The Bullet Proof Blog

What do High School Killers and Terrorists Have in Common?

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:37:00 +0000

Department of Homeland Security studies show that the Columbine High School killers and the Virginia Tech gunman planned those attacks using the same techniques used by terrorists.

The study talks about the "7 steps" that terrorists take prior to executing an attack. The steps begin with; Surveillance, Acquiring information, Testing security, Acquiring supplies, Appearance of being "out of place", Test run and putting everything into position for the planned attack/strike.

Is there much that ordinary civilians can do to thwart a Terrorist attack or High School killing spree? The answer is; MOST DEFINITELY. DHS advises that 25 possible school attacks have been prevented this year so far, due to attentive citizens noticing something that seemed unusual and then reporting it to Law Enforcement.

We should not be reluctant to report suspicious persons or circumstances. Every once in a while the media will run a story about a suspicious package being left behind in a taxi or public place. Many people will be afraid to report something like that in case it turns out to be a hoax. BUT YOU SHOULD REPORT IT, NEVERTHELESS. That "hoax" might very well be a "test/dry run" by terrorists to see if what they leave behind will be detected, or how long it will take to be reported. The terrorist/bad guy will most likely be timing the reponse as well.

Those of us who travel regularly can tell you how long an unattended backpack or shopping bag would be allowed to sit unattended in London or parts of the Middle East. A Police officer would never get angry at having to respond because; 1)they are happy to see it does not contain a life threatening device (that would threaten their life as well as the lives of the general public) and 2)they know that one day it will be the real thing and when that time arrives, they will be glad of the practice and the fact that the public are helping them to identify danger.

In these dangerous times, we should never forget that we are all in this together. There is no room for complacancy. Just because you think you are safe and on holiday - remember what happened in Bali. If you think you are safe because you are in a secured facility or an Embassy overseas, remember Oklahoma and the countless Embassies and Consulates where deadly attacks are becomming a daily occurance.

If something doesn't look or feel right to you, there is a reason that you feel that way. Like the animals in the jungle, we are able to sense fear/danger in order to assist us with survival. The next time you report a suspicious activity, the life you save just might be your own.

Things that happen in China when nobody is watching

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:33:00 +0000

Here is another reason to pay attention for your own safety when you visit China - especially during the Olympics.

The BBC World News ran a story yesterday of a local Beijing woman whose house was about to be torn down, leaving her homeless. Why was her home being demolished? The Government had decided that her house would not look nice enough to the foreign visitors coming to Beijing for the summer Olympics. They planned to plant flowers in the spot where her home stood.

Apparently, the authorities knew that the woman was not going to willingly accept this obvious abuse of power. A couple of Police vans watched the house from about a block away. Then the cameras left after interviewing the woman. When the television cameras came back the next day, the house was gone and so was the woman. The house had been torn down in the middle of the night when there were no witnesses. Nobody could say what happened to her as the flower planters went about the task of digging flower beds.

The BBC had obtained similar footage that had been covertly recorded earlier at another house. In this instance, a couple of the homeowners tried to resist the authorities tearing down their house. The camera graphically recorded two men who attempted to protest on the roof of their humble abode. A couple of "heavies" pulverised the seated men with vicious blows and kicks. One poor man was kicked full-force in the face and head several times. The camera shot him being taken away by ambulance and his whole face was swollen and lacerated. It seems that the Chinese Government are very serious when it comes to planting flowers. They certainly appear to have a higher regard for flowers than they do for human rights.

Our advice to you if you are visiting Beijing this summer - don't pick the flowers. I have seen how they treat people when they think nobody is watching. It isn't pretty.

Tips for those looking to stay out of trouble!

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:23:00 +0000

This is an invitation to those in and around the Washington D.C. area to hear a presentation on how to keep from getting sued and risking your business.

I will be presenting "Protecting your business by avoiding costly law suits" at the "Brown Bag University" series, hosted by the Vienna Tyson's Regional Chamber of Commerce on Friday the 18th of June at 11:30am. There will be opportunities to network before and after the presentation.

Seating is limited, so if anyone wishes to sign up, please send an e-mail to: president@sextonsecurity.com. Bring paper and pen as the Ideas and Tips will be flying!

Deadly Attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:37:00 +0000

Once again, we sadly report on a terrorist attack aimed at destroying American lives. Fortunately, no Americans were hurt, but our thoughts go out to the families of the three Turkish Policemen killed while protecting the U.S. Consulate.

It was obviously an anti-American terrorist attack. The Consulate is said to be one of the most secure buildings in Istanbul. Three terrorists died along with the three Policemen who were guarding the Consulate.

Once again, this shows the danger that U.S. visitors face when travelling overseas these days. Turkey has long been a favourite tourist destination. Good value, great climate, interesting bazzars, friendly people - all of the ingredients one seeks when spending their holiday savings. These days howver, visitors need to also weigh up the potential for attack because of their Nationality.

D.C. Police Detective Arressted for Propositioning a "Prostitute".

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:58:00 +0000

Some time clients call us up and ask if we can send them off-duty cops for Executive Protection assignments. My first inclination is to tell them why we are reluctant to use off-duty police.

Yesterday, WTOP radio reported that a Detective Wheeler from the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police had been arrested for trying to hire a Prostitute. Unfortunately for Detective Wheeler, the "prostitute" was an undercover Police Detective herself.

The story gets better, however. It seems that Detective Wheeler is assigned to the Vice Unit. For those of you who don't know what a Vice Unit does, they set up "stings" and dress female Police officers to look like prostitutes in order to arrest those who try and do business with "prostitutes". One wonders if Detective Wheeler should be charged with the prostituion charge or one involving gross stupidity.

Just becaause a Police officer carries a gun, does not mean that this qualifies him or her to do everything security related. While most of them are decent, hard working indivduals, there are also some who break laws and circumvent the system for their own benefit. When you hire an "off-duty cop", you do not know what you are getting. Perhaps you will get a bad apple(s) who will do more harm than good. Afterall, what way is there to vet them?

A professional security company like ours, train their own people and enforce from day one a strong sense of Ethics. We have a zero policy for any behaviour that might be detrimental to us or the client. On the rare occassion when someone does something that we do not condone, they are terminated. There is no room for Union intervention or "three strikes, you're out" or any other delaying tactic.

Our reputation is too important. Then again, we do not have "jobs for life" but must instead earn buisness by constantly performing. The next time you need a security person, keep this in mind.

Work-place violence kills many U.S. workers every year.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:28:00 +0000

Our company is hired regularly to make sure that fired employees do not come back to work and kill a supervisor or fellow colleagues.

When people hear that Corporations hire bodyguards to work in their Corporations pending and following company terminations they are surprised. This surprises me. Every year, workplace violence makes the "top ten" list of serious concerns facing U.S. businesses.

Yesterday, on WTOP radio station I heard the phrase; "Desk Rage" for the first time. Unfortunately it is very appropriate. Some people have very bad tempers and an argument or decision at work can lead to them getting a weapon and committing homicide. This was evidenced a couple of weeks ago in Kentucky when five factory workers were killed by an employee who had been slightly reprimanded.

Employers do have a responsibility to ensure a safe work place environment. That is the reason companies hire us. If we are called in and are onsite when a violent worker returns intent on hurting people, we will be the ones to stop him or her from committing the act.

Fellow workers should report incidents involving any type of inappropriate behavior, especially instances where people are likely to get hurt, or worse. Very rarely does an employee just go ballistic or "postal" for no reason. The most common cause of work place homicides are domestic situations. An employee with a dangerous spouse/significant other who has just been arrested on domestic violence charges or has been served with a protective should be brought to a supervisor's attention immediately.

With so much rage in schools, on the road and in the home, the Police have their hands full just reacting to situations where many times the SWAT team will be called in. Private security companies are a great resource to the business community as Police do not have the resources to sit for days and wait to see if something will happen.

Be part of the solution. Report all potentially dangerous situations in the workplace to a supervisor.

Young Canadian Model Murdered in Shanghai.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:49:00 +0000

This is a very sad story. It needs to get out so other young girls and their parents can learn from this tragedy.

I traveled to China last year on a two week business trip. One of the thoughts that struck me was that it appeared to be a very law abiding society. Then when I visited Tiananmen Square, I was reminded of the scene when Government tanks turned on young student protestors and masacared them. There is much about China that lays beneath the surface.

Diana O'Brien was a young model from Canada who was lured to China with promises of "catwalk" modelling opportunities. Once she arrived there, the opportunities became offers to dance in bars. Apparently, many young girls go to China thinking they are breaking into the big time when in reality, many of these modelling agencies inlvolve little more than an apartment and a cell phone.

The JH model managment company that Diana worked for disappeared when news of her murder broke. Their website was taken down on Thursday. Although an official from the State Security Bureau would not comment, her murder seems to have been committed by a street criminal who stabbed her to death near her apartment for her belongings.

Young women and the parents of young women, need to know what they are getting themselves into before they travel to a strange place and put their lives in the hands of people who see them merely as a way to make money. This coming in the wake of the summer Olympics might cause some to question their own saftey in Beijing. Some of the age old principles still hold true; Beaware of your surroundings, Never travel alone - always have at least one companion at all times, Always let people know where you are going, Carry a cell phone (and pepper spray it is is allowed)to enable you to call for help.

In the streets of Beijing and Shanghai, people will approach you all of the time trying to get you to buy; fake watches, perfume, stamps and many other things. Most of these people are legitimately trying to make a sale but you do not know who are the ones that may be trying to pick-pocket you or surround you to rob you or lure you off a busy street where you won't be seen so easily. Walk briskly past them and ignore them. You should shop whee you are not being hassled and therfore can concentrate on your safety.

Even the Rich and Famous pay the price for being Dishonest and Unethical

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:05:00 +0000

All of our courses - in the U.S. and over seas, begin with the same message - ETHICS is the keystone of our profession and our success. It's a shame that famed litigator - Richard "Dickie" Scruggs forgot that lesson.

In yesterday's Washington Post, the headline reads; "Famed Litigator Gets 5-Year Term for Conspiracy to bribe Judge". For those who are not familiar with him, Scruggs became one of the wealthiest and most famous lawyers in the country by taking on tobacco, insurance and asbestos companies.

What did he do? Well, for starters (and what they were able to prove), he attempted to bribe Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Henry Lackey by offering him $50,000.00. U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr., called Scruggs' conduct "reprehensible" and told him that he picked the wrong Judge to bribe. In addition to the 5 year jail term, he was fined $250,000.00 and lost his law license.

You really got to love it when Justice is rightfully served. Unfortunately, it makes me wonder how many more sleazy lawyers around the country and unethical Judges are not getting reported and prosecuted. It is a little too hard to believe that Scruggs is the only dirt-bag in the legal profession. We welcome the message it sends out; "nobody is above the law".

Like most, if not all common criminals, Richerd Scruggs became greedy. In 1990, Scruggs became famous for suing tobacco companies and winning lawsuits that resulted in a $206 BILLION dollar settlement. If his take of that was just 10%, he walked away with a cool $20.6 Billion dollars. A film was even made about the case - "The Insider" starred Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.

A decade later he is trying to bribe a Judge with $50,000? I would say it was a combination of greed and power going to his head. Maybe that is why the "Post" reported that he nearly fainted and swayed from side to side when the Judge scolded him. He had to sit down before the sentence was read out. He must have believed that he was untouchable.

It's just a shame that he wasn't touched with a heavier sentence. A twenty year sentence would have sent out an even more powerful message. Still and all, the idea of wearing a prison jumpsuit and eating balogna sandwiches is probably like a life sentence to someone who believed themselves to be above the law.

The article claims that many high profile friends petitioned Judge Biggers for leniency when sentencing Scruggs. He's lucky I am not the warden at his jail. I think he would be a perfect candidate for the toilet cleaning squad.

If you are headed to Pakistan - watch your back

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:20:00 +0000

So much goes on in the murky world of Polictics that we often do not know what is afoot until long after the fact. Take a look at today's bombshell for instance.

Everyone seemed to be shocked to hear that North Korea came clean about their nuclear weapons capability and were rewarded by the lifting of some sanctions. This is a total "180" from their behavior not that long ago when they were flexing their nutrition-deprived muscles and thumbing their noses at the rest of the world.

This in turn is making me wonder about the threats from Afghanistan's President Karzai to Pakistan. President Karzai has been very vocal regarding Pakistan's involvement in his country's border area and his warnings suggesting Afghanistan's intent to attack their neighbor seems to be starting to agitate the Paskistani authorities. Which makes me wonder....is Karzai's theatrics a way to open the door for his U.S. protectors to launch an attack on the Pakistani border?

If this is the case, than Americans travelling to Pakistan should really consider if they need to be there and if they do, they should give serious consideration to their safety while there. We were recently contacted by a U.S. company who had business in Pakistan and rightfully so, they were worried for their safety. There are no doubt, many sympathizers in Pakistan, especially near the Afghan border who have little love for America or it's citizens. Further strikes (no matter how justifeid they may be), will only heighten this dislike/distrust.

If you are headed to that region, be well aware of what might lay ahead and plan accordingly.

D.C. Gun Ban Lifted - Thank You Supreme Court!

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:23:00 +0000

The news came like music to my ears (and to hundreds of thousands of other ears across the country, I dare say). Law abiding citizens in the District of Columbia would be allowed to protect their homes and families.

The vote was not unanimous by any means - the historical decision was arrived at by a 5 to 4 vote to remove the ban prohibiting District residents from obtaining handguns. In a WTOP radio interview today, the NRA lobby spokesman, Chris Cox, spoke about the need for cities such as Chicago and San Francisco to fight to have their Second Ammendment rights re-instated.

Mr. Cox also gave notice to D.C. Mayor Fenty that he would have to honor the Supreme Court's decision, even though it is well known that the Mayor is a fierce opponent of allowing law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones with the aid of a firearm. Mayor Fenty was later qoted as saying; "More guns will mean more crimes".

Apparently the Mayor's flawed and at this stage, thread-bare reasoning, did not influence the majority of Supreme Court Justices. I would dearly love to be able to ask the Mayor this one question; how has the ban on handguns, which has been in effect in the District of Columbia for the past 32 years, helped to cut down on violent crime involving the use of ILLEGAL firearms? I am sure that I am not the only one who has heard D.C. referred to as; "The murder Capital of the World". Are drive-bys, and drug/gang related homicides ever committed by a law abiding citizen? How could having a firearm in one's home lead to more crime?

I put it to you Mr. Mayor, that the exact opposite would/will happen. All of those two-bit gun wielding punks on your streets who think they are big and bad because they have a "piece" jammed in their waist bands will think twice before burglarizing the home of a law abiding citizen who just might be pointing the noisey end of a 45 pistol at them. It is a well known fact that D.C. and Maryland criminals are very reluctant to break into a Virginia home as they know that Virginians have easy access to weapons.

Of course this latest ruling does not in any way mean that we'll all be walking around downtown with concealed firearms. Far from it, I am sure. Justice Scalia pointed out that restrictions will still be in place. As it should be. Law abiding citizens do not want to see convicted Felons carrying guns nor should those suffering from mental disorders or with a history of violent domestic abuse be allowed to access guns. Similar to what we have in Virginia, it is realistic to expect that guns will be banned from Government buildings and schools.

As the owner of a security firm who protects clients from harm and as someone allowed to carry concealed in Virginia and Maryland, I would hope that those of us who are properly licensed and insured in the District will be able to carry concealed there. I wouldn't even mind if the Mayor acted like a proper politician and found a way to tax us for the privilege.

He can even insist that all future gun holders undergo a mandated safety course. Being a certified security training school, we're ready to get on board with the training program today!

Is this a case of; "Do as I say, not as I do"?

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:23:00 +0000

I think it is a shame when a Police Officer acts like a Politician. It seems like this might be what happened to the Police Chief in San Francisco.

It has leaked out that Chief Heather Fong has not qualified with her service weapon in years. She actually admits to it but blames the lapse on her busy schedule. This poses two really pressing questions. Firstly, what would she do if she was getting into her vehicle going to or coming from work and she witnessed a grievous felony taking place? If she pulled her weapon, she would most definitely not be able to respond in a manner befitting a trained Police Officer who had undergone requalification every 6 months as is her Department's policy. Would she even be qualified/legally covered to use her weapon after going years without re-training?

Secondly, how is she able to administer punishment to other officers who have failed to re-qualify when she herself is facing disciplinary charges? What kind of message is she sending out? Apparently, in San Francisco there seems to be one law for the street cops and another for high ranking officers. This must do wonders for morale.

Of course we know that you have a busy schedule Chief, but it is hard to believe that you couldn't find an hour once every six months to run out to the range and "pop a few off". You would hardly have to wait in line like everyone else. Have you forgotten what every Police Officer (and armed security officer for that matter) is taught, that using a weapon is based upon muscle memory? In other words, if you don't use it, you lose it.

People like Chief Fong are supposed to lead by example and shame on them when they don't. Do the right thing Chief, bring a sandwich to work with you and go out to the range on your lunch break. You shouldn't put yourself above the law.

Attention - Lawyers and Private Investigators!

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Lawyers are always in need of process servers to serve civil papers. More often than not, they use the services of a Private Investigator or process service company.

If the P.I. or process server is credible and ethical, there should not be a problem. If on the other hand, the server "claims" to have served the paper, charges the Law Firm for services rendered but does not actually effect the necessary service, it could be the makings of a significant lawsuit. This is what happened in Massachusetts.

The plaintiff in that casewas awarded $3,000,000.00 when the State Court ruled that the Bermuda businessman, Donald P.Lines, had not been served by the company hired to effect the service, Boston based "Stokes & Levin". It later transpired that the company had used pre-fabricated stamps of the signature of a process server who no longer worked for the company. It did not enhance the image of the Securities and Exchange Commission either as the SEC were the ones who hired "Stokes & Levin".

I have heard stories of one elderly P.I. in Virginia who gets confused when he serves civil papers and sometimes puts the same time on two different papers even when they are served 20 miles or more apart. Yet, he continues to get requests for service from lawyers that he has known a while. I hope this story serves as a reminder to him and those who hire him that you stand to lose a lot if you don't get it right - both in reputation and finacial terms. There's no shame in hanging up the gun belt when the sun starts to set on your career. It's always better to go out a winner than a defendant.

When does a bodyguard need to shoot into a crowd?

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:28:00 +0000

A story out of Mumbai,India caught my attention today. A politician's bodyguard shot into a crowd of people and killed a man.

While professional Executive Protection Agents no longer refer to themselves as "bodyguards", if we nonetheless examine that "handle", we can break it down as; "a person who guards (protects) the body of another". If I was tasked with the investigation of this shooting incident in India, one of the very first places I would look at would be the training manuals of those involved. If they were Policemen, I would demand to be allowed to inspect that Department's training guides that were used when training their "bodyguards". Same thing would apply if they belonged to a private company/entity.

I very seriously doubt that I would find any directive anywhere authorizing those assigned to the protective detail to fire haphazzardly into a crowd of people. To me, this suggests that the bodyguard either panicked or was placed in the position without any professional training (most probable explanation). Anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes in E.P. training knows that the responsibility of the Protective Agent(s) is to evacuate their client (Principal). Shooting into crowds of people would be out of place, even in far-fetched Hollywood. I am quite sure that Indian society is nothing near as litigious as it is here in the Western world, but I still suspect that there is a smart lawyer somewhere in India trying to contact the victim's family. I believe the case will be his for the winning.

Ironically, I contactd a company in India a couple of months back with a proposal to train their Executive Protection staff. Without ever hearing a price, they contacted me back and said they were sure they couldn't afford us (eventhough they are one of the largest employers in India). Which makes me wonder, how do you put a price on a human life and what would you consider a fair price to have your people professionally trained so that you were not sued by the family/next of kin of someone killed by one of your employees? By the way, this question can be asked of any employer anywhere in the world who is in the business of either safeguarding their own employees, or protecting the life of others.

In Real Estate it is about; "Location, Location, Location". In security, it is about; "Training, Training, Training". I sincerely hope that many get to know of this incident (including nearly all of the Hollywood stars who allow their Protectors to assault people on a regular basis)and begin to realize the importance of having a professionally trained person taking care of them. Hiring some big guy with a couple of years military experience is not good enough.

That would be like hiring a person for a plastic surgery procedure whose only experience was carving the Thanksgiving turkey. Who'd be the turkey then?

Why would the Government hire a security consultant and then not listen to him?

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:56:00 +0000

I received an interesting piece from one of my friends in Homeland Security. It concerns Juval Aviv, the Bodyguard for Golda Meir and the person she sent out to track down those responsible for killing the Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympic games.

Apparently Mr. Aviv delivered a lecture in New York City a couple of weeks ago. He made some startling predictions. One of these is the fact that he believes the next attack(s)on the U.S. will occur in the next few months and it will involve suicide and non-suicide bombers where large numbers of people congregate. This will not come as any surprise to those of us who have seen the Al Qaida training types showing training scenarios aimed at football stadiums, shopping malls, golf tournaments, etc.

Interestingly, Aviv claims that these threats are well known by the U.S. Govt. but they do not want to "alarm citizens" with the facts. Aviv just might know what he's talking about there since he currently serves as a special consultant to the U.S. Congress and other policy makers. There is no doubt that he knows what he is talking about when he describes what is needed at U.S. airports.

I have long known that U.S. airports are not as safe as people would like to think. Apart from all of the "mistakes" and the prohibited items that make it past the security check points, there is the procedure whereby bags remain unchecked in any form until people have gained access to ticket desks and the internal front area of the airport. The people themselves are not screened until they head for the gates. What would happen if a terrorist self-detonated in the middle of a crowded airport without ever trying or expecting to make it on a plane? Scary thoughts, but thoughts nonetheless about which someone should be thinking and being concerned enough to address it.

Should Aviv be taken serious? Well, he predicted the London bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox News stating publicly that it would happen within a week. At the time, O'Reilly laughed and said that in a week, he wanted him back on the show. Unfortunately, within a week the terrorist attack occurred.

It would be nice to know that the Government was doing all it could for us, but reading and hearing things like this does not exactly instill confidence. Then again, there were probably those who felt safe seeing Army reservists with rifles in our airports in the days following 9-11. That is, if you didn't think about it for more than a minute.

Like charity, security starts at home. Now more than ever, it may be a case of; "the Lord helping those who help themselves."

Danger in Dubai?

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Those who come to Dubai could be forgiven for thinking that this is an Oasis in a peaceful desert. In reality though, they would do well to remember that this Oasis is located in the middle of a volatile region.

I came to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates a week ago to promote an International Executive Protection course that we are holding here later in the summer. While it is true that most citizens in the U.A.E. are law abiding, there is potential here for opportunists to turn that around. Anyone who spends anytime here, especially in the vicinity of Dubai, will see that it is an extremely wealthy area.

I was talking to an ex-pat business man last night at dinner and he made the comment that a friend of his could not get the attention of the Valets at a local club recently because he was "only driving a Porsche 911". The valets were too busy finding premium parking spots for the Bentleys, Aston Martins and Ferraris. This is why Sexton Executive Security is opening an office in the U.A.E. We believe it is only a matter of time before cunning criminals realize how much money they could make from kidnappings, stealing luxury cars/chop shops and a host of other crimes.

Then yesterday morning something else happened. One of the Embassies released a terrorist alert warning for the U.A.E. Despite the fact that this is the Middle East, alerts like this are not common. Afteralll, this is a shopper's paradise where vistors can spend thousands of dollars on a hotel suite for the night. Now we have begun to compile a list of Executive Protection Specialists with current passports who are available for International assignments.

Don't let the bright lights fool you. This is not Kansas Dorothy. Keep your eyes open and like they used to say on Hill Street Blues; "let's be careful out there."

Perhaps it should be "Homeland Insecurity" in Britain.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:02:00 +0000

I was listening to "Euronews" in Dubai this afternoon and surprised to hear that a second British Government official had lost Top Secret papers on the train - two in less than a week.

Like a lot of people, I misplace things all of the time. Sometime it can take me several minutes to find where in the house I left my car keys. There is of course a huge difference here. My keys do not contain classified details about Al-Qaeda operations. Wouldn't you think that the first incident earlier in the week would be a major wake-up call? Wouldn't you hold on to those papers for dear life, knowing that by leaving them behind somewhere, not only were you jeopardizing your future career and retirement plan but also the safety and security of the Nation as a whole?

Those of us who have to fly regularly are probably a little bit more annoyed than some others. I was standing in a security line in Heathrow Airport last Monday trying to get to the gate for my flight to Dubai and the whole line was at a stand still due to the security checker examining a beverage bottle belonging to a passenger who was arguing that it was small enough to be taken through. It seemed to go on for hours.

I only wish that the Top Secret Papers debacle had occurred before then. I know I would have told them that they would be better off spending their time looking for misplaced sensitive Govt. documents than scanning the contents of a water bottle. Of course, I probably would have been arrested, questioned for hours and maybe even deported.
If only the Wright brothers could see how it all turned out.

The power of communication.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:24:00 +0000

I think many of us fail to realize the extreme importance of communicating in a way that ensures we are understood.When I was working for the United Nations in different countries around the world, I would often be told by other UN staff that they were surprised that they could actually understand what I was saying. Apparently, they had met other Irish and could only understand a few words here and there. That was easy for me to understand. As the Deputy and later Chief of the United Nation's Special Investigation Unit, it was of the utmost importance that people could understand me. Imagine questioning a person who was facing deportation back to their country for an alleged crime. It would be unfair to them if I didn't make my self understood, even if it meant that I had to slow down my fast Irish speech and leave out the Irish slang words (that very few people around the world can ever understand).

I was in Dublin last weekend, passing through on my way to the Middle East. The big topic was the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty. It seems that the country was fairly evenly divided by those who were; voting yes, voting no, did not know. I wasn't that terribly sure what it was all about so I asked my sister and her husband. They had to admit that the whole thing was rather unclear and that the Politicians didn't do a great job of explaining. Then I met up with my brother. He too was not 100% about the importance of a "yes" or "no" vote. I got the impression that Ireland might lose their National identity if they voted "yes", so I left thinking that "no" was the way to go.

Apparently the rest of Ireland thought so too, as I am sitting in my hotel room in Dubai listening to the BBC and Sky news talking about the after effects of Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty. That got me thinking. The only time we really ever had any problems with a client involved communicating, or a lapse on somebody's part. It is amazing how large the repercussions can be when you are talking about a whole country. Next time you are involved in a negotiation, remember the Lisbon treaty and make sure you know what is at stake. You could be avoiding a costly mistake.

Sometimes danger lurks right under our nose.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:23:00 +0000

When Executive Protecion Specialists think and speak about "Threat Assessment", they are usually focusing on a known or suspected danger that may prove life-threatening. Sometimes, that danger may already have made itself at home and is silently destroying lives and eating away at victims like a cancerous growth.

One such story was highlighted by the "Washington Post Magazine" on May 25th, 2008. It involved a young girl who had been molested and raped by her own father. A man who was something of a hero to many. A man who had walked side by side with Dr. martin Luther king and who was only a few feet away from the Civil Rights leader when he was assasinated. That man is James Bevel.

I had the pleasure of listening to Col. Dave Grossman speaking at UCLA last April. He was eloquent in his description of how young lives are taken and families estroyed by School killings. He also spoke about those who prey on the less suspecting. He equated it to the Wolves hunting down and eating sheep. Mr. Bevel appears to be one of those parasitic wolves.

For years he raped his little daughter, telling her it was something of an "experiment". In his mind, he didn't think that it mattered. His unfathomable belief (and apparently remains the same until this day) is that all women are prostitutes until they reach a certain age, when sex is set aside for procreation. This beleif allowed him to allegedly rape his eight year old daughter on many occassions.

His daughter, Aaralyn Mills, finally found the courage to step foward and contact the Police in 2005. She assisted the Leesburg authorities to tape record her conversation with her father. In that conversation, James Bevel admitted raoping his daughter and that it was part of a scientific process. Unfortunately, her mother, like many other mothers, did not want or couldn't face the truth. This gave the big, bad wolf all the space he needed to desecrate the little sheep.

Sadly, men like this are living throughout our communities. they come in all shapes, sizes nd colors. Some are Doctors, Community leaders, Priests, Police Officers, Electricians and Preachers. If you have been entrusted with the job of protecting an innocent lamb, be a strong and fearful sheepdog and protect your flock, with your very life if need be. Be brave like Aaralyn Mills. She stepped forward at this time in her life because her father who has many children with many different women has now a young daughter and her half-siter is afraid that he will rape her too.

Beware! $4 + a gallon is bringing out the thieves in our communities.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 31 May 2008 04:53:00 +0000

We recently alerted our readers to watch out for copper piping, wiring and even art pieces that were being stolen by thieves looking to cash in on the rising price of copper. It was only a matter of time before the same thing happened to the fuel tanks on our vehicles.

Neil Cavuto ran a story on Fox's "Cavuto World" today about thieves who are even going so far as to drill into tanks in an effort to steal a vehicle's fuel. Gasoline, Dielsel and even greasy cooking oil is being stolen. That's right - cooking oil.

I first heard that old cooking oil could be used to run a car on from my brother in Northern Ireland about four or five years ago. There was very little start-up costs involved and being the owner of a restaurant, he had a ready supply of used oil. He told me at that at that time, people were converting their vehicles to run on the oil and were going around gathering up used oil from restaurants. The owners of these establishments were thrilled since they used to pay to have the old oil removed previously.

Apparently this recycling of cooking oil has become so popular, that restaurants are now selling it - last I heard for about $1.50 a gallon. Thieves have discovered its worth and are now draining the oil tanks located at the rear of restaurants. The report went on to say that SUVs are especially being targeted as their size gives the thieves plenty of good cover. The fact that their tanks are larger and contain more fuel is an added advantage for them.

What can you do? For starters, if your fuel cap is not lockable, replace it with one that can be locked. If at all possible, keep your vehicle in a locked garage. If that is not an option, park it in a well lit area. Unfortunately, the higher the prices go at the pump, the more prevalent that fuel thefts will become.

Hurricane season officially begins in 24 hours and many are doing nothing about it.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Sat, 31 May 2008 03:50:00 +0000

I was watching the weather channel yesterday to see what the weekend would be like and was surprised to learn that the price of oil is being blamed for people's lack of preparation leading up to hurricane season.

According to the broadcaster, 50% of people living in areas that are most likely to be hit by hurricanes have not conducted any disaster planning whatsoever. Of people surveyed, 30% admitted that they will wait until they hear warnings on the television before they do anything. The report said that this is the first time since Huricanes Katrina and Rita struck, that people were so poorly prepared.

One very interesting fact that 95% of people do not realize is that garages are the most vulnerable area of a dwelling to be hit by a Hurricane. The Hurricane will tear off the roof of the house right after gaining access to the property through the garage. We would urge all of our readers living in areas susceptible to hurricanes to make sure that their garages are well secured. Times may be tight and the cost of fuel is becoming more and more burdensome but there is no point losing your house when you just may have been able to prevent it.

If you didn't realize this fact about your garage, check it out today. Time may be running out.

Parents can't afford to let their guard down when it comes to their children's safety

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:35:00 +0000

I was very fortunate last night to have been able to attend a presentation in Richmond by the well known Criminal and Behavioral Profiler, Dr. Clinton Van Zandt.
Dr. Van Zandt adressed a dinner which was organized by the Private Investigators Association of Virgina. Attendees were kept spell bound by inside sories involving the Jon Bennet Ramsey murder, The Unibomber, The Beltway Snipers and more.

Last month I was also fortunate to have been able to hear Col. Dave Grossman speak eloquently and passionately about the tragic school shootings in which he has been called in to assist educators and parents understand. One thing is clear from listening to both men, parents need to be ever mindful of the fact that they are their children's protectors. They are the sheepdogs, ever on the lookout for marauding wolves.

If you are a parent, or an educator or a security professional, I strongly urge you to read up on the teachings of these learned men and jump at the opportunity to hear them live if at all possible. I personally guarantee you that you will not be disappointed.

Hollywood P.I. Found Guilty on 76 of 77 Charges.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Hollywood P.I., Anthony Pellicano was found guilty on 76 counts last Thursday. Pellicano was accused of having wiretapped the phones of such celebrities as Sylvester Stallone and running the names of other celebs through Law Enforcement databases.

People like Pellicano give hard working private investigators out there a bad name and he won't get any sympathy from us. New investigators who might have looked up to him due to the list of celebrity clients who hired him should see this as a valuable lesson. Honesty, loyalty, respect for the law and your clients - these are what is important. Being able to to say that such-and-such film star is a client and then go around breaking laws to get what you want, is a sure fire way to wind up in an orange jump-suit.

No doubt Mr. Pellicano will have plenty of time to contemplate this as he will soon have plenty of time on his hands. Unfortunately, there are clients out there who request investigators to break the law just so that they can get what they want. It would be interesting to have seen some of Pellicano's famous clients being charged as accomplices and swapping their Italian designer suits for the County's comfortable "day-glo" clothing and to join him on the baloney sandwich line on the inside.

Now that would be an interesting message to send out.

Copper Thieves are the New Gold Diggers

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:15:00 +0000

Be careful if your property contains a lot of visible copper. Thieves are cashing in on the rising price of copper.

In one case, two men tried to sell copper caps to a scrap metal dealer in Chicago. The dealer became suspicious and notified Police. The two men worked at a munitions factory and the copper they were trying to sell were casings from 1.5 million rounds of ammunition. One of them is now facing a prison sentence of 245 years for stealing from the military during wartime.

In Hot Springs, Arkansas, 2,000 customers, a Wal-Mart, a mall and a hospital lost power when thieves hit an electric sub-station on April 27. Last year, we took over security at a site for a client where theives were stripping copper from electrical lines. Similar incidents are taking place all over the country. Thieves are getting so desperate that they are willing to risk getting electrocuted in order to steal the valuable metal.

Burglaries have risen by 18% so far this year throughout the District of Columbia and Police detectives are attributing much of it to the theft of copper wiring and piping. During the past 2 weeks, thieves have hit construction sites in Germantown, Clarksburg and Potomac. It is getting so bad that outdoor sculptures are starting to disappear. In Brea, California, city officials have contacted owners of bronze sculptures and advised them to step up security.

In 2000, the average price of copper was $0.83 per pound. Eight years later, the rate has jumped to $3 - $4 per pound.

How America may be funding the Mafia in Japan.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:15:00 +0000

Those of us who may have thought of Japan as a country of respectful, law-abiding peaceful citizens, would do well to think again.

In a Washington Post article titled: "The Mob is Big in Japan", the writer, Jake Adelstein paints a far different picture. Mr. Adelstein has spent the past 15 years covering the Mafia (Yakuza) as a crime reporter for Japan's largest newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun. He has been so relentless in his reporting, that his life and that of his family are now in danger.

Apparently, Mobs are legal entities there and they have "fan magazines" and comic books. The Japanese National Police Agency (NPA)estimates that the yakuza has nearly 80,000 members. Police say that in Tokyo alone, there are more than 800 yakuza "front companies" in industries such as: investment and auditing firms, construction companies and pastry shops. Disturbingly, it is reported that the mobsters have even opened their own bank in California.

In more recent times, the yakuza have moved into finance. Japan's Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission know of more than 50 listed companies with ties to the underworld. U.S. investors have invested billions of dollars in the Japanese stock market. How much of that is going towards funding the Japanese Mob? To add further insult to injury, the yakuza makes much of their ill-gotten profits from child pornography. Want to hear something revolting? Owning child porn in Japan is LEGAL.

Investigation firms such as ours constantly advise clients to do their due diligence. How would you like to enter into a business agreement with a Japanese company and later find out that they were a front company for drug runners and child porn peddlers? Remember, you can't always rely on a government to tell you who the bad guys are and they don't always wear black hats.

Know what you are getting into and if it is a deal worth pursuing, hire somebody to conduct a thorough investigation or send over a member of your staff to check them out fully and avoid having your reputation damaged down the road.

Latest linking of Senator Obama to a '70's terrorist may damage his reputation.

noreply@blogger.com (John Sexton) — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:12:00 +0000

We all know how important it is to have a good reputation and the price we pay when it becomes damaged. The latest reports linking Senator Obama with the 70's radical, William Ayers, can not help him in his nomination bid.

William "Billy" Ayers was a member of the '70's domestic terrorist group: Weather Underground Organization (WUO). WUO were opposed to the Vietnam war and pledged to bomb the Capitol, The Pentagon and Police Stations after issuing a "declaration of a state of war" against the United States Government in 1970.

These days, Ayers is a professor at UIC. Apparently, Ayers and the Senator have served jointly on various Boards and have appeared on discussion panels together. Most likely Senator Obama failed to do the proper due diligence on his co-host and was unaware of his terrorist affiliations and involvement. Unfortunately for the Senator, many voters may not be so forgiving, especially when they realize that Ayers has recently made comments to the effect that he does not regret planting bombs and thinks he did not do enough. He even went so far as to state that he can not entirely dismiss the idea of planting a bomb today.

Last week during training of an Executive Protection class in Baltimore, I spoke about the need to keep an open mind when it comes to terrorism and to realize that terrorists come in all shapes, sizes and colors. I even discussed domestic terrorism and drew their attention to the Weather Underground. We should remember that terrorists will not always arrive looking as they do in television footage.

For instance, Timothy McVeigh could walk down any street in the U.S. prior to the bombing in Oklahoma and not one single person would ever have suspected him of being a home-grown terrorist. Everything (and everybody) is not always what it seems.