COLLEAGUE OF THE MONTH MONTHLY NEWS SHEET
Recognising the hard work and dedication in the month of NOVEMBER 2024
SERVICE TO THE CUSTOMER AWARD
FRONT OF HOUSE
MAPP - MORE LONDON RIVERSIDE GITANA JUSKAUSKIENE
Praise for Gitana! It has been a pleasure working with Gitana. She has taken the time to get to know her clients in the building, and her warm smile and friendly demeanour create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone who enters.
Gitana communicates clearly and effectively, ensuring all the guests receive the necessary information. She is very professional and handles enquiries and concerns with grace and poise, which is very important for front-ofhouse.
Her organisational skills showcase her efficiency and attention to detail. She is willing to assist her colleagues, and this itself contributes to a positive team environment, which is appreciated by the clients.
Gitana continues to go above and beyond to ensure her guests/stakeholders feel valued and meet their needs. She really has made a huge difference to the service in the building.
Well done Gitana, thnak you for all your hard work!
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER
ERNEST SENOO & MAREK
RUSILOWICZ
The Customer stated: “I just wanted to pass on my appreciation and thanks for the patience, support and professionalism you showed as we dealt with a couple of sensitive situations this week, most notably the JSoc stall at Marylebone, where the plans were unclear until just before the start time. You were quick to get both the stand and the security supervision in place to ensure our students achieved what they needed to do in a safe and supported environment. Also for overseeing the demonstration at Regent St, which threatened to flare up at times.”
MAPP - ALDERMANBURY HOUSE BRADFORD ZABER BASHIR
Since joining our team just seven months ago, Zaber has proven to be an invaluable asset, embodying the highest standards of professionalism, dedication, and compassion in his role. Zaber consistently arrives ahead of his scheduled time to ensure everything is in place for a smooth start to his shift. Beyond his duties, he goes out of his way to support others—showing true kindness by coming in early, specifically to assist a colleague who struggles with the uphill walk to the building.
Zaber’s exceptional first aid skills have been invaluable in moments of need. When I dropped a pallet truck on my foot and later when I sprained my ankle on site, he immediately stepped up with precise and effective first aid, demonstrating his commitment to the well-being of our team. He consistently goes above and beyond, making sure everyone feels looked after.
Zaber’s rapport with tenants is remarkable. In a short time, he has built strong, trusting relationships, creating a welcoming and secure environment for all. In more challenging moments, such as incidents where safety felt compromised, Zaber has been unflinching in his commitment to protecting not only me but all staff and tenants. He shows a proactive approach to safety that reassures everyone around him.
Zaber’s ability to prioritise the needs of our team and tenants truly makes him an exceptional security guard. His presence, dedication, and willingness to go above and beyond make him an irreplaceable part of our team.
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AWARDS
WORKMAN
MORETOWN - LONDON
GIDEON ASANTE
Gideon displayed exceptional situational awareness and courage when an intoxicated individual climbed onto the bonnet of a tenant’s vehicle and proceeded to stamp on and break the windscreen. Gideon acted swiftly and followed the suspect while simultaneously notifying the police, ensuring constant surveillance of the individual. Upon apprehending the suspect, Gideon maintained control of the situation until police arrived, leading to the individual’s arrest. The Met Police later expressed their gratitude to Gideon as the suspect was also linked to other crimes committed earlier that morning.’
REPUBLIC - LONDON
IKEDI ANI-OKOYE (CALVIN) & MONIR HOSSAN
A report was received of an incident involving a student who appeared to be intoxicated and verbally abusive to staff at Reception. Calvin and Monir responded to the incident in a calm and professional manner, de-escalating the situation and persuading the student to leave the building and Republic Estate peacefully.
The student returned to the Estate shortly after. Police Officers attended; the student then got involved in a physical altercation with the Police Officers and they proceeded to arrest the student. Monir quickly responded by diverting members of public away from the immediate area of the arrest and capturing sufficient CCTV footage of the incident on his body camera which was provided as evidence.
ASHDOWN PHILLIPS
ONE COLMORE SQR - LONDON GRAHAM HUNT
Graham has been commendation following a recent experience in Reception. The Facilities Manager stopped by Reception to speak with our Front of House Representative, shortly thereafter, an intimidating man approached the desk displaying antisocial behaviour, with bloody knuckles, and demanded to see one of the tenants. His behaviour put both the FM and Receptionist on edge and decided to discreetly contact the security office to request assistance.
Graham arrived promptly and positioned himself behind the desk, choosing not to directly intervene but instead making his presence known. This created a safer and more comfortable environment for all and his quiet yet strong support helped diffuse the tension in the situation.
In high-risk environments, it is not always about taking action but knowing that you are secure. Graham’s calm, reassuring presence exemplifies this perfectly. His professionalism and dedication are deeply appreciated for creating a safe and supportive environment for all staff.
BRITISH LAND - REGENT’S PLACE
RAMI KASEM & KRISHAN JOTANGIA
Regent’s Place held a private party, which had not been shared with the Security Team. The party was a fancy-dress Halloween event celebrating a 16-year-old’s birthday, whose parents had arranged everything. It was anticipated that 100 people would be present, a mixture of family, adults, and teenage friends. Unfortunately, the event found its way onto social media and ended with over 150+ teenagers attending.
A lack of adult supervision resulted in underage drinking and substance abuse. At about 10 pm, the licensed premises decided to close, and it was at this point, security became aware of large numbers of teenagers, many drunk or otherwise intoxicated, running through the campus, causing a disturbance.
Shift Managers Rami Kasem and Krishan Jotangia responded and went onto the campus to maintain order. Immediately, they found pockets of violence and abusive behaviour. One teenage girl was being punched and kicked by a large group; both managers intervened and escorted the female to safety.
Another fight then broke out with a different teenage girl victim, who was forced to the ground and was being stamped upon. Rami immediately responded, putting himself at risk to save the young girl from serious injury. He managed to wedge himself between the victim and her assailants and, with the help of Krishan, managed to push the crowd away. They were both able to take the female to safety and with the arrival of police managed to quell the crowd and disperse them. This was excellent and brave work by both officers, in what was a violent and hostile situation.
MAPP - LONDON BRIDGE CITY
STEVEN
CARIS
An exemplary piece of work by Steve Caris!
On a Saturday evening, Steve had finished his day shift and was walking past London Bridge train station; when he saw three IC6 males, he instantly recognised one of the males as being the most highly prolific bag thief that the team are aware of and who frequents the Estate and has 19 bag theft related incidents recorded on the Estate.
Steve immediately called the Control Room and instructed them to monitor the group and call Police. The group split up, Steve decided to follow the main suspect, whilst updating 999 operators.
The male entered London Bridge train station, Steve was able to direct Police to his location on the Platform, where Police arrested the suspect. The following day Steve sent an evidence pack to the BID Met Police Officer containing details of the 19-bag theft related incidents that were recorded at London Bridge City.
Steve’s professional and dedication not only ensured that evidence was saved and provided in an evidential form for the police, his calm demeanour under pressure and keen observations has led to a prolific offender being arrested and brought before the court.
MAPP - LONDON BRIDGE CITY
TONY SMITH
Estate Security Officer Tony Smith was patrolling inside Hay’s Galleria one Sunday in November where he witnessed a male suspect seize a bag from a person sitting in the Hay’s Bar and flee towards Tooley Street. Without hesitation, Tony sprang into action. Displaying exceptional situational awareness and quick thinking, he pursued the suspect and, successfully detained him using his powers under the PACE Act.
Tony’s actions highlighted his unwavering professionalism and diligence for the safety and well-being of customers and visitors, as well as his integrity in performing his duties. Communicating promptly with the Control Room, he ensured additional security support was mobilised swiftly.
Metropolitan Police arrived on the scene. Thanks to Tony’s thorough account of the incident and the victim’s testimony, the suspect was arrested and taken into custody. The stolen bag was promptly returned to its owner, bringing a swift resolution to what could have been a distressing situation.
Tony’s decisiveness and courage in the face of potential danger are a testament to the calibre of CIS professionals safeguarding the London Bridge City Estate. His exemplary conduct not only prevented a crime but also reaffirmed the CIS commitment to safety and excellence.
TEAM AWARD
LRM - CONSORT PLACE LONDON
STEFEN CHRISTIAN, MOHUMED MOHAMED, GEORGE MADON & JONAH CHELUGET
In the early hours, a person was noted on CCTV frantically attempting to access the main entrance to the West Tower. The person was able to gain access when a food delivery arrived and followed the courier into the building. The person could be seen quickly closing the door behind them and holding the door closed from the inside to prevent anyone else outside from entering.
On switching to the external cameras, it was noted that the person who had accessed the building had been pursued by 2 assailants who were also trying to access to the building to get to him. They managed to gain access by contacting a resident within the tower who released the door remotely. The two suspects entered the building and chased their victim into a lift where he had tried to get to safety.
A sickening assault was launched on the victim using bottles which left him with serious injuries and deep lacerations to his face & neck and defensive wounds to his hands. The victim managed to break free and enter a second lift where he was attacked for a second time before the suspects exited the building and ran off.
Muhumed who was manning the CCTV system at the time, had radioed Jonah Cheluget and was already on the phone to the emergency services. Jonah arrived at the location and began administering first aid. Due to the quick response of the security team, the police arrived on site in under 9 minutes, followed shortly afterwards by an ambulance and paramedic crew.
Information was relayed to the police and CCTV was made ready to be reviewed. This lead the police in apprehending both suspects almost immediately as they took refuge in a nearby hotel where both were arrested and taken into custody.The scene was cordoned by the Security team and police and kept as sterile as possible whilst dealing with multiple, understandably, concerned residents of the building.
Jonah remained at the location assisting the emergency services and Muhumed compiled a full and detailed Incident report. Security and client management were kept fully up to date. The following day, a full handover was given George Madon who took over the manning of the West Tower as it remained a cordoned crime scene. George remained at the location for most of the day and worked tirelessly in dealing with concerned residents, angry delivery drivers and frustrated contractors and visitors to the building in an extremely calm and professional manner.
Stefen took over the day shift where he worked through hours of CCTV footage, liaising closely with the police. In addition to this, Stefen supervised the deployment of the on-duty security officer and dealt with the multitude of telephone and email correspondence relating to the incident throughout the day. Stefen was able to provide end to end CCTV footage of the incident to the police from multiple cameras and was also able to reveal further evidence relating to a third individual who has also since been arrested.
The victim remains in hospital in a stable condition and, though he sustained serious injuries, his condition has been confirmed as non-life threatening.
MAPP - LONDON BRIDGE CITY
LONDON
STEVE HAWKINS, DANIEL WILLIAMS, MAREK KOSMOWSKI, AHMED MUSA, KAMRAN RAUF, FATAI SADIQ, TAQVEEM SHAH AND ROBERT MUNTEANU
The team was made aware of a bomb threat at No1 London Bridge. The Customer on the 9th Floor of the East Block had received a bomb threat email related to the current conflict in Ukraine, which encompassed a number of buildings across London.The police requested that the building be searched for anything out of place or random packages as a precaution. The Police also stated that an evacuation was not required.
Daniel arranged for Marek, Fatai, Ahmed & Kamran to conduct a full sweep of No.1 London Bridge. The police stated that they have bomb detection dogs if required when needed, and they were treating the situation as a “hoax” as the London buildings they had checked had come back clear.
Kamran confirmed that there were no suspicious items around the building and gave the all-clear. Kamran stayed in the area and continued patrols around the building, looking for any suspicious behaviours.
Ahmed reported a few unopened boxes/deliveries on the customer’s floor, and Marek reported the location of their post-lockers. Two bomb detection dogs arrived and searched the unopened boxes and post lockers, then a full search of the 9th floor, and confirmed the all-clear.
The fast response from the team and support of 2a Control Room, managed to get a quick result of all clear and the police were impressed with the communication, professionalism and the training that was used to manage the situation.
BRITISH LAND - REGENT’S PLACE
LONDON
STEVE MOOROOGAN, KRISHAN HOTANGIA, LUCA GONZATI, BUNJA CONTA, FABIO DI LORIO,SEBASTIAN ARISTIZABAL RUIZ & MARIYA MARAZOVA
The European Football Championships were held in Germany between June and July 2024, and as part of Regent’s Place Summer of Sports, the tournament was shown on the big screen located on the plaza. The estate had not previously hosted a major men’s football tournament. The Head of Security, working together with the Estate Management Team, put in place a comprehensive operational security plan, which was subsequently shared with the local police. The police agreed that all areas had been addressed in what they described as one of the best operational plans they had seen.
As the tournament progressed, the size of the crowds watching games, especially England matches, increased, with around 300 people present during the England quarter- and semi-finals. It was anticipated that a similar-sized crowd of some 300 could be expected for the final. This was based on previous matches and the fact that a significant number of other venues were showing the game across central London. With little or no occupiers working on the campus, the belief was that residents may come to watch and that there would be little interest outside of this.
Crowds began to gather gradually, increasing, and it soon became evident that a significantly larger crowd was going to be present. By kickoff, it was estimated that over 1,000 people were present. Although the majority were good-natured, there was widespread drinking and substance smoking. The team took a sensible, firm, but polite approach, encouraging people to respect others, especially the many families and children who were present.
As the crowds condensed during the game, many people took to climbing trees and standing on existing and portable infrastructure around the plaza. Again, all staff interacted early in a polite and customer service-oriented way to manage and encourage reasonable standards from all present.
To the credit of all involved, the evening passed with no trouble or injuries, and although there was some damage to flowerbeds, all enjoyed the evening despite the result. At the conclusion of the game, the crowd was dispersed immediately in a safe and controlled manner, and the estate was brought back to some normality.
The efforts of the whole of the security team throughout the tournament deserve recognition, but special mention should be made for the staff deployed during the final.
HEAD OFFICE
OUR SHINING STARS FOR NOVEMBER 2024:
• VIJAY CHAND
• NICOLE BROWN
• SAM STEWART
VIJAY CHAND
JANICE ABBS STATED:
“Vijay continues to be a high-performingmember of the sales and marketing team. His work has always beenpositively received, with many encouraging comments from our customer base.
He is a very good mentor, taking the opportunity to train whenever possible to pass on his knowledge and skills of design and creativity. His creative influence means we have a powerful marketing team whose work is noticed throughout the security industry.”
Well done Vijay!
NICOLE BROWN
STEVE DOWNS STATED:
SAM STEWART
JIM MCALLISTER STATED:
“The Technical Services department nominated Nicole Brown as a Shining Star forher excellent delivery of the Edapp platformto our Management Teams during a recent Technical Forum.
Nicole demonstrated her high level of knowledge of the platform and gave the teams a good understanding of how to use and get the best from the system.”
Well done Nicole!
I nominated Samantha for recognition due to her exceptional work ethic and service to CIS, especially at this busy period. Her organisational skills and attention to detail are second to none. Nothing is too much for her, her willingness to go above and beyond for others is commendable.
This commitment, enthusiasm and positiveattitude sets an excellent example for herpeers, and embodies the CIS vision and values: Passion, Determination and Leadership. We areall grateful for everything you do, and I amproud to nominate you as a Shining Star.
Well done Samantha!
NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE
If you would like to nominate a work colleague, please send your nomination to your Line Manager.
Remember, you are an essential part of a powerful team of world class security professionals!
