any one putting anything in the lock on the other side of the door. You should also keep a plastic or wooden door wedge permanently packed away in your suitcase to wedge under your door from the inside of your hotel room.

This simple measure will prevent anybody with a spare key/fob from gaining entry to your room without making an awful racket and using a real force of effort.

If you are holding meetings in your hotel let the reception know who and how many people you are expecting to attend the meeting and tell them that you will meet the people in the foyer and not your room. The inconvenience of doing so is far exceeded by the decrease in exposure to potentially dangerous situations.

When using the hotel elevators, if any person makes you feel uncomfortable pretend you have forgotten something, turn around and walk away before then, taking another elevator to the floor below yours.

You can then exit the elevator and use the stairwell to gain entry to your floor. It will give you the advantage over any attacker as they will

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Circuit :: OnTheJob be expecting you to exit from the elevator and will most probably wait for you at the elevator door or hide in the stair well. If they are hiding in the stair well you will see them before hand and can then make your way back down to reception and inform the hotel security.

In the case of an extreme emergency or incident outside of your hotel, avoid flocking to the windows. Many victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai rushed to the windows to see what was going on and were injured or killed in the shooting. Instead double lock your door and barricade it with heavy furniture, drag the mattress to the middle of the room and get under it. DO NOT broadcast your whereabouts, as again in Mumbai many hotel guests were tracked to their hiding place in the hotel basement by the terrorists, simply because they were heard screaming into their mobile phones to family members or the police.

Finally, make sure you study the instructions and hotel map in your room, as any intelligence and knowledge of the hotel layout that you possess will help you exit the hotel rapidly should you need to in case of fire and the possible need for evacuation. When exiting the hotel keep your room key on you, this will mean that any ‘inside’ man can’t inform his colleagues as to your whereabouts.

Remember the six ‘P’s:- “Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance”.

Prior to making any overseas business trip, inform your office of any meetings that you will be attending. Be sure to tell them the timings and the locations of the meetings, along with the names and contact details of all attendees. If you feel that you can trust the hotel staff at your destination then it is also advisable to inform them as well. This is only advisable in certain ‘low-threat’ countries. Inform your office of how long you think the meeting will be and call them prior to going into the meeting and then again when you leave to return to your hotel.

If you need to make travel arrangements to get to your meeting then ensure that you only use registered licensed taxis with official markings ensuring that the driver has their official identification or use an authorised chauffeur from the hotel. Do not share a taxi unless you are familiar with the other passengers; remember your main duty is to protect yourself. If your refusal to join a cab hurts someone’s feeling, tough!

If you have to walk anywhere, be aware of your surroundings. If the immediate environment does not “feel” right, find a place that does.

Pay attention to your sixth sense, as the human brain is rarely wrong when sensing danger.

The term “questionable neighbourhood” is always a valued observation and it is a fair assumption that you will know when you have turned the corner into a neighbourhood to avoid. It is always better to backtrack than proceed through the neighbourhood in your attempt to return to a safe area. Don’t use shortcuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets, as doing so invites danger and more often than not will just get you lost quicker! Use the main arterial roads with the most commuter traffic.

Whilst walking, look beyond the people immediately surrounding you; observe people in the second and third tier away from you, make use of shop windows to help you check who’s behind you or who may be following you on the other side of the street. From time to time randomly cross the street and see if anyone follows you and if you constantly see the same face in the background, be cautious and seek assistance or take a licensed taxi to your destination. Be especially careful about travelling after dinner or in the late evening hours when predators are more likely to be lurking with ill intent!

For the executive traveller driving in foreign countries, my advice is to drive defensively. My recommendations cover safety issues related to driving and related to cars and their contents.

When you rent a car abroad, try to reserve one that does not stand out

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and is unlikely to attract attention. Standard saloon models in nondescript colours such as grey, silver and blue are best. Remember the key here is to blend in and not attract attention. If however, the car is obviously marked as a rental car (for example, it is plastered with the agency’s logo or name) ask if any marks identifying the car as a rental can be removed. If not, ask if they have another vehicle.

If possible, rent a car with central power door locks and power windows so that the driver can control access to the car at all times. Make sure the vehicle has functioning air conditioning which will mean that you can keep the windows closed and avoid any ‘snatch and grab’ thieves.

Do not leave your valuables unattended in the car at any time. If you must leave the car while it contains your valuables, place them in the boot and out of sight, making sure they are placed in the boot ‘before’ you park! Pulling into a parking lot, opening the boot of the car, and stashing your treasures only serves to inform observant thieves that you have something worth stealing.

If you are on your way to that all important meeting don’t leave your wallet or travel documents in a jacket hanging from a coat hook or on the back of your car seat. It is very easy for someone to reach in and remove your jacket at traffic lights or when static in traffic. Put all briefcases, purses, and other items (cameras, phones, etc.) on the floor and out of sight. Smash and grab thieves have been known to break car windows on the fly and grab purses resting on womens’ laps. Avoid parking your car on the street overnight and if your hotel does not have a parking garage or other secure parking, select a well-lit area as near to the hotel entrance as possible.

‘Most importantly’, if in the unlikely event you are accosted do not fight back. Give them what they want. Losing your belongings is a monetary loss and an inconvenience at worst but not a tragedy. They are replaceable, you are not! It is also a good idea to keep a couple of old credit cards and a small amount of cash in a separate wallet which you can hand over to the attacker who is not going to take the time to check the expiry dates!

However, if you feel that your life may well be in imminent danger if you do not fight back, make sure you aim to immobilise you’re assailant as quickly (and as painfully) as possible to make good your escape whilst screaming at the top of your voice. Go for the throat with a strike using the side of your hand, the eyes with a clawed hand to blind them, or the groin to immobilise them temporarily to make good your escape. Very simple yet effective everyday ‘legal’ defensive weapons that you can carry are; •

Newspaper – Rolled tightly up it is very effective when jabbed in an attackers face, throat, solar plexus, or groin.

•

Umbrella – The design with a metal spike can be a lethal protective weapon. Do not swing at your attacker with it, jab with it!

•

Handkerchief and loose change - Everyone carries both of these items, yet few realise what a lethal combination they are. A few coins wrapped tightly in a handkerchief make a formidable defensive weapon!

Finally, should you still be unlucky enough to become a victim of criminal activity or attack on your travels, you must summon up all of your courage and nous in order to stop yourself from panicking. Remain as calm as possible, focusing solely on the situation at hand and give the criminal what he wants whilst taking in as much information of both the criminal and the surrounding areas as possible. Panicking will only add to the criminal’s desperation and could scare him into a violent attack.

Steve Lambert is Director of Operations, Perseus Risk Management Ltd. www.perseusrisk.com

Circuit :: OnTheJob

CLOSE PROTECTION The Softer Skills

39

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GEOFFREY PADGHAM MVO

Golden Rules of Close Protection

I

n Close Protection it is impossible to detail all the rules, regulations, competencies, direction, guidance, techniques, drills, issues, procedures, processes and structures to guarantee an individual is a successful Close Protection Operative. However, based on my broad knowledge and experience, these

golden rules should be viewed as a ‘one-stop shop’ to give you some instant CP guidance to prevent you from making the most common mistakes. By following these rules, you are likely to secure a job, keep a job and impress the Principal and everyone you come into contact with. The rules are:

• Always be punctual (N.B. - At least 15 minutes early)

• Generally, speak when spoken to

• Be prepared to justify decisions

• Silence is golden

• Be immaculately and appropriately dressed

• Don’t lie, be honest and don’t waffle

• No crude jokes or inappropriate humour with the Principal or staff

• Do not out-dress the Principal

• Don’t make idle and silly conversation

• Always maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene

• Don’t overtly ‘listen’ to private conversations

• Be tactful and diplomatic

• Practice a ‘no news’ is ‘good news’ policy

• Maintain a calm and confident temperament

• Be prepared, or you must be prepared to fail

• Be professional at all times

• Be forward thinking - one step ahead of the game

• Remember you are a Close Protection Operative, not a servant • Blend in and be anonymous as the grey man or woman • If you think you are in the wrong place, you probably are

• No swearing • Do not lose your temper as you instantly lose the argument • Avoid the over-familiarity trap • Always maintain a professional relationship with the Principal • Try to avoid discussing politics and religion • Don’t drink alcohol on duty

• Time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted

• Go to the toilet when you can, and not when you want to

• Always be prepared to communicate, negotiate and compromise

• Do not smoke on duty

• Practice empathetic assertiveness

• Relax, or if you cannot relax - look like you are relaxed!

• If you think you have said the wrong thing, you probably have

• Generally, if the Principal leaves late, then they arrive late

• Give the Principal space whenever possible

• Be assertive and decisive when necessary

Geoff is a former Metropolitan Police Inspector with over 30 years national and international policing and protective security experience. After spending eight years in the uniform branch in 1979 he specialised in close protection (CP) duties working in the Royalty Protection Department based at Buckingham Palace. From 1982 to 1999 he was the Personal Protection Officer to HRH The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) and latterly he was a senior member of the Royalty Protection Department’s management team, with particular responsibility for all close protection officers and training. He retired from the police in 2001.

In the private sector Geoff became a Security Consultant, event manager and a Liaison Officer for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office managing Government and VIP visits to the UK. In 2004 the Security Industry Authority (SIA) started consultation to develop the National Occupational Standards and a qualification for the licensing of private close protection personnel. As a subject expert Geoff’s unique protection skills prompted his membership of the official SIA consultation group. With others he then developed the final specification for the core competency training and qualifications on which SIA CP licensing is now based.

• Do not chew gum on duty

• Be yourself • Enjoy the job The text for these rules was taken from Geoff’s book ‘Close Protection – The Softer Skills’.

The book can be purchased from Entertainment Technology Press at www.etbooks. co.uk and click on ‘Security’ publications for further information.

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Circuit :: OnTheJob

HYSICAL FITNES CROSSFIT - FORGING ELITE FITNESS

The journey involved with obtaining Elite: Health, Fitness and Wellbeing is an ever-evolving one. Making sense of the various fad diets, supposed ‘new’ breakthrough training regimes and the latest miracle supplements can be a confusing process. If it looks too good to be true…it usually is!

Crossfit, on the other hand, is a training system that certainly delivers what it promises. The self-styled “Sport of fitness” is proving popular with people from all walks of life due to the functional element incorporated into it. By merging elements of: Power lifting and Olympic lifting, Gymnastic movements and various Metabolic conditioning methods (running, biking, rowing and skipping), an all-rounder can be produced. This new “Sport” even has its own annual games, with Regional prelims taking part around the world, culminating in a Grand final in the States. (Type “crossfit games” into Youtube, it’s definitely worth a watch).

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RYAN NAISH

I have followed Crossfit for a number of years now, frequently using the Workout of the Day or WOD, as it’s commonly known amongst the Crossfit fraternity. This is posted on the main site freely on a daily basis.

Greg Glassman: The founder and Guru of Crossfit, summarised its ethos and fundamentals in his piece: “World-Class fitness in 100 words’:

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necessary to fulfil the criteria, or the food available may not be ideal. Don’t use this as an excuse, use it as a guideline and make as many positive changes to achieve the ultimate goal of: Health, Fitness and Wellbeing.

From a diet perspective, if you just decided to cut down on starchy foods and introduced fruit and veg, nuts and seeds, positive health benefits would occur.

Likewise, a positive action like introducing functional strength training into your fitness regime would alter body composition and reduce the risk of injury.

My biggest annoyance, as I’ve eluded to in past articles, is the commonplace Bodybuilding style workout: The “weights part” consisting of several isolation exercises performed sub-maximally for 8-12 repetitions 3-4 sets each. Then comes the “cardio”, 40 minutes steady state, usually on the Cross trainer or an easier alternative. Whilst something is better than nothing, there is little fitness benefits associated with this type of training. Some Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy (fluid based muscle enlargement), containing no functional strength element is achieved from the resistance training. Whilst the so-called “cardio” does little to elevate the heart rate and cause it to work hard as any muscle should.

Does there need to be a differential between • Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels “weights” and “cardio”?

If I lift a heavy weight from the floor to above my head 5 times, that will support exercise but not body fat.

• Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

• Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.

• Regularly learn and play new sports.

For many people, sticking to that explanation to the letter would be a tough business; it would be pretty life changing in any case. Difficult…but certainly not impossible, especially if prior preparation was employed. It can also be scaled accordingly.

The above explanation is an ideal scenario, if you’re in a remote location however, you may not have access to the equipment

10 : : Circuit

will this cause my heart rate to increase? Absolutely it will. If I then immediately perform 20 walking lunges and a 200m sprint and I continue this process as many times as I can for 15 minutes, what effect will that have?

Without getting too technical, I will have used all three energy systems (Two of which do not utilise oxygen and one that does), I will have performed 3 functional movements which carry over into everyday life and I will have improved my strength, power, stamina and endurance… all this in 15 minutes of hard work!

It is far more time effective compared to the laborious two-hour gym sessions at an easy pace and the health benefits are worth the pain. This brings me to the next question…

Are you willing to put yourself through short-lived physical pain?

The sort of people that would be reading this article, in this type of magazine, I hope, would echo a resounding YES! To quote the old depot adage; “Pain is merely weakness leaving the body.”

Circuit :: OnTheJob The long-term health benefits far outweigh the short-term physical pain endured!

So where do I go from here?

I would suggest initially taking a look at the website Crossfit. com and downloading the free PDF’s “What is Fitness?” And “Understanding Crossfit”. After reading these articles, you will see why this form of training is so suitable for people working in our industry.

If this has whet your appetite, then the next step is to search for a Box (The common name for a Crossfit gym) in your area. A full list of affiliated gyms is available on Crossfit.com. Crossfit boxes are also becoming a lot more widespread in Hostile theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The American Military have adopted this form of training (mainly for the specialist units), as a means of maintaining physical preparedness for their troops; such is the system’s effectiveness.

If you decide not to join a Crossfit affiliate, but would still like to learn about and employ the methodology of Crossfit training, I would suggest a yearly subscription of the Crossfit journal. This is an online service which contains a myriad of constantly updated information in the form of articles, videos and images. The cost is $25 a year and worth every cent!

Utrinque Paratus Ryan Naish mma-cscc is a former Physical Training Instructor in The Parachute Regiment and an active Close Protection Operative.

He specialises in functional training using improvised equipment and Sports Nutrition. Go to Ryan’s website: fitnesswins.net or email him on: ryan@ fitnesswins.net

Circuit Magazine Featured Exercise Ring Dip A great functional upper body pushing exercise, much more difficult than a traditional dip on parallel bars, due to the instability of the rings. It is essential to brace the core when performing the exercise otherwise failure is inevitable.

This can be incorporated into a functional circuit or as a stand-alone strength movement.

WHERE DO

YOU

READ YOURS?

We asked where you read The Circuit and to send in your pictures from around the world. Thanks go to the globe-trotting contributors below.

Send us yours for the next issue!

Patrick Devlin, Security Manager at the Athletes Village in Stratford, casts his professional eye over issue #11 to see how our fitness tips measure up

Circuit : : 11

Circuit :: OnTheJob

LEGAL TESTIMONY

AND THE CLOSE PROTECTION AGENT by |

RUSS SAUNDERS

You are a well- trained, and well educated Protection Agent. You have gone through extensive training, and done everything you can to prepare yourself to be successful in the profession; you are ready for anything that comes your way.

With the education, training, and strong work ethic you now possess there is nothing you can’t handle. But what happens when you suddenly find yourself sitting on the witness stand in a court of law testifying in front of a jury?

Although it can be one of the most significant events that we encounter in our careers, many agents are not as prepared as they should be. The good news is that by doing a little “advance” work you can prepare to be your best in court. With your reputation, and possibly your client’s reputation at stake, it only makes sense to be prepared.

“

12 : : Circuit

Just like the advance, there is preparation work that can be done before you ever get a subpoena. One great “advance” technique is through making positive connections within the criminal justice community. You can build credibility by reaching out to those in the local law enforcement and criminal justice system. Let them experience that you are a professional with a high level of credibility along with sound ethics and judgment. A positive relationship with these systems can benefit you when you find yourself in the courtroom.

“

The

protection business is all about preparation. We conduct endless hours of advance work, checking every detail; anticipating all possible threats to the safety and well-being of our client. We check and re-check; we adapt and overcome obstacles. With the precise attention to detail, any agent should be able to handle a simple day in court, right?

Joe DeMuro, Managing Member and Lead Instructor/Developer for DeMuro Enterprises, LLC, a very successful and sought after company that provides a variety of training to Police and Security professionals says,

A Protection Agent needs to develop a professional persona in all interactions with any representative of the Criminal Justice system (Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, the Judiciary, and the Defense). I feel it’s important that those involved in any nonLaw Enforcement protective or investigative field have a good reputation among those who may be testifying at some point to either support or critique the work they were doing

Circuit :: OnTheJob Your reputation and credibility are everything in the Protection industry.

Do not forget that many people, including those in law enforcement and the criminal justice system, may have limited experience with the Protection Industry. Their perception may be the Hollywood version; agents are portrayed as uneducated, and often unethical, hulking buffoons, no different than a guard dog that will attack anyone who gets too close. In fact, the opposite is true. Agents today must be welleducated and highly trained professionals with the ability to interact and operate in any social and business setting; whose ethics are second to none. As Protection Agents we must make every effort to portray the correct image to not only those we protect, but especially to those in the criminal justice system that we will ultimately interact with.

Here are some tips that have served me well over the past twenty years.

Let’s begin with the first impression. When you dress for the courtroom, dress conservatively; in appropriate business attire similar to a job interview. You will be observed and assessed constantly while in the courtroom. Also make sure that your shoes are polished, hair is cut, and nails trimmed. Avoid flashy colors, and keep the jewelry display minimal. Remember to think from head to toe! You will be more believable and appear professional when you are conservatively dressed. Do not forget that you could be getting sized-up by the other side while you are waiting for the hearing to begin. Make sure you are calm, cool, and collected at all times!

While you are being sworn in make sure you are paying attention to the person doing the swearing in. I have found that it is helpful to look towards the jury if you can as you say “I will” when asked if you will “tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth”. This is a “first impression” moment and you want the jury to know that you are a truthful person and take the oath seriously.

When you are approaching the stand and you are testifying, make sure that you are sitting up straight, and not slouching. Look at the attorney while you are being questioned, pause momentarily, and think before you answer. Make sure you answer in plain English. Refrain from using jargon and technical terminology. For example, when answering “yes” do not answer by saying, “10-4” or “Roger that!”- Just say “yes”. Another good tip is to make sure the question is truthful before you agree to the answer. For example, you should not answer in the affirmative to a question that begins with “isn’t it true that…” unless it is true. Do not let yourself get talked into a false testimony by affirming incorrect statements. If it is not true, say so. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question. It is also important to know when to stop talking. If your testimony is interrupted, stop speaking. Whether it is an objection from an attorney or a question from the judge, stop speaking, and wait for the judge to give you the okay to proceed. Your own attorney may object to a question from the other side. That usually occurs when the question is not allowed or needs to be restated. Let the judge make a ruling on an objection before you proceed. You may also think that a particular question is censurable. If so, hesitate for a moment to allow your

attorney to object. If the attorney makes no objection, continue and answer the question. At the same time however, do not look at your attorney every time you answer a question. Jurors may see this as you looking for answers and your testimony as being untruthful.

You need to ensure that your testimony and all related reports (which need to be as factual and objective as possible) and/or any related interviews by investigators coincide. In other words your reports, interviews, and testimony should state the same facts on the stand as they did when you wrote them or when they were recorded. If you find that you made an error in your testimony, it is your duty to immediately bring it to the judge’s attention and request to correct the error.

Remember, everyone makes mistakes!

But if you do not correct it, and it is brought into question during the trial, the jury will probably see it as a lie, and your whole testimony (and credibility) could be damaged.

The last two bits of advice may be the most important.

The first is do not be intimidated by attorneys.

They can become very aggressive in their questioning, and what may seem like a personal attack, may be nothing more than an attempt to bait you. You must resist the urge to become defensive or combative. You must stay calm, and stick to your testimony. It is after all the truth!

Lastly, and probably the most important point to remember, is that you must tell the truth at all times. Do not embellish it, do not twist it, and do not mess with it! There is an old saying that, “the truth will set you free” and it will. It will also keep you free! The price you will pay if you are caught lying (or an embellishment is taken as a lie) is enormous! It is also crucial to bear in mind that sometimes we lose. If the case is lost, so be it. As long as you tell the truth, you have done all you can. Remember you are there to simply testify - not prove guilt or innocence. That is the attorney’s job. Do not be tempted to lie or embellish your testimony because you think the case may be lost. Once again, the consequences are way too great! Aside from the personal loss of credibility (which directly relates to your ability to obtain work in the future) there is also the possibility of formal perjury charges and jail time. No one wants that. There have been a few times in my life where I had to “grin and bear it” as a defendant walked free from the courtroom and sneered smugly at me because his side won. It happens - get over it and move on. You will always have your self-esteem knowing you have once again done the right thing.

Although it may be an unpleasant and slightly intimidating prospect to be called into a court of law to testify, you can and in fact you will, get through it. Do not think of it as a bad thing; use it as an opportunity to shine. Show the world that you are a true professional - a Protection Agent that can handle anything that comes your way.

1. DeMuro Enterprises, LLC Law Enforcement Training for Knowledge and Performance http://www.demurotraining.com/index.html

Circuit : : 13

Circuit :: OnTheJob

Breaking THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER Having just returned from six months security consultancy and executive protection work in some of the darkest corners of Colombia, I thought I’d write something about the experience, specifically the advantages of speaking the local language in our line of work.

I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to conduct this assignment on behalf of a firm of international investors between January and July 2011. The project briefly comprised investigating business opportunities for investment, auditing those opportunities for security risks, then escorting and protecting my clients during their travel in the region and on their site orientation visits. My work also took me briefly to the US. I am also fortunate to speak and write Spanish fluently, having learned at school and then made every possible effort to improve and practice in the many years since!

Here are some of the key advantages I experienced of having these language skills whilst on this exciting assignment

A

bove all, the key to mine and my clients’ security was not to stand out - to be the ‘grey men’. This was important on a general basis but also specifically in places where poverty is rife, tourists are simply viewed as cash rich targets for mugging, kidnapping and general attack. I am fortunate in the sense I am dark haired, 5’8” tall and weigh about 160 lbs, which helps in a continent where really, for the first time in my life, I found myself to be of average build! Nonetheless, regardless of physical stature, speaking the local language, and speaking it well, draws far less attention - always positive in that part of the world.

Operating mostly alone, the key to the success of the security of the trip was its planning, and the careful planning of each journey made once in country. I was fully aware that regardless of any physical skill, previous training, pre-deployment training or protective equipment I may have carried, if I had allowed my clients to get into a situation of threat or confrontation, the results would likely have been dire, not least due to the remoteness of many of the locations that we visited.

Using my language skills to plan, both prior to deployment and during the course of the work, I was able to: a.) Liaise closely with local police and security forces to assess issues on a daily, and sometimes even hourly basis and; b.) Follow open source, local news to help me do the same During my dealings with local police and security forces, upon realising that I was making significant effort to speak their language and understand their problems, they were of course much more open, trusting and friendly with the intelligence they were prepared to divulge to me, giving me a much better overall view than most of the ‘gringos’ they described to me as having dealt with previously.

As a result I became friends with many of them, a number ultimately

14 : : Circuit

by |

BEN HOCKMAN

offering direct-line personal support if I were ever to run into difficulty.

Fortunately, this was never required.

I was better able to understand the culture of the people there, which again in my view, improved both mine and my clients’ security. I would always advocate the importance of body language, but in one, and in fact the only, potentially dangerous situation we faced, an understanding of body language alone - red faces, jittery movements, hands near firearms etc., it was useful, in fact vital, to understand exactly what was being said, rather than simply to guess.

During the same incident, being able to use crisis communication effectively to our Colombian driver, was I am certain, a key factor in our safe evacuation from this particular situation, at an unexpected checkpoint manned by a local gang on the outskirts of Medellin.

In addition, and perhaps more obviously, understanding the language meant that I was able to conduct surveillance, intelligence and advanced reconnaissance more effectively by a.) Befriending the locals, and b.) Listening-in on and interpreting nearby conversations that I would not otherwise have been privy to.

All-round, a fantastic experience and one I hope to repeat very soon!

Please feel free to contact me at ben.hockman@gmail.com for some suggestions on cost-free ways to learn or improve your language skills.

It will take time and effort but well worth it in my humble opinion.

Ben is a licensed close protection operative, experienced in surveillance and security driving. He is also an internationally recognised Krav Maga instructor in the Urban Krav Maga system and is available for specialist seminars and instruction Ben speaks Spanish and business level French.

Support Airborne Forces Durham Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association is a thriving Airborne Network for former & current Airborne Soldiers. Why not come along and join us? We hold our meetings on the 1st Saturday of every month and have a licensed bar on site. We have serving members from across the Battalions, members who have recently left and those that have been out for many years.

• We all join the PRA in the Depot but how many of us support our local branch?

• There are over 100 PRA Branches - there is one near you!

• We support Airborne causes each and every month, year after year • We keep up-to-date with the Battalion’s activities • We attend events and organise our own • The PRA will be there for you in your time of need, why not help us support others who need YOUR help NOW

AM BRAN CH

CI

TE

RE

S

O

HU

The Durham branch of the PRA accepts donations no matter how small, details on the website

AT

PA R A C

ION

D

H UR

S GIMENT A

www.durhampra.org.uk info@durhampra.org.uk +44 (0) 07595 021 683 We are a registered charity, NO 1125554

Follow us on

@durhampra

Circuit :: OnTheJob

UNDERSTANDING

COVERT BULLET PR F VESTS by |

ROBERT KAISER

W

earing a covert bullet proof vest will allow you to look after the personal security of your Principal and become a significant and effective ‘low profile part’ of his day-to-day life. This is, or it will become one of your main objectives when looking after the personal security of high profile individuals and/or their families. In your line of work it will often be of great importance to ‘blend in’ and not act as a noticeable security professional.

Covert bullet proof vests have been designed to enable you to primarily use available intelligence, advanced diplomacy, communication skills, as well as your professionalism and experience, while being effectively protected in case a situation escalates.

But what makes a good body armour or even excellent body armour?

How light should a covert bullet proof vest be, and to what standards should it have been tested and certified to? Let us make sure your choice is based on up-to-date information and reflect a good understanding of covert body armour.

16 : : Circuit

Circuit :: OnTheJob Standards

Thickness & Blunt Trauma

Covert bullet proof vests are always designed as soft body armour.

They do not feature hard trauma plates made out of polyethylene, ceramic or steel. Depending on their protection levels they can offer excellent protection from anything between 22mm, 9mm, 357Mag, 44Mag, 45 Mag and other ammunition.

In order to be concealable, a body armour needs to be as thin as possible. Now this is not as easy as we all would like it to be. The reason behind it is the extremely dangerous risk of blunt trauma injuries. All modern materials being used to manufacture bullet proof vests make it literately impossible for a bullet to penetrate. The much higher risk is the risk of blunt trauma injuries. The thinner the body armour, the more attention must be paid to protecting the wearer from such injury. I am sure you don’t want to see your body armour stop the bullet… but die later from internal bleeding.

Many countries around the world have their own ballistic protection standard. Here in the UK we have the UK Home Office (HOSDB) offering different levels of handgun protection standards (HG). In Germany you have the Schutzklasse (SK) and in the US you have the widely known National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard. The NIJ standard is recognised and respected all over the world, in comparison to the British and German standards, which are more dominant within homeland security services in their country or region.

So, looking at the most recognised standard, what would be the best possible protection level you should be looking for? Well, there are a number of NIJ ballistic protection levels available, which are NIJ IIA, NIJ Level II and NIJ Level IIIA (the highest level for soft body armour).

So, how thick should a soft armour be? Modern soft body armour can be less than 10mm thick. In fact, some covert high performance body armour are as thin as 6 or 7mm and with the assistance and backing of specially designed trauma liner they still outperform the almost old fashioned Kevlar® based body armour, which used to be heavy, bulky and thick.

Materials Apart from Kevlar® there are now many ‘new kids on the block’. Many high tech and high performance materials have been developed over the past very few years. Teijin Aramid’s Twaron®, DuPont’s Goldflex®, Honeywell’s Spectra Shield® and especially DSM’s Dyneem® SB51 have taken body armour into a different world.

Weight, thickness, blunt trauma, flexibility and comfort are just a few of the important factors which have been improved in order to protect those who serve more effectively.

Due to major advancements within ballistic protection materials and the subsequent weight reduction I strongly recommend NIJ Level IIIA, which offers you protection from the majority of handguns. High velocity 9mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) and 44 Magnum ammunition is being used to test and certify such body armour to start with. This will subsequently guarantee protection from any less powerful handgun. Only a very few covert bullet proof vests have taken protection even to another level and offer additional protection from Tokarev Ball 7.62 x 25mm and Makarov 9 x 18mm, which is of great benefit when being operational in Eastern European countries.

Comfort

Weight As previously mentioned, body armour technology, manufacturing capabilities and body armour design have evolved a lot over the past years. Body armour worn by the police and other enforcement agencies here in the UK and in many other countries still weigh often in excess of 5kg or even 6kg. This is totally unnecessary, and it is a well documented fact that such weight will lead to stress, fatigue and subsequently lead to potentially fatal human errors.

Many body armour manufacturers are now capable of manufacturing and supplying body armour less than half of the above weight, leading to a noticeable reduction and stress and fatigue.

What can we class as a ‘good weight’ or what could be classed as a lightweight body armour? I strongly feel that a covert bullet proof vest should not weigh any more than 2kg in today’s day and age.

Manufacturers have been competing hard in order to develop the lightest body armour in the world. They have pushed each other to completely new levels, hence soft body armour weighing around 1.5kg are now on the market, offering extraordinary ballistic protection, according to the NIJ Level IIIA standard.

The question is by how much.

Comfort is about how you feel when you wear your covert body armour.

Weight, thickness and flexibility are three of the many aspects, which you should carefully consider when purchasing your body armour.

Another rather important aspect is heat. Please let me assure you that wearing any body armour will always make you sweat more.

If your Principal or contract takes you to a Middle Eastern country, South America or South Africa, then you have to accept the fact that you will be operating at times in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Please note that the latest high performance body armour will include special fabrics which should take care of body heat management issues and effectively reduce the amount of sweating. Space technology such as Outlast® might only be used by only the very best body armour manufacturer, but it is there to help you cope and remain focussed at all times.

Robert Kaiser is CEO of PPSS Group Web: www.ppss-group.com

Circuit : : 17

Circuit :: OnTheJob

MEDICAL TRAINING Instinctive.. shooting, unarmed defensive tactics, evasive driving.. whatever. In a sudden and urgent situation there may be no time to stop and ponder what needs to be done, no time to think through conflict management models. Action must be simple, effective and above all, instinctive.

I spent fifteen years in the police as a close

by |

GLYN COLLINS

protection officer and instructor. We spent a lot of time on instinctive shooting and all the various tactics that can be brought to bear to keep the Principal safe.

The ability to deal with a sudden and potentially fatal injury, to deliver ‘care under fire’ to a colleague or Principal was something that came second and, across the UK, varied hugely from force to force.

18 : : Circuit

O

ften it was little more than bundling the Principal into a vehicle and stamping on the accelerator. The recently introduced National Police Firearms Training Curriculum has significantly sorted that out with compulsory levels of training for all firearms officers, but the question of where to get the training from, largely remains.

Circuit :: OnTheJob It was often difficult to obtain good and effective medical training from clinically current, competent and experienced instructors who really knew what they were talking about and who had an understanding of the environment that we worked in.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

In my force we hooked up with the lead consultant clinician of a main Accident and Emergency Unit, who also trained and worked with a major mountain rescue team.

She knew her business, was at the top of her profession and also understood the need to be able to do things quickly and effectively and get out of the situation fast.

In the world of close protection, a location can go from benign to hostile in a second. The friendly waving crowd can become an angry mob. The nice man offering a handshake is actually holding a weapon. Injuries can be sustained and there may be no chance of being able to deal with them on the spot. The mission continues, the urgency and the stakes get higher. Now is the time for good medical training to kick in.

Good CP operatives will, of course, take great pride in their ability in core skills needed for the job and a good employer will know what to look for in the people it hires. The skills must include good first aid.

When choosing where to go for training, consideration should be given to what is to be taught and how it is taught. There are many training providers out there, and a few have gained a well-deserved reputation on the circuit for delivering good first aid that is aimed at the CP operative and the threats they face. It is a world away from the standard ‘first aid at work’ training that is fine for office workers in a town in a first-world country.

Good training will focus on ‘basic things done well will save lives’. Techniques should be easy to learn, easy to remember and easy to do in the heat of the moment and, in the grim reality of remote situations where there is no ambulance going to turn up in eight minutes, they should be proven to work.

Keeping it simple and easy to remember means using the protocol of cABCDE; dealing with the things that kill a casualty quickest, first;

c - catastrophic bleeding A - airway

In order to satisfy the requirements of accrediting bodies, such as the Health and Safety Executive and the Institute of Health and Care Development, there has to be a certain amount of classroom learning and written knowledge assessments. Also there will be the need to include some subjects that may not appear to be particularly relevant to the CP operative. However, a good course will involve a lot of hands on, practical learning, developing muscle memory, habit and a consistent approach that will achieve the best results for the casualty quickly.

A good first aider will be able to be effective either on their own, or as part of a team.

Training should develop both.

So, what should a good training course have?

There a number of key elements that the best providers deliver;

D – disability/ head injury

• Clinically experienced and current instructors, with a thorough knowledge of their subject. The higher they are qualified e.g. paramedic or even doctor, the better.

E - exposure and environment

• A practical course, developed with

B - breathing C - circulation

the benefit of operational medical experience and expertise.

• A good student to instructor ratio.

• A course that teaches simple and effective techniques that can be taught, remembered and used.

• Provision of simple and effective equipment that operatives can learn to use and that can be readily sourced • Accreditation by the right governing bodies to gain the certification needed by employers (and / or, in the UK, the SIA).

Above all, the training should mean that for the operative, delivering immediate medical care in a hostile environment, it all comes together when it’s needed... Instinctive.

Glyn Collins is Prometheus’ Training Coordinator for all of their medical training, including the VIPER and STORM courses.

Tel: +44 (0) 1568 613942 www.prometheusmed.com

Circuit : : 19

Circuit :: OnTheJob

PREPARING

THE TOOL by |

MARK “SIX” JAMES

One Hand Operation Mark “Six” James is Founder and Executive Director of Panther Protection Services, LLC. www.pantherprotectionservices.com.

J

oe Louis and Mike Tyson both said everybody has a fight plan until they get hit. While we would love to think because of our superior training we will never be injured during an encounter, there is always the possibility Murphy’s Law pays us a visit on that day. For those who are veterans of multiple encounters, the reality is there is a good chance we may be injured or at minimum be forced to use our other (reaction) hand for other activities such as moving your client out of harm’s way; carrying something or someone, or you may be forced to cover an intruder with one hand as you dial the police with the other one.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Preparing to Prevail (Getting the Tool Ready) The more you train the more you realize there is no such thing as advance shooting or weapons handling, there is only advanced application of the basics or doing the basics on demand. While advanced shooters typically can do the basics on demand, they are traditionally students of their craft and often find ways to make the process more efficient, and when possible minimize equipment error.

A 90 degree rear sight like the Trijicon sights in figure 1 (preferably metal) versus a slope rear sight makes one hand slide manipulation easier when racking the slide off a hard or firm edge.

Top of the Slide trimmed with outdoor tread (skateboard or step) tape - figure 2 - serves as an alternative to traditional rear sight racking of the slide against a hard edge during one

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

hand weapon manipulation as the outdoor tread tape will grip most materials (I have racked it off my pants, torso as well as my shirt sleeve). It also works effectively in two hand weapons handling for gripping the slide over the top.

Stippling - figure 3 - may be done with a soldering iron or textured with trimmed outdoor tread tape to help minimize slipping particularly when under stress or working in high humidity, rain or other inclement weather situations.

Mag Well Cut Out - figure 4 - cutting away a small portion of the front of the mag well helps better expose the lip of the magazine and makes one hand Type 3 Malfunction clearing easier. Mag well cut out should be done by a professional gunsmith or for the technically inclined it may also be achieved with a rotary tool or hot blade. If you have decided to do it yourself, remove small amounts at a time until you get to your desired trim height. Cutting away a small portion of both sides of the mag well helps better expose the lip of the magazine.

Bottom of the Trigger Guard - figure 5 treatment may be done with stippling or outdoor tread tape. Helps minimize weapon slippage and helps to establish a consistent grip.

Fig. 5

Circuit : : 21

Circuit :: BooKlub Here at The Circuit, we know that despite your image, you guys like nothing more than curling up with a good book.....

This months reviews:

become a more comfortable and confident professional thereby allowing them to successfully grow their business.

The book title, although succinct and to the point, doesn’t really do it justice. The Networking Survival Guide is so much more than a book. I found it to be an invaluable learning resource and if the techniques are learnt, practiced and used correctly they will enable anyone to become a more efficient and successful networker.

The book is written in a practical and down to earth style and is an easy to read guide and learning-aid to attracting more business via networking. By means of a systematic approach which he calls ‘APPEAL’, Richard assists the reader to work out exactly who their client-base really is and at the same time provides the tools to enable anyone to form a long-term and successful relationship with them. I am convinced that the time set aside to read The Networking Survival Guide and applying its principles will be time and effort well spent and will be repaid many times over.

So many people experiment with business networking these days and struggle to make it work for their business. Having read this book I am convinced that it will help anyone make the difference. A highly recommended business publication and one of the best business books I have ever read.

by: Richard White

Review by Ian Harm

N

etworking is an extremely effective method of building a business but it seems, despite all those breakfasts eaten and those hundreds of business cards handed out, not everyone finds success with it. So, why does business networking prove to be so unfruitful for so many people no matter how hard they work at it? Is business networking an art that only the gifted few can perfect or can anyone learn how to network effectively?

22 : : Circuit

his is the first of two factual paperback books which I have read from this author and I have to say I found it almost impossible to put them down.

If, like me, your military experience did not include specialist EOD operations, you will be taken on an exciting and intriguing journey into the world of operators tackling life threatening devices in the widest of settings and situations on a daily basis.

Originally published in 2007, this book concentrates on Chris Hunter’s service in Iraq during 2004 as the leader of a dedicated specialist EOD team living and working in the harshest of conditions.

The team pit themselves on a daily basis against insurgents determined to end their lives. Chris himself operated for several months under a personal death threat with a price on his head.

Chris writes passionately - as an expert with unparalleled experience - about the things most important in his life.

Starting from enlisted service to become a top level EOD operator, he recounts fully his attempts to temper his duty with the often conflicting demands of marriage and family life – a situation many on the circuit will identify with. His vivid and gripping accounts of regularly tackling IED’s in Iraq place the reader squarely with his team in temperatures regularly exceeding 50 degrees, whilst a mostly invisible enemy engage them with all the weapons at their disposal.

This is a true account of ordinary men facing and overcoming adversity in the harshest of conditions, with no emotion left uncovered.

The vivid descriptions of operating procedures and ‘actions on’ provide a unique insight into the considerations and dangers of dealing with explosive devices which will benefit many in protective security, be they military or civilian. There is an extremely useful glossary of terms and abbreviations at the end of the book, and I recommend this as essential reading for experts and laymen alike.

The Accidental Salesman Networking Survival Guide

Richard White, The Accidental Salesman, with his book entitled, ‘The Networking Survival Guide’ shares his tried and tested techniques and strategies to make it possible for even the most hesitant and sceptical networker to

T

In his second book - Extreme Risk – Chris gives us a broader account of his background training, service, and life in other theatres of operations including Northern Ireland. His experience also includes HE private protection in Helmand Province, Afghanistan after he left the army.

Eight Lives Down by: Chris Hunter

Review by Tony Ansell

If you’ve read a book you think others would enjoy, share it and send us a review: books@circuit-magazine.com

Circuit :: BooKlub

Author Interview Jon Moss talks to

Luke Duffy author of

Running the Gauntlet

L

uke Duffy is a former Paratrooper, and present day contractor on the circuit in Iraq. He is the newly published author of ‘Running the Gauntlet – The Private War in Iraq’, the book which recounts his transition from British Armed Forces to Private Security Contractor and his experiences during the bloodiest periods of the post Iraq invasion. Jon Moss caught up with him recently to discuss the book, his experiences of writing it and getting it published and why it was so important for him to tell his story.

Prologue – ‘The Gold Rush’

In 2003

Coalition Forces led by America and Great Britain invaded Iraq. In the immediate aftermath the country was left lawless and in turmoil. The army had disintegrated and the police force was none existent. Much of the once powerful nation’s infrastructure was smashed and destroyed while the rest of the country, after years of crippling sanctions, had fallen into disrepair.

Western construction companies moved in to begin the rebuilding of Iraq and all the while, the insurgency campaign gained momentum. Kidnapping and attacks on Westerners were becoming more frequent and adventurous, both in scale and daring. The death toll was rising.

Many professional soldiers, from all over the world, realised that a lot of money could be made on the ever growing second front of the Iraq war. They left in their droves to join the ‘Gold Rush’.

Soon, these privately funded soldiers found themselves caught in savage, brutal attacks and gun battles in the streets of Iraq on a daily basis. ‘Running the Gauntlet: The Private War in Iraq’ is the no punches pulled true account of one man’s experiences of the anarchy that reigned after the fall of Saddam.

23 : : Circuit

Circuit :: BooKlub Luke, much has been written about the war in Iraq, what does ‘Running the Gauntlet’ offer the reader that they may not have read or experienced before?

I have included the action and the details of many incident’s; such as shoot outs and road side bombs but I would like to think that I’ve offered the reader something deeper, an insight into the life of the men who work on the Private Security Circuit.

insurgents, the men and women working the circuit, are also human.

We all have families; we all have lives outside of Iraq. We love, laugh and grieve just like normal people, we are very far from being the superhuman style Terminators that certain movies and some books would have the public believe.

The book depicts of the sheer brutality of men placed in extraordinary situations and under extreme tensions, with this in mind, how would you describe the theme and emotion of it?

It’s certainly a very personal account, wrote through your eyes but one of the things I found most refreshing about it was your brutal honesty, I have written from my point of view and how I saw and experienced things on the ground in order whether it be about the to give a true personal account. motivation of PSC’s, your own There are a lot of funny moments, shortcomings as a person or written with typical British the truth about what goes on behind closed doors in squaddie humour. There are many Iraq. What was your main pages of action, tension, sadness motivation for wanting to tell and loss and some controversial Too many times I have read articles this story and in this manner? moments too. Reports in the media about events that I was personally and books, or watched news reports Too many times I have involved in which have either been read articles and books, or falsified, embellished or simply and documentaries, portraying watched news reports and blown out of all proportion. I have documentaries, portraying strived to recreate the atmosphere the men in my line of work as the men in my line of work and mood of these events in as as ‘mercenaries’ or ‘private much accuracy as possible. ‘mercenaries’ or ‘private militia’ militia’. Maybe to an extent we are, but who wouldn’t The ‘Squaddie humour’ is very want a job where they get evident throughout the book and paid good money, doing what creates a strong basis from which they know best? Apart from everything else is built upon. Was running around and fighting that a deliberate tactic; making it

24 : : Circuit

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Circuit :: BooKlub easier to address otherwise savage and terrifying situations?

The British soldier has always been well known for his dark humour, especially in times of hardship. On the Private Security Circuit, the same dark humour exists due to the fact that a great many of us are ex soldiers and still facing the same hardships.

A soldier has to deal with events and situations that an ordinary civilian wouldn’t be able to cope with and the humour helps us through it. Some people may see our light hearted reactions to serious situations as callous or fake bravado but it’s just how we deal with traumatic events in order for us to continue to function in an environment like Iraq.

Writing the book with humour came naturally to me. I wanted the reader to imagine that I was sitting by their side and telling them my story, so it was important for me to write as I saw things and dealt with them. Humour is an integral part of my personality, so I needed to express it.

At what point did you consider writing a book? Was there a defining moment that made you think, I need to tell this story?

It was after Liam was killed. I had thought about writing my story before that, but Liam’s death was the defining moment that gave me the push that I needed. I began to consider my own mortality and the thought of not having my story on paper, even if it went unpublished, was almost as though my memories and experiences would fade with me should the worst happen. I have always believed it is not so much death that men fear, but oblivion.

So, just how difficult is the process of getting from an idea to seeing the printed and published hard copy of your book on the shelves?

Finding a publisher was hard. Once I had finished my manuscript I began sending out letters and samples to publishing companies and agents. It seemed that no one was interested and I began to lose heart in the whole thing. It is just one of those things that you have to keeping plugging away at.

After finding a publisher that agreed to take the book on, the process was pretty quick. The manuscript was submitted and the majority was done via email and conference calls where we discussed the layout and the overall edit and look of the book.

Before the book was put in to full print and made available for retail, I was sent the final hard and electronic proof copy to approve.

That must have been a special moment, how did it make you feel seeing it on bookshelves?

It was a great feeling to finally have the hard copy in my hands and see my words in print. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

I was beginning to think it would never be published and that the manuscript would just become a family heirloom passed on through generations. To finally see it though, actually published, was a very proud moment in my life.

What has been the reaction from family, friends and colleagues in terms of support for the project?

I couldn’t ask for better. My family and friends have been very supportive and have encouraged me through the whole process.

So, what next? Do you see any more books on the horizon or was this simply a story that you had to tell?

I love reading and I’ve developed a greater love for writing. I plan to make this my career and I have already finished my second book, with a third and fourth on the horizon. I’ve never been short on imagination and as long as I can think up stories to tell, I’ll continue to write.

Running the Gauntlet was a story that I needed to tell, but my next three books are a different genre which I hope that people will enjoy reading just as much.

of being ‘high profile’, a period where you were subject to regular IED attacks and gun battles, what effect does this have on the team morale and its dynamics?

During that time roadside bombs and gun battles were regular; rocket and mortar attacks on the bases in which we lived were like clockwork. Being high profile meant we could operate more aggressively but it also made us more of a target to the insurgents, we just couldn’t help but draw fire.

The team itself was a mix match bunch of guys with strong characters.

Some were old hands in the circuit and others were fresh faced and enjoying a new life style. The events and antics that I have written about would bring a wry smile and nod of acknowledgement to most in this line of work.

Luke, you’ve spoken very honestly about the stresses of the job and the strain that it has put on your personal life. Why did you decide to give the reader such an intimate insight?

I have deliberately laid bare my personal life within the pages of the book; I did this in the hope of giving the reader a more personal point of view of my story, rather than seeing me as just another mercenary.

I think it adds a very personal touch to the book. One chapter in particular which is high in emotion is where you recount the loss of your best friend, Liam, to whom the book is dedicated. Liam’s death hit you hard and you share with us the emotional scars that have been left behind. How did this affect you?

Emotionally I was a wreck, and I’ve not been ashamed to put this into writing but on the outside, I rebelled and developed a self destructive nature for a while. I found myself getting into fights over the slightest discrepancy and I began to alienate myself from the people who matter the most. At the time, it was the only way that I could deal with my grief.

I’m certain there will be people reading this for which your story really resonates; there may be some who also feel like they have a story waiting to be told. If you could offer one piece of advice to anyone considering publishing their own book, what would that be?

Write it! And don’t let the red tape of the publishing industry put you off. Many publishing companies and agents seem to be more wrapped up in formats and font sizes rather than the actual story. In the age of the internet it has become easier for people to write and consequently most publishers and agents have become snowed under with submissions, but don’t let that deter you. If you have a story worth telling, then fight through!

Luke, on behalf of all the readers of the Circuit Magazine I want to thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and we wish you lots of success with the book.

You can buy ‘Running the Gauntlet: The private War in Iraq’ by Luke Duffy from all good book stores and online. In addition, it is now available for download as an ebook from Amazon.

RRP –Paperback: £13.99/$21.93 or ebook £6.58/$10.81.

Facebook: “Running the Gauntlet” by Luke Duffy

Going back to the book, I wanted to ask you about your experiences

Circuit : : 25

Circuit :: ShopTalk

TRAINING

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT

“

Training is a familiar concept and one that should be embraced by everyone. However, the value of training is often underestimated. I would like to outline some of the real benefits of training in the hope of inspiring and encouraging more people to actively engage with the concept

“

by |

AMY BURRELL

Good quality training is integral to business success.

The commercial world is constantly evolving and businesses need to keep up to date with new developments to survive, particularly in the current economic climate. Traditionally, training is often associated with learning systems and processes (e.g. induction training) or how to implement a new piece of technology (e.g. instructions for how to use equipment). However, training should extend much further, not only boosting knowledge and skills, but also teaching people how to apply their knowledge and skills effectively in the workplace.

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any businesses already recognise that investing in training has a positive impact on improving staff knowledge and skills. However, some are less aware that good quality training has much wider reaching benefits than teaching core skills or ensuring compliance with mandatory training requirements. Providing good quality training for employees demonstrates that staff are valued by the business and is instrumental in boosting staff morale as well as the bottom line. It is not surprising therefore that research by Cranfield University found training improves staff retention rates (thus reducing recruitment spend and expertise loss) and staff motivation. The added advantage of investing in training for existing company employees is that they will already be familiar with the company culture, the company mission and vision, and company goals. They will therefore be more likely to identify how, what they learn in training, can be applied in the workplace.

There are, of course, a wide range of benefits

Circuit :: ShopTalk for the individual attending a training course, including gaining a new skill or qualification, refreshing knowledge, and keeping in touch with new developments in the field.

However, the benefits also extend to include improved self esteem, motivation, and confidence. Perpetuity Training strongly believes in lifelong learning and argues that everyone (ourselves included!) should strive to improve their knowledge and skills. Learning through experience is beneficial; however, there is also an obvious place for training in supporting the achievement of lifelong learning goals.

Common barriers to training

Unfortunately, many people have had negative training experiences, typically where training has been poorly planned (e.g. with inappropriate or inadequate learning objectives) and/ or delivered by an inexperienced, unqualified, and/or unprofessional trainer. This can lead to feelings of resistance (“I don’t really want to go on this course but my manager is making me”), ambivalence (“It’s just routine training, it doesn’t really matter”), or just seeing training as an excuse to be out of the office (“Excellent. A training course, I’ll get to go home early every day this week”). These negative attitudes to training clearly limit its potential.

How do we break down the barriers to training?

Everyone should be seeking to continually improve their knowledge and skills, and so it is important to tackle anything that acts as a barrier to training. From a company perspective it is important to develop a training programme that is clearly linked to the training needs of staff, and in line with the company’s aims and objectives. This will help to ensure staff will acquire skills and knowledge that are relevant to the workplace. Clearly communicating the benefits and goals of training are key to ensuring staff buy-in to the training and arrive at training courses with enthusiasm and an open mind.

It is important to implement a well planned training programme and ensure this is delivered by an experienced trainer. This will help to ensure that goals are met. Furthermore, a good trainer will recognise under confidence or nervousness in learners and adapt the pace and style of delivery accordingly, thereby ensuring all learners have a positive learning experience.

Accessing training

Many people can access training through an employer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme. CPD schemes are designed to ensure employees have access to adequate training to maintain, improve, and broaden their knowledge and skills, and develop the personal qualities required in their professional lives. A well implemented CPD scheme will work with employees to identify training needs and provide sufficient opportunities to attend relevant training programmes. Similarly, some businesses use Personal Development Plans (PDP) to help staff identify goals and the steps they need to take to reach these goals, and training can

play a major role in supporting staff to achieve their PDP goals. However, engaging in a CPD scheme or having a formal PDP are not the only ways to access good quality training.

article has whetted a few appetites for training.

Amy Burrell is a Training Consultant with Perpetuity Training who offer a range of short courses, including Level 4 professional awards in Managing Security Surveys, and Individuals can seek training for themselves based on their personal goals and targets.

Security Management. All of their short There is a multitude of training programmes, courses can be adapted to meet the needs covering a range of diverse topics, available of individual businesses and delivered as through colleges, universities, and training an in-house training course. They also offer companies. In fact, there are now more options bespoke training services. Perpetuity Trainthan ever to learn, particularly with the advent ing is proud to be associated with the Secuof the internet providing a range of distance rity Institute (SyI) and to be the provider of learning options. Furthermore, part time the Institutes two membership qualificacourses are now more widely available allowing tions - the Certificate in Security Manageindividuals to fit learning in around their existment (Level 3 Advanced Certificate) and the ing commitments.

Diploma in Security Management (Level 5 In summary, everyone should seek to be a Professional Diploma). lifelong learner and set themselves goals to For more information log-on to http://www. improve their skills and knowledge, and to learn how to apply these in a real world setting. perpetuitytraining.com Contact us on 0116 222 5550 or email Training is integral to ongoing personal and training@perpetuitygroup.com professional development, and hopefully this

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Circuit : : 27

Circuit :: ShopTalk

TWO DIFFER Through my experience in the Executive Protection industry, I have tried many times to understand what our Principals are thinking and what goes on in their heads.

Their minds tick in a very strange way and the truth is, no matter how hard we try we will never be able to understand things the way our Principals see them, we are basically in 2 different worlds and their world is lightyears away from our world as Executive Protection officers.

by |

YONI C.

Some see their EP Agents as security paranoid freaks, whilst they think that in their “ideal world” they will never be victims.

Our job is to protect high profile individuals from any sort of harm; our mind is constantly working hard to find solutions to make our Principals safer and to build a “bubble” around them whilst they go about their day-to-day activities and usual business and meetings.

It is very rare to come across a Principal that will be on the same wavelength as his EP Agent and who will listen to his agent regarding security issues. It is simply a matter of 2 different worlds and although the Agent can advise his Principal and write reports on current threats and changes that need to be made, the final word and decision will always come from the Principal.

Vulnerability over time There are various reasons why our Principals may become vulnerable and through time the people we protect may become over confident, they think nothing can happen to them, they forget what and who they are and that they may be somebody’s target, they go to the best restaurants and hotels, high profile events and meetings, they stay in their circle of friends and associates who are in the same world as them, they become detached from the real world.

The Executive Protection Agent can become an “accessory” in the eyes of his Principal over time; and his boss may not always see what goes on behind the scenes.

The EP Agent gets up before his Principal and checks the schedule for the day, he consults and meets with all the staff and drivers to make sure everybody is on the same wavelength and has the same information, he checks the cars and gets the driver/s ready, he makes sure all the equipment needed is in the car (First Aid Kit, Weapons etc.).

If he has time he carries out an advance/reconnaissance of the location that his boss is going to for a meeting, he makes phone calls regarding the schedule for the day and may be tasked to book hotels and restaurants, he plans routes and itineraries, he makes sure the Principal has his daily paper and water in his car everyday on the way to work, the EP agent now stands for most of the day outside meeting rooms. The attitude and behavior of the EP Agent at work may well determine the final outcome and fate of his Principal.*

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Circuit :: ShopTalk

ENT WORLDS After the day’s work once the Principal has gone to bed, the Agent is already thinking about tomorrow and how to make the Principal’s life safer and smoother.

He now checks all the doors and windows are locked, that the Security guard is in place, he then goes to his room and checks and cleans his equipment, he prepares his clothes and irons his shirt for the next day.

Another day starts tomorrow…That was a very basic and simple example of some of the things that an EP agent does every day, many of the people we protect have busy and stressful lives, not many will pay attention to details and not many know what goes on behind the scenes, they think nobody wants to harm them and that they are safe, nothing has happened in the past 5 years so they must be safe, right?

Wrong, that is what they tell themselves and what they think, but the real reason is that they have been safe because actually the EP Agent has been highly professional and been exemplary during all those years.

Hostile Planning Cycle A group of criminals planning on attacking the Principal will be going through the Hostile Planning Cycle and during Phase 2 of initial surveillance of the target, they will determine during this phase if the target is a soft or hard target, and if the Agent is professional and has his wits about him, the outcome may be that the criminals go back to Phase 1 and choose another target that will be easier to hit successfully.

Over-confidence and loss of reality over time At this stage the Principal starts to become over-confident, he goes out more and more often without his Agent, he gives him more holiday time, he now uses his Agent to pick up guests at the airport, he sends him to buy cigarettes and uses him as a handy man, the Agent is not needed anymore and the Principal spends most of his time out of the house without his Agent.

The Principal made more money through the years and is now the CEO of 2 different companies; the criminals targeting him for the past few months did not miss the fact that he is now often driving alone in his car without his EP agent.

The Principal feels that he is safe behind glass and at the wheel of his powerful car, but glass unfortunately does not stop bullets and a car is never and has never been a safe place to hide, once the criminals have immobilized the car, the Principal will quickly be extracted and kidnapped.

The CEO’s and HNW individuals we protect also have families and children; they often tend to forget that their family will also be targeted.

In the Principal’s mind and because the Principal feels nothing can happen to him, why should his son or daughter benefit from any form of protection?

The number of CEO’s without an EP Agent or Team is high, some have never wanted protection and will carry on that way until they get hit or until their families get hit.

The look on their faces when their family or when they get kidnapped is a look of complete shock and surprise. “How can this be happening to me?”

Circuit : : 29

Circuit :: ShopTalk The Human nature factor Human nature is such that most human beings think, “It won’t happen to me”. I suggest readers take a look at this report and study: THE CONTROLLABILITY OF NEGATIVE LIFE EXPERIENCES MEDIATES UNREALISTIC OPTIMISM http://www.stthomasu.ca/~nhiggins/HSP-97. pdf Recent cases to study involving the families of High Profile CEO’s As stated above in this article, the only way in which we can stop CEO’s and celebrities from being victimized is by providing a professional EP service, precise and concise Security and Threat assessments.

Many executives feel safe in their car or at home in their own country, for example in the US many executives only want EP Agents when they travel as there is no threat in the US and this has never been more untrue at this point in time.

Kaspersky Kidnapping This is a case that amazes me and is a case that everyone should study as the group that carried out the operation were in no way professionals and gathered all their intelligence from Internet Open Source.

How can these things happen at this sort of level? Even if it was not deemed necessary to provide the Kaspersky son with protection, why was he not included in the threat and security assessments?

Why didn’t anyone working for Evegeny Kaspersky research his son on the Internet and warn off the family that creating profiles on open source social networking sites was very dangerous and that the fact that the son was exposing himself was putting him at risk.

Stavsky Kidnapping I chose this second case because it poses a close resemblance to the Kaspersky Kidnapping.

The son of the vice president of Russian oil giant Rosneft was freed in the early hours of Thursday (18/06/2009), some three months after being kidnapped in Moscow, a senior investigator said.

Mikhail Stavsky’s son, who is also named Mikhail Stavsky, is reported to have been forced into a BMW on April 13th 2009 outside the Russian State Oil and Gas Institute Mikhail Stavsky Jr. did not have any EP agents. http://rt.com/news/the-son-of-rosneft-vice-president-kidnapped-for-weeks/

Teslyuk Kidnapping (Still Missing to this day)

Ivan Kaspersky, son of Evgeny Kaspersky was declared missing on the 19th of April 2011.

The Moscow region law enforcement agencies have been searching for several days for the 16-year-old daughter of one of the top managers of the Lukoil oil company.

Ivan Kaspersky’s parents, Evgeny and Natalya Kaspersky, co-founded global computer software security company Kaspersky Labs in 1997.

The 16-year-old Victoria Teslyuk disappeared on Saturday, March 26, and her whereabouts is still unknown.

Russian Software Tycoon Profile

The father of the missing girl – Robert Teslyuk, 49, – is the CEO of Lukoil Overseas, Kazakhstan, based in Egypt.

“Evgeny Kaspersky is considered to be one of the wealthiest men in Russia and was recently ranked just outside the Forbes’ 100 rich-list in that country”.

Evgeny Kaspersky’s business is a rare story of Russian global business success outside the energy sector. The Forbes magazine estimates his fortune at $800 million.

Details of the Kidnapping Five suspects, three of whom proved to be members of one family – an elderly couple and their 30-year old son, aided by two younger friends, snatched the young man. A 61-year-old Muscovite, who has a history of past convictions, and his 64-year-old wife allegedly committed the crime in an attempt to pay off loans, an unnamed source in the Moscow police told Interfax.

Victoria Teslyuk did not have any EP agents. http://www.newsbcm. com/doc/718

Gupta Kidnapping NEW DELHI: The three-year-old son of Naresh Gupta, CEO of Adobe India, was kidnapped from outside his NOIDA house on Monday morning. Was kidnapped in broad daylight and had no EP agents. http:// www.dnaindia.com/india/report_3-yr-old-son-of-adobe-indias-ceokidnapped_1063768

Boegerl Kidnapping

The kidnappers gathered the necessary information about the younger Kaspersky from the Internet. Among other things, they found out that he studied at an ordinary Moscow university and had no bodyguards.

Maria Boegerl, the kidnapped wife of Thomas Boegerl, CEO of the bank Kreissparkasse Heidenheim, was found dead in woodlands near her family home in southern Germany, police said at a televised press conference. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-04/kidnappedwife-of-kreissparkasse-heidenheim-bank-ceo-found-dead-in-woods. html

“While preparing for their crime, the detainees established where Ivan Kaspersky worked and snatched him not far from his office in one of Moscow’s industrial areas,”Interfax quoted the source as saying.

There are many more kidnappings that have happened and not been made public, the above cases are just a few that were selected and if research is carried out many more will show up.

The kidnappers made Ivan get into their car and put a woollen hat over his head, so that his eyes were completely covered. After having sufficiently covered their tracks, the suspects brought the young man to their safe house in the Moscow Region, locked him in a bathhouse and demanded he call his parents for a ransom.

What must be remembered is that if a CEO or his children are hard targets, it may fall back on the Agent or his own family, even PA’s have been kidnapped.

It is actually amazing that one of the world’s top fortunes had not thought of hiring Executive Protection Agents for his son.

We are talking about a “security minded” man that works in computer security, a man who has close ties with the FSB and many friends in the agency and who knows all too well that in Russia, kidnappings are not very rare.

“According to Life News, Ivan Kaspersky maintained a social networking profile that may have revealed his contact information.”

30 : : Circuit

India CEO’s PA kidnapped: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/police-rescue-paof-noida-ceo-kill-kidnappers/103236-3.html

Conclusion In the present day and age, all individuals with money and power need protection for themselves and their families and they need to be told and shown what can happen to them, many of them are very naïve or stubborn, until they get hit. “Everyone has a plan until they get hit” Yoni is a Executive Protection Specialist and possesses over 10 years Close Protection experience across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Circuit :: Feature

Working Girl I was sitting in a side road watching an address in London for a few days when suddenly I heard the sound of breaking glass, I called up the other surveillance team members to ask if they had heard it, yes yes came the reply over the radio.

I then saw a group of lads dressed in hoodies with their faces covered running across the top of the road, a quick news Google told me a riot had started close to where my team and I were staked out.

by |

JACQUIE DAVIS

A

quick call to the client explaining the situation and we decided to move from the area. We had a few other addresses to look at in other parts of London so we set off. We moved across London watching as riot police vans hurried past us with blue lights and horns blaring. What the hell was going on I thought, desperately re-tuning the in-car radio to a local London station.

No matter where we drove we saw groups of youths congregating on street corners, most with the same clothing of hoods pulled up around there heads and covering their faces, the air was electric. We soon discovered, no matter where we tried to go the riots were taking hold - let’s go via Ealing I said on the radio, it’s my old ground and I know the back roads to the north circular road.

Ealing, being one of those leafy quiet suburbs of London, where a lot of surveillance is done on bankers and insurance personal who live there but work in the city. Then the texts started coming in from old colleagues, Tottenham has gone up, Croydon is on fire and Ealing is a riot.

Hells bells Ealing having a riot, what the hell is going on.

The team and I finally managed to extract ourselves from rioting areas but not before taxi drivers pulling up next to me at the lights

were saying,’don’t go down that road they’re hurling petrol bombs at the passing cars’.

Thank you Black cab drivers for the warnings.

So my surveillance was on hold for a few days whilst mindless thugs ran our streets, ruined lively hoods and looted to their hearts content. Bring back national service and make these idiots do some good and get some discipline.

I was tempted to call them lazy and work shy, but having seen the first twelve rioters come out of court and reported they all had jobs; school teacher, estate agent, care worker etc.

So the old we want a job excuse didn’t wash.

I also received phone calls from young uniformed guards who I had worked with over the years, ringing me for advice as their own company managers were not answering phones to them. I advised as best I could, change into civvies and turn lights off where you can, that way you are not a beacon in the dark and any uniform is a target.

For any of you out there that had to work during the riots, well done!

Having finished the surveillance I set off for sunny Devon on a CP job, clean air, nice hotel, Devon cream teas and moody Principals, oh well we can’t have it all.

Jacquie Davis is Director of Protective Services at Optimal Risk. www.optimalrisk.com

Until next time stay safe

Circuit : : 31

Circuit :: ShopTalk

The Sunderland Fallen

Remembered The memorial wall in Sunderland has been the inspiration of Tom & Carla Cuthbertson who’s Son Nathan was killed in Afghanistan whilst serving with 2 Para in 2008. 2 of Nathan’s good mates, David Murray and Dan Gamble were also killed during this tour. Cenotaphs generally have the 1st and 2nd WW on them but nothing post that date and the Cuthbertson’s thought that a fitting memorial needed to be built.

Arms, a sentiment that Nathan, David by | NICK MCCARTHY and Dan expressed for each other.

The charity has managed to raise over Why Sunderland? Well, Sunderland £130.000 to enable the wall to be erected is known to hold one of the biggest with many of the donations coming parades outside of London so this made from the good people of Sunderland, it a logical choice and will also give the local businesses and even total strangers ‘Northerners’ somewhere to go to rather which shows just how proud people are than trekking down to the Capitol each of what our sons and daughters have sacrificed. year.

The wall will be opened on the 11th of the Funds have been raised for the wall 11th 2011 at 11.00 am through a Charity called Brothers in

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32 : : Circuit

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Circuit :: Feature

LISTEN UP POD u PICKERS, IT S THE TOP TEN APPus FOR THE CIRCUIT OK

then, so most of us know all about smart phones and how much easier they can make our lives due to their ability to surf the net, receive e-mail throughout the day and reply in quick time. However, with the emergence of phones like Apple’s i-phone and the huge amount of applications or ‘apps’ that are available for them they have become even more useful for us as we go about our daily business as operators and business people. This is our top 10 list of i-Phone applications as it stands right now - we will review this each issue so that you can download the most useful apps going – if you have any that you think the readership should know about then just let us know and we’ll take a look!

1

2 3 4 5 6

7 8

THE TIMES APP - £9 per month OK so this is another monthly outgoing but one we feel well worth while. £9 a month lets you have the days news literally at your finger tips but without the news print or the volumes of copy that you do not read cluttering up the office or the home. You also get access to the Time Online if at a desktop. Great on the Ipad and the 1st thing downloaded each day.

SKY NEWS - Free Another great way of staying in touch with what is going on in the world and all good Security Professionals need to have their fingers on the pulse. A great free app!

THINGS - £29.99 iPhone, iPad, desktop application available and they all sync with each other.

At £29.99 it is not cheap but it helps keep your tasks at your finger tips.

MINDNODE - Free and paid for versions Need a project overview to help you plan better? This could be for you, desk top application also available, free and paid for versions with the ability to export your work as a pdf.

The BBA Security Q&A - £3.45 This is getting some great reviews. Need help preparing for those SIA tests/?

Download, take a look, get your grade and get on The Circuit! Great value.

PARA FITNESS - £1.79 Okay, okay, so we have a few ex Paratroopers on the Circuit staff but regardless of that this a great app! Not in the shape that you once were? Download this app and get yourself back on the road to full fitness! Exceptional value and there is also a book to accompany the app.

BUSINESS MODEL TOOL BOX - £17.99 Not sure how to plan out your business? This app will help you to add ballpark figures, revenue streams and costs faster than a spread sheet. Although this app is £17.99 there is a lot to it.

AMAZON KINDLE - Free Want to take plenty of reading material with you on your next trip but can’t find all that you want in ibook? The the Amazon Kindle app is essential.

BLOGPRESS - Free

9

Need to Blog on the move?

Blogpress is cross platform and easy to use.

192.COM - Costs vary

10

This app allows you to look up Electoral role information while away from the office. Are you a surveillance operator who has landed someone at a new address and need to confirm if it is related to your investigation? Download this app and gain the much needed int! The costs per search are ‘reasonable’ - offset them against the bill to your client!

NEWS

French President Attacked

Nicolas Sarkozy remained calm after being grabbed by a man and very nearly pulled to the ground during a visit to Brax in June.

The French president was meeting and greeting members of the public when the incident happened. President Sarkozy was unharmed and continued to shake hands after the incident. The aggressor was not armed and was robustly taken down by the security detail and then taken away for questioning.

Bollywood Bodyguards?

It seems that bodyguards in India is a definite boom area for the industry right now.

BG’s are fast becoming an essential part of any Bollywood star’s entourage, ensuring that the over-eager fans and a celebrityobsessed media are kept at arms length.

A new movie on the BG’s themselves has been released with the BG of Salman Khan being the main featured protector. Nice to hear about an area of the industry that is growing….anyone want to do a movie review?

Insurgent Resurgence

Taliban insurgents fired RPG’s and small arms fire at the U.S. Embassy, NATO headquarters and other buildings in the Afghan capitol in September while suicide bombers struck police buildings in an attack that displayed the ability of militants to bring their fight to the doorsteps of Western power in Afghanistan. The coordinated assaults, just two days after the United States marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks carried an unsettling message to Western leaders and their Afghan allies about the ability of the Taliban to mount such attacks at the heart of the Western Power in Afghanistan.

Made in Japan

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan’s top weapons maker, has confirmed it was the victim of a cyber attack. The attack is thought to have targeted data on missiles, submarines and nuclear power plants. Rumours suggest that viruses were found on more than 80 of its servers and computers but the Japanese government said it was not aware of any leak of sensitive information. Local media reports broke the news.

Circuit : : 33

Relax

Circuit :: ShopTalk

I

have been participating in quite a few discussions lately about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), and the topic has come up in so many different circles that I thought that I should write a brief piece on it. I have been discussing this with Combat Veterans, Police Officers, Aid Workers and Journalists. I have also been interested in the movement to drop the “D”; many feel that calling it a Disorder and giving it a psychological classification stigmatizes it and makes those that suffer it feel like outcasts and thus, less likely to seek assistance. Others feel that treating it as a somewhat normal stress-response will downplay the impact it can have and lessen the attention and aid that those that suffer would receive. I know where I fall in this debate, but that isn’t the point of this article, so I will use the currently accepted terminology of PTSD as opposed to PTS. Now, considering the potential for violence that is an inherent part of the Personal Security/Contractor fields and also considering the backgrounds of many people that choose to follow these fields, it is not an uncommon occurrence to encounter someone with a personal experience with PTSD. It is also a fairly safe bet that a decent percentage of operators will encounter a situation that will set the course of a repeated negative response, and such responses can have an impact on both professional performance as well as an operator’s personal life as well.

Criterion A: stressor

The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following have been present: The person has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with an event or events that involve actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others.

The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

Note: in children, it may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behaviour.

Criterion B: intrusive recollection

The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in at least one of the following ways: •Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Note: in young children, repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the trauma are expressed.

•Recurrent distressing dreams of the event.

Note: in children, there may be frightening dreams without recognizable content •Acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes,

34 : : Circuit

Recognising and avoiding the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by |

SCOTT LAWSKI

Violence; passing or extended, brief or extreme, can leave an indelible mark on a person’s psyche.

The American Psychiatric Association’s publication Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Revised 4th ed.) addresses PTSD as follows: DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD In 2000, the American Psychiatric Association revised the PTSD diagnostic criteria in the fourth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)(1). The diagnostic criteria (A-F) are specified below.

Diagnostic criteria for PTSD include a history of exposure to a traumatic event meeting two criteria and symptoms from each of three symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms, and hyper-arousal symptoms. A fifth criterion concerns duration of symptoms and a sixth assesses functioning.

including those that occur upon awakening or when intoxicated). Note: in children, trauma-specific re-enactment may occur.

•Intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event.

•Physiologic reactivity upon exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event

Criterion C: avoidant/numbing

Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by at least three of the following: • Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma • Efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma • Inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma • Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities • Feeling of detachment or estrangement from others • Restricted range of affect (e.g., unable to have loving feelings) • Sense of foreshortened future (e.g., does not expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span)

Criterion D: hyper-arousal Persistent symptoms of increasing arousal (not present before the trauma), indicated by at least two of the following: • Difficulty falling or staying asleep • Irritability or outbursts of anger • Difficulty concentrating • Hyper-vigilance • Exaggerated startle response

Criterion E: duration Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in B, C, and D) is more than one month.

Criterion F: functional significance The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Specify if: Acute: if duration of symptoms is less than three months Chronic: if duration of symptoms is three months or more Specify if: With or Without delay onset: Onset of symptoms at least six months after the stressor References: American Psychiatric Association.

(2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (Revised 4th edition.). Washington, DC: Author.

Circuit :: ShopTalk As you read over this list, pay attention to how far removed you, or church/temple/etc. It can be expansive and all encompassing, or it can someone that you work with or train with, are from fitting into this cat- be something as simple as a 30 min meditation session to clear your egory. It is easy to write it all off as stress or just a normal part of the mind. Find something that takes you away from the aspects of your job day/hazards of the profession, but before long it can all add up and boil (I don’t care how much shooting relaxes you; if you shoot people for a living, time on the range is over. Once that happens, you practice and preparation for have become a liability to your violence, not decompression team, to your client and to the “I highly suggest that every operator from it. Learn gunsmithing mission; not to mention how it finds a way to decompress. Start a instead) and learn how to will impact on your wife/hushave fun and to relax before band, children, friends, etc. If garden, ride a motorcycle, meditate you forget how altogether. you have chosen this field as a or practice yoga” Saying that you do not have career, it behooves you to pay the time is a poor excuse. attention to your daily stresses Resting and re-centering and to make sure that you’ve your mind and your focus got an outlet. Too many diwill go a long, long way to vorces, too many drug overmaking you a better operadoses, too many livers eaten tor. up by alcoholism and too many suicides have haunted Do not think that it cannot those that choose this profeshappen to you; it is not a sion. Do not allow yourself to mark of shame or weakness. add to the statistics.

It is a biological response to It is far too easy to come home from a long day or from time on the road and to just drop from exhaustion, and then to slot ourselves right back into our daily routines without ever addressing the ugly aspect of our work.

It is for this reason that I highly suggest that every operator finds a way to decompress. Start a garden, ride a motorcycle, meditate or practice yoga, take up painting or photography (my chosen method), learn to make exotic meals or to rehab a house, speak to a therapist or find a

working in a field that regularly experiences stressors that the average human was never meant to experience.

Pay attention to yourself and your team and get things squared away before they become an issue, not as a response to something that could have been addressed long before it went to Hell. If you’d like to read up on this further, I’ve attached a few links that can be a starting point for further research. Stay safe out there!

Circuit : : 35

Circuit :: ShopTalk

SURVEILLANCE I was recently invited to Johannesburg, South Africa by Garth Fuchs, the Director of Close Protection company ‘Delta One International’ to carry out surveillance training for his team and some of his associates.

I

was there for 8 days and immediately picked up on the vibe of the place and how the differing cultures, topography and systems worked in this theatre.

Surveillance here was not going to be easy and this place is definitely a ‘semi-hostile’ theatre. This is going to be an interesting week I thought and the team will be put through their paces.

Surveillance

Carrying out surveillance in South Africa was evidently challenging, especially if you are a white guy. It immediately came to mind that to carry out successful surveillance here you need two things, a reliable tracking system and a few black guys on the team.

compound’, I hear you say… Not as easy as it sounds; no-one parks up on a roadside in a residential area, whether it’s a car or a van. No one stops anywhere for anyone, you would just draw attention to yourself and may get robbed in the process if you did. You would not last long regardless of your skin colour, anyone parked up is treated with suspicion. As a consequence even carrying out a ‘tertiary’ stakeout covering the road options away can be equally difficult.

by |

The only people seen walking around or just sat minding their own business are the black locals. You’ll come across them walking in the middle of nowhere at any time of day or night or sat on a roadside curb for no apparent reason. Therefore it pays to have a black guy on the team, it’s the only way you will get away with setting up a good trigger.

Shopping Malls, Restaurants & Banks These malls and complexes contain just about

Triggers

Most of the private properties, businesses and industrial areas are all enclosed and behind walls, topped with electric fences and razor wire. Access is normally gained via a manned security gate and so this posed immediate problems with wanting to ‘trigger’ any surveillance. With a private address – you just can’t get anywhere near the private property. A drive past, walk past or even getting eyes on the car or garage is just about impossible. Forget about walking anywhere in Johannesburg, no-one walks anywhere except from the car into the shopping mall, unless you are a local living in one the townships.

‘Okay, so if you can’t get a trigger on the house, get a trigger on the main gate to the

36 : : Circuit

PETER JENKINS

“no one parks up on a roadside in a residential area, whether it’s a car or a van”

Circuit :: ShopTalk everything for those who can afford it. If you follow a target to one of these places, the odds can be against you as security starts outside the mall. As soon as you come to a halt you are observed by one of the many car park attendants employed by the mall to keep an eye on their customers’ cars. The poorly paid guys acknowledge you and wave as you park up, in the hope that you will give them a tip upon your return. If you just sit in your car you are watched with suspicion, after all, they are security and they’ve got eyes like a shit house rat.

Within the complexes, security guards and cameras are plentiful just as they are anywhere else. At one stage in training, we saturated a shopping mall with two teams and not one had any problems, their personal tradecraft paid off. Although security was everywhere, a poorly paid security guard (who doesn’t get tipped) isn’t the most switched on person (as you would find anywhere in the world).

Driving

Road discipline is totally nonexistent – it’s ‘Whacky Races’ and so risk of a collision is high during mobile surveillance, especially with the illegal taxis who have this habit of pulling out in front of you with no warning.

The cars and mini-buses don’t need mirrors over there because they are never used.

“Stopping at lights can also be fun. Even before your wheels stop, you are swarmed with traders and people handing out leaflets. Keep your windows up, doors locked, radios and cameras out of view and ignore them”

Stopping at lights can also be fun. Even before your wheels stop, you are swarmed with traders and people handing out leaflets.

Keep your windows up, doors locked, radios and cameras out of view and ignore them. It is not unusual for the ‘point’ car to even stop at a red light, especially if you are on your own. Most mobile surveillance tactics used are pretty much standard, it’s just the ‘third party’ aspect which you have to be more aware of.

Trackers

If you can manage to get a tracker on the target’s car – brilliant, it would be the best asset you can have by far. But remember the security at the home address and even in the shopping mall car parks can make this difficult to deploy. Petrol stations even have their own complications. You sit in the car whilst a guy fills it up as another washes your windows.

You go to pay and they watch your car like hawks not wanting you to go without leaving that tip.

A large team, patience and knowing the Target’s routine would certainly help carry out surveillance. Having carried out surveillance in about 14 different countries I would say Johannesburg has been one of the most challenging and certainly interesting to date.

Peter Jenkins is Director of ISS Training Limited, provider of specialist covert surveillance and intelligence training courses. www.intelsecurity.co.uk +44 (0)1423 712265

Circuit : : 37

Circuit :: ShopTalk

USING TECH TO REFINE

“Soft Skills”

by | It’s no secret that the Close Protection Specialist spends a lot of time and money training on reactionary skills. Whether it is shooting, driving, or close quarter battle, these skills are important when the moment of truth comes. However depending on your environment, just as important, are “soft skills” such as: solid advance planning & route surveys, threat assessments, and situational awareness to name a few. All one needs to do is look at a corporate job description for Executive Protection Agents to verify that statement.

W

ith the advancement and affordability of mobile technology such as smart phones, and the advent of social media it has become relatively easy to perfect your soft skills right in the palm of your hand. Here are some of my favourite tools to use on the job.

“Strategic” Social Media Set up faux or what I like to call “strategic” social media accounts. Strategic accounts are useful for surveillance on certain groups or individuals that may do harm to the people you are protecting. As an example if your Principal is having problems with animal activist groups you should have “strategic” accounts established with groups such as PETA. If you are not convinced that you should use the Social Media as a tool to gather intelligence consider a recent article by The Investigative Project on Terrorism which stated that Jihadi media organizations are now joining social media networks such as Facebook to bypass restrictions on terrorism and gather intelligence. We should be at least as smart as the enemy.

In addition, many businesses are using the social media networks for background checks. Almost half of all recruiters and hiring managers look to the web and the social media networks to find information

38 : : Circuit

about current and future employees. If you are hiring or looking to sign up with a company it is a good idea to examine their web and social media presence. There is a company called Social Intelligence that runs social media background checks on job seekers and monitors public online activity of existing employees.

Using social media networks and other services to check people and companies could save some embarrassment and maybe a career.

Situational Awareness Google alerts are free, very easy to set up, and do come in handy for research. Visit www.google.com/alerts (Google account optional but recommended). Simply enter keywords or phrases about the subjects that interest you. Select when you would like to receive them and volume, enter your email address and you’re done. Google will now search the web based on the keywords and phrases you’ve entered and send them to you via email. You can have as many alerts as you want. An added benefit of alerts: If you set up the keyword “Bodyguard” or “Executive Protection “you will get daily news about the industry, including information on potential job opportunities from all across the globe.

Twitter Search (http://twitter.com/search) is similar to Google alerts; you enter keywords or phrases into the search box. Search

LARRY SNOW

terms could be about you, your company, or competitors. You can find out who is talking about you and why. The difference between Google alerts and Twitter Search is that Twitter results occur in real-time.

Twitter Search can be an indispensable tool when your Principal is attending large very public conferences and meetings. You can determine who is talking about your Principal, what they are saying and, with relatively new apps such as Ban.jo (http://ban.jo/ ), exactly where they are when they are saying it. There are many case studies of Twitter Search saving public embarrassment, and alerting the knowledgeable to potential problems.

Advance Planning and Route Surveys You can make custom maps for an advance or conduct a route survey analysis virtually through Google Maps. You have the ability to add markings to your route on the map to identify hospitals, choke points, etc.

You can store these maps on your Google account and send a private or unlisted link to the team in the field via email.

Conclusion We all agree that hard skills are a mandatory skill set, but using mobile technology and social media as a planning tool to avert potential problems, is a great way to meet new market demands. Mobile technology and social media are both growing at an incredible rate and it pays to keep up with the times. New applications and tools are being created by the thousands daily, so the next time you have some downtime; check out some applications for your smart phone or computer. Two great websites to visit is App Scout (http://www.appscout.com) by PC Mag and Appolicious (http://www.appolicious. com) by Yahoo. The Close Protection community, like any other industry, must evolve or go the way of the dinosaur.

Circuit :: Feature

Keeping Your Edge The Choice: Celebrity vs.

Executive Protection

Everyone’s seen ‘The Matrix’ right? Morpheus is standing in front of you, extends his hand and gives you a choice: blue or red.

The blue pill leads to a stable career in Corporate Executive Protection— more often than not, standard hours, reasonable expectations and a healthy benefits package. Alternatively, the red pill takes you down the rabbit hole to the wild and unpredictable world of celebrity security. Long hours, temperamental clients, and a job description that includes pretty much everything but the kitchen sink.

For

those of us who have entered this industry with the strong desire to apply our skills to protecting others in the most professional manner possible, it’s almost a no brainer, correct?

I mean, give me the corporate stuff, right?

Send me on my way and let me cash my paycheck at the end of the week. Seriously, who in their right mind would want to deal with actors and their egos, or even worse, musicians with their quirks, or even worse than worse RAPPERS (groan) and their entourages (cringe), particularly if the revenue generated is the same???

But maybe that’s not the case. Maybe there are some that find the world of protecting entertainers stimulating in a way that they just would not get in the more subdued assignments that would accompany working day in and out with the Chief Executive Officer of a corporation. I’m not talking about the “knuckle draggers” or the “buddy-guards” either, I’m thinking of men and women who have the look, training and demeanor to slide right into a “Blue Pill” position and succeed. They make a choice and are happy with it.

I’m sometimes referred to as a bit of an anomaly in the fact that I actively pursue and enjoy working with both client types. I’m able to make the transition between the personalities and protocols, and enjoy the change of pace and variety. A short time ago I was laughing with my staff that at the

beginning of the week I was working with the senior executives of one of the United States largest corporations and by the weekend I was fending off fans that tried to stop my client in the middle of a busy street for an autograph.

So having established that there are some operators who do both, I also find it interesting that in the industry as a whole there is usually an invisible line drawn in the sand and depending on which side of the fence you are on, rarely do the two cross. A big part of that is perception. Writing this issue’s column made me flash back to my very first Keeping Your Edge several years ago, the opening of which read: Let’s face it - in the scheme of things, in our industry; the “celebrity bodyguard” doesn’t always get a lot of respect.

Corporate Protective Agents lump us just above club bouncers on the evolutionary ladder, while our peers that handle personal security details in war zones such as Iraq or Afghanistan look at us as glorified babysitters. Of course both of those stereotypes are just that: a collection of generalizations that may apply to some but definitely do not apply to all.

I know some of that thinking has evolved a bit since the time of that writing. I hope the efforts by others and myself who are involved not only with working with celebrities, but also getting information out about the successes associated with

J

ELI AH SH AW this niche market have helped with that.

The media gives us a steady diet of horror stories; Celebrity X’s bodyguard punches out a Paparazzi. Entertainer Y’s security has decided to write a “tell all,” so of course that paints a picture that all clients in this area are extremely difficult or that any agent working with them is little more than an untrained ex-football player.

This year I personally spoke at two major industry conferences (The Protective Security Conference and the International Executive Protection Conference) on the topic of Celebrity Protection, and after each presentation I was greeted by trained individuals who wanted to do more in that segment of the market. They simply hadn’t thought past the horror stories and stereotypes, and realized that there were great opportunities for operators with the right skills to make their mark.

Make no mistake about it, I also had a fair share of protectors who patted me on the back and said, “great lecture, but better you than me. I just don’t have the tolerance”.

I understand that completely, and I think that’s much better than the person who says they can live in both worlds but strikes out horribly when given the chance. In the end, I think magazines like the one you are holding now, help operators in our industry get a much more balanced view of the different segments and nuances that form pieces of the security pie allowing them to make more well informed choices.

Thinking about it, I suppose if Neo had taken the blue pill the movie would have been much shorter, but at the same time he would have had a lot less headaches.

Elijah Shaw is the CEO of Icon Services Corporation and The National Director of the North American Bodyguard Association

Circuit : : 39

Circuit :: BoyZone

GET YOUR Sony HDR-SR10 CamCorder

KIT ON

Kit reviews by Nick McCarthy

Macbook Air

We should not ignore second hand equipment especially when that equipment is as good and as reasonable to buy as the Sony HDR-SR10. These units sell for around £150 - £250 on e-bay and are absolutely fantastic for surveillance. Small but with a good sized hard drive (40GB) and with the excellent Carl Zeiss lens the SR10 can be sure to record excellent quality images, especially as it has full 1080p HD footage! If hard drive space becomes an issue you can bring down the quality of the footage captured . AV out ensures that you can remote the images to a separate monitor making it ideal for a vehicle-mounted camera system

with its diminutive size merely adding to the appeal of this little beauty.

A fantastic buy at these prices, snap them up while they are still available and have your kit sorted out for years to come!

Samsung B2430L 24” LCD Monitor

I

have to admit it, when the latest version of the mba was released I was not that convinced at all by it or what it purported to be.

Why would I want to pay between £850-£1500 for a machine that was merely a pumped up iPad or a dulled down Macbook Pro? To discover if I was missing something I popped in to the local Apple store, asked for a demo of the mba’s capabilities and was suitably blown away by what this diminutive machine with only a 250MB hard drive could deliver!

I was aware that it was a flash hard drive but was not at all aware of what could be achieved with relatively little HD. It is soooo fast it is unbelievable, it handles processor intensive programmes such as Photoshop and iMovie with relative ease, the battery life is fantastic, the start up time phenomenal and the user experience mind blowing.

Can it replace your aging Macbook Pro as your main machine….YES it can! I recommend that you max out the RAM and processor if you have the funds, sure it’s a few quid more but you will benefit in the long run.

Awesome!

40 : : Circuit

Ok, so you are happy with your current laptop but really feel the need for more real estate to help improve your workflow in the office or at home so rather than go to the expense of a new PC/Mac with a more appropriate screen why not buy something like the Samsung XYZ. These monitors retail at around £150 and will literally transform how you work. The resolution of the screen is an excellent 1920 x 1080, it has DVI input a response time of 5 milliseconds and the 24 inches are more than enough for even the most ardent size junkie!

Blackberry Bold Smart Phone

T

he latest version of the Blackberry Bold has finally arrived and so far we have not been disappointed with performance, its looks or the way it feels. The Circuit staff are huge Apple fans but we are also broad-minded enough to look outside the Apple bubble and acknowledge good quality equipment and the latest incarnation of the Bold certainly falls into this category. As you would expect from a Blackberry the Bold handles email at a canter but the Bold has been improved in many areas and is now touch screen as well being able to use the track pad that many of you will be familiar with.

The security of the bold is legendary; the large qwerty keypad a must for heavy users and with the advent of OS 7.0 multi

tasking is a breeze! This bold still has a removable battery which is also a much desired feature amongst those who may find themselves away from a power supply for extended periods and like to utilize large extra batteries from people such as Mugen.

Circuit :: BoyZone

WHAT’S IN YOUR

GO BAG 5

In the last and final installment of this series I would like to talk about defensive weapons and the options for transport in a “Go Bag”. When it comes to carrying a weapon, the first thing one should think about is where you are going to be. It’s important to know the laws that pertain to the location you are going to be interacting in. Take New York City for example; carry a firearm there without the proper credentialing, and you stand the chance of going to jail for a long time. I can’t stress enough; know the law BEFORE you hit the ground running.

S

etting the legal aspect aside, let’s look at types of defensive weapons and some pros and cons associated with each. I am going to talk about three types, pepper spray, baton, and firearm. For the sake of space, I am not going to go into specific makes and models as that could easily turn this article into a novel. Do your research and if you still have any specific questions, find me on the NABA/BBA message boards and I’ll be happy to answer.

PEPPER SPRAY Pepper spray is a good choice for many reasons. It’s small, compact, and easy to carry. In most locales it’s considered legal to carry, and if you have ever been on the receiving end, you know it can be VERY debilitating. A quick burst to the opponents face and that just might give you the valuable few seconds you need to create an egress route with your client. The downside to pepper spray is that, by and large, it’s an area weapon, meaning in terms of accuracy it isn’t the greatest.

Also, the possibility exists of over spray, resulting in a situation where you or your Principal experience some of the noxious effects. I should also mention that studies have found that about 1% of the population is unaffected by pepper spray. Finally, keep in mind too that if the attacker is high on some sort of drug, the spray may have little or no effect. With all that said, pepper spray is a good nonlethal tool to pack in your kit while prepping for an assignment.

BATON The baton is also a good selection for a non-lethal defensive weapon. A six-inch collapsing baton is easy to carry in your bag and if strategically located, can be deployed in a moment’s notice if needed. Of course

PT by |

JUSTIN JOHNSON

remember, as with any weapon, training equals proficiency. Keep in mind strike placement (you don’t want to unintentionally turn a nonlethal weapon into a lethal weapon), and the fact that you have to be up close and personal to use it. In the hands of a trained professional the baton can be a precise, fight-stopping tool.

FIREARM The big thing about carrying a firearm be it in your Go Bag or on your person, is like everything else in this world, is practice and training. If you have never carried a gun in your life and you think that you can pick one up one day and use it with proficiency and skill, you are sorely mistaken. As far as what type of firearm or which calibre to carry, that is up to you as an Operator. I always tell my students, “A 22 in the hand is better then a 44 in the trunk”. Keep that same philosophy in mind when you decide to place a firearm in your Go Bag. Is it accessible?

Does it weigh the bag down too much? What will I do if I enter an area where firearms are restricted? Revisiting my comments above, make sure you know the laws in you area of operation. In the end you can’t protect you Principal from behind bars.

In conclusion, I hope this 5 part series has given The Circuit readers some additional pointers in putting together a Go Bag that works for them. Keep in mind that customisation and trial and error will play a part as you pack for the mission at hand. As those of us in the protection business well know, it helps to be prepared for whatever might come your way.

Until next time...

Stay Safe

Circuit : : 41

Circuit :: TechTalk

THE SILENT WITNESS AND HACKING With the proliferation of mobile phones in the public domain, many myths surround the actual truth that lies behind this wireless technology and the inappropriate use of the word Hacking associated with them in recent times. In my past role in a Police Technical Support Unit, I have interrogated thousands of mobile phones associated with serious crime and kindred matters.

From that experience, the views I hold, are mine alone, but are, in part, backed up by recent scientific research, to support the health issues surrounding, what I have called for many years “The Silent Witness”.

With the phrase used loosely by the media in recent times, namely, the words phone hacking, I will

:: Smart Phones.

Too smart for your own good.

THE FACTS

Home Office figures, place up to 82% of children up to the age of 12 years of age owning a mobile phone, with some 56 million of this country’s 60 million people in possession of one or more activated handsets with an airtime provider in the UK. These numbers could easily be replicated in the United States I am sure. This would show which mobile phone manufacturer leads the field in innovation and miniaturisation across the world, and the favoured model of choice.

This means that nearly everyone has a mobile phone or has access to one on our two continents for example.

The safety issues surrounding ongoing miniaturisation of mobile phones are evident. With the eradication of small antennaes on the outside of handsets, to compete with other manufacturers styling, new aerial technology has been employed internally, making the art of what antennae need to do to transmit and receive information even more difficult.

The power now needed to connect and maintain invisible

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avoid any current cases when I refer to mobile hacking in this article, as they are clearly subjudice.

Legal proceedings are forecast under the Metropolitan Police’s Operation WEETING which was set up at New Scotland Yard to investigate claims of intrusion on personal voice messages on mobile telephony by the media and others, and no reference to active cases will be mentioned in this article.

I will try and prove the operational health risks associated with using cellular phones in our area of expertise for long term security operations on you, the operator, and some of its operational weaknesses.

by |

GIL BOYD

handshakes with digitised cell sites as you travel, have had to increase accordingly, and I will refer to the health risks associated with that invisible radiation later in this article.

I have often remarked to operatives on technical courses, “that if it is a transmitted signal, it can be intercepted”, and this analogy is very true whether the signal is an analogue one or indeed digital and/or encrypted, and should always be remembered, especially when the security of your Principal is paramount.

In keeping with this digital technology I will try and explain in plain speech how your cellular phone can now be secretly turned ON and allow an eavesdropper to actually overhear every conversation you make in the close proximity to the phone, without you actually knowing that it has been turned ON. The microphone technology used in mobile phones today allows the amplification of background noises to be louder than the spoken word to the silent listener on the other end. Always be mindful that even whispers are amplified and WILL be overheard clearly and easily by the other party monitoring the transmission.

Circuit :: TechTalk Ambient noises or road noise are often responsible for what is blamed as ‘bad lines’ of communication as it overbears the spoken word due to the high and constant volume projected towards the microphone.

The myth is that there are no lines, and there are no typical land line based point to point wired technologies used in this powerful wireless system.

How many people ask at important security meetings or conferences that ALL mobile phones should be switched off? Not many.

Not only should mobile phones be switched off, but also the batteries removed whilst important meetings are held, or even better, left in secure lockers outside of the meeting areas.

Why you may ask?

The reason, as I am sure you will be aware of, is that nearly all mobile phones have direct access to emails, text messaging and web browsers now, in addition to live news updates, financial reports and the inevitable high quality built in cameras, which are improving and reducing in size every day.

Due to this capability of direct access to the World’s Internet, data is exchanged in an invisible handshake between these wireless technologies. Every large mobile phone manufacturer is currently working overtime to produce the ultimate computer interface built into a mobile phone in the smallest package available, and many model changes occur in a short space of time, using the iPad and iPhone as examples.

Therefore, it can be concluded that the common programmable language that cellular phones share across the world between handset and computers can be intercepted quite easily.

Computers are regularly “hacked” into regardless of any in-built protection technologies applied to them, and there is a steady stream of highly intelligent people, including Government Agencies that carry out this work legally on behalf of that old umbrella of..........‘National Security’.

It therefore follows that there will be illegal users with the same knowledge and experience trying to access telephony and the intelligence from such interceptions, as shown in recent hacking scandals on a lower scale, here in the UK and the U.S that inevitably reaches the publics’ ears.

The press and the general freelance paparazzi have always used techniques to locate and intercept well-known individuals. The days of endless hours of following such individuals have long gone.

Using mobile phones and magnetic devices deployed on vehicles which supply locations on easy to read FREE or Pay As You Go mapping, are currently, completely outside of any legal framework when used in this way by these “media” or other private investigative

“You may be familiar with the recent interception by the American Intelligence agencies of a Blackberry which held sensitive Intelligence being used by the French Secret Service. This then surely raises more questions than answers, and how these alleged “secure” pieces of equipment could be hacked” Circuit : : 43

Circuit :: TechTalk agencies.

This can then be compared with the use of such devices, by say Government Departments who have to be authorised by the Surveillance Commissioners who are the legal body in the UK who apply the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) in such use of sophisticated covert equipment by the Law Enforcement communities and Government departments.

Everyone outside of that framework who is caught, merely attracts the wroth of the Human Rights Act, Article 8, “the right to privacy” or Criminal Damage, or indeed Vehicle Interference as the Regulatory legislation to counter these practices if discovered.

The recent Hacking scandal, will I feel, ultimately attract unnecessary legislation being applied to us in the private security sector, due to the totally inappropriate use by a few who will eventually be prosecuted.

Many mobile phones, whilst reporting to cell sites as you enter them, provide adequate locations of your actual handset on their own.

However, nearly all tracking devices now incorporate GSM/GPRS and GPS together, resulting in each complimenting each other when one system fails, an example being, no satellite signal due to obstructions or parked in multi-storey car parks out of satellite view.

The unit would then use the remaining technologies combined, to pinpoint the tracking device. Because many tracking units now have GSM as their on board backup, it therefore follows that microphones can be attached as well, so the spoken word can be remotely accessed from anywhere in the world.

Unlike computers, mobile phones DO NOT have firewalls. How many people actually, even now, type in passwords to protect the entry to their phones? Not many. It has been deemed an unnecessary delay to our busy and active lives in the security marketplace.

It may only be deemed as a stalling tactic, but passwords do frustrate the casual thief and are the first line of defence, and would have prevented much of what has now been deemed the “Hacking of Mobile Phones”.

In simple terms, owners have not password protected their voice mail access from those who may have been provided with the handset number by whatever means, resulting in the illegal listening of voice mail messages.

NEW EMERGING THREATS

A new threat exists as I alluded to earlier, where a virus called the “Cell Finity Bug” which uses an access code which calls the infected handset silently, with no ringtone, and secretly turns on the microphone. The phones screen does not illuminate either, and what is worse, there is NO record of the callers details retained in the phones memory.

This bug also then recovers ALL the stored contact list details and repeats the formula with all your associates in the memory without their knowledge. A hidden text message simply operates those handsets without the user being made aware of them.

THE ANSWER

Do not become complacent and discuss SECRET or HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL information on mobile phones. And especially those that have direct access to the internet.

You may be familiar with the recent interception by the American Intelligence agencies of a Blackberry which held sensitive Intelligence being used by the French Secret Service. This then surely raises more questions than answers, and how these alleged “secure” pieces of equipment could be hacked Electronic Counter Measures, or Bug sweeps should always be

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encouraged, prior to any important meeting taking place. All mobile phones should be switched off, and batteries removed.

My advice to you all, concerned in security, is that NO mobile telephony equipment or laptops whether fitted with WIFI or not should be taken into sensitive meetings, all should be safely stored away from the meeting venue to provide that essential security to you and your client.

ECM equipment should be left on during meetings, to instantly highlight any Cellular transmissions or secret handshakes to any transmittable device being activated and turned on remotely. In the case of cellular phones (DTMF) Dialled Tone Multiple Frequencies, pulses will therefore be detected by the use of such equipment, covering the entire (RF) Radio Frequency spectrum, and will provide reassurance to sensitive operations or meetings.

RADIATION

I care not for so called “EXPERTS” stating that using a mobile phone for long duration’s against the head has no long term effects. Mobile phones emit signals via radio waves, which are comprised of RadioFrequency (RF) energy, a form of electromagnetic radiation.

Therefore long term use of such a device in my submission, against the head is dangerous. Many manufacturers and Governments alike cannot afford to provide the real truth about the dangers of mobile phones, as the revenue provided by their continued and popular use, sustains many economies in vast sums of cash, and taxes applied to them, or not as the case may be It is not simply a means to scare monger when I raise this issue, but common sense should prevail, which should also be applied alongside all microwave technology and the inherent risks associated with that.

If it is dangerous to be near microwave technology and the “stepped up” power radiated to ensure its effectiveness in transmitting video or audio over long distances, it is certainly dangerous to transmit it next to the human body in general terms. The power output of any transmitter is wholly relevant to the risks associated with it.

So often, news articles with Government findings appear stating that either the hands free kits are safe, or then there is contrary publicity to say they are not, should make you realise, they themselves are uncertain of its true damaging potential to us mortal humans. It is over time that answers will be forthcoming, and the truth will be released as such as illnesses occurring around disturbance of vision, and unexplained headaches unfold.

The truth is as I have explained, if you have to use mobile phones, use them in short bursts, and try to keep them away from your head for long durations, and DO always try to utilise hands free devices, where no earpiece is used, in that way all bases are covered, and as the truth comes out, which will be several years of detailed study and monitoring, it will be seen that they do have an element of high risk attached to their continuous use.

For your children’s sake, whose skull thickness would not have reached its full development if they are under 12 years of age, and use mobile phones frequently, make them aware of the possible hazards that are associated with them, and that Silent Witness................radiation.

Always, remember the simple phrase: “ If its transmittable, it is interceptable”.

Gil Boyd B.E.M formally a Principal Technical Officer, covering all aspects of covert technology within the Serious and Organised Crime Unit for a UK Police Force is now the Technical Director of The British Security Association. www.britishsecurityassociation.com

CLASSIFIED

United Kingdom

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Circuit : : 45

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