What Joelinton Got Right: How to Use CCTV Effectively 

Footballers have become frequent targets of burglaries. Their public profiles, predictable schedules, known wealth, and visible lifestyles motivating and presenting a tempting opportunity for criminals — some of whom travel across borders to carry out their crimes. 

Newcastle United’s Joelinton was one such victim, targeted twice within a year. 

The Threat Footballers Face 

The incentive for criminals is clear: luxury goods and highly portable valuables worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. In one case, four burglars travelled from Italy to target footballer Alexander Isak’s home in April 2024. They carried out reconnaissance at the training ground before striking, not once, but across multiple properties. 

The UK Football Police Unit has stated that footballers are five times more likely to be victims of robbery, burglary, or theft. Many respond by upgrading their home security, often with CCTV. But the effectiveness of CCTV depends on how it's used. 

CCTV: More Than a Post-Incident Tool 

All too often, CCTV is only used after the fact, to review what occurred. But in one of the break-ins at Joelinton’s home, a different approach showed the real potential of proactive surveillance. 

In January 2024, Sky News reported that Joelinton received a live notification on his phone from his CCTV system, alerting him to a break-in. He immediately reported it to Northumbria Police, who were dispatched to the scene. 

Although the crime still occurred, this response showcases a far more effective use of CCTV, not just to observe but to detect and act. 

Deter. Detect. Respond. 

An effective CCTV system follows a clear methodology: Deter, Detect, Respond. 

Deter 
Well-positioned cameras act as a deterrent, especially for opportunistic criminals who lack the tools, equipment or knowledge to bypass them. Cameras should be clearly visible if they are to deter, cover all vulnerable access points, and deliver high-quality footage both day and night. 

Detect 
This is where modern systems excel. Gone are the days of endlessly reviewing footage. Today’s smart cameras use analytics, motion detection, human/vehicle recognition, and facial ID to flag suspicious behaviour, instantly. As Joelinton's case showed, real-time alerts mean potential threats don’t go unnoticed. 

Respond 
Detection is only useful if it leads to action. Whether it’s alerting the police, escalating your home security, or even warning your community, the ability to respond quickly makes the difference. Cameras with internal microphones can even allow for warnings or verbal deterrents in real-time. 

What you should do

Joelinton’s experience underscores the power of proactive CCTV use. Following a clear Deter, Detect, Respond methodology, transforms CCTV from a passive tool into an active security solution. 

You may not be a Premier League footballer, but you can still benefit from the same principles. With today’s technology, from smart doorbells to advanced analytic systems, your chances of detecting and responding to threats have never been better. 

If your current CCTV setup doesn’t give you this capability, speak to a reputable installer. Effective security starts with being proactive. If you would like to know more contact BluSkills today to speak to an expert.

A 2023 BBC report claimed England tops the world league table of luxury watch heists. The report came off the back of a documentary ‘Hunting the Rolex Rippers’ which can be seen on BBC iPlayer.

With the increase in publicity around the theft of luxury watches, we wanted to take a look at the data to check the facts and see what the threat landscape actually looks like for you, the watch enthusiast.

Methodology

We decided to look at the data for London due to the availability of data and because this is the area in which there has been the focus of much of the press reporting, although other areas such as Cheshire have featured.

We used data from the Metropolitan Police area, available from their website. Additionally, we submitted a freedom of information request to obtain data for missing periods, so we could see the trend over a period of time rather than a short isolated period.

We were interested in numbers of theft, whether this was against the person, whether violence was used and the value of stolen watches.

Background

From a criminals perspective, the motivation to steal watches can be easily seen. Watches are small, high value items for which a readily available used market place exists, so they are easily converted in to cash. They are worn in the public domain, where access is readily available; so as we can see we have a relationship of high motivation, good opportunity and low skill or ability required to steal them.

With a high demand from the watch resale market, compounded by black markets or second hand markets where companies and individuals don’t necessarily conduct due diligence, check serial numbers, or send watches to the manufacturers for servicing prior to sale; stolen watches can easily make their way on to consumers wrists.

Demand or availability are strong potential motivators for theft, Rolex is renowned as being a popular resale timepiece and therefore comes as no surprise that Rolex topped the stolen list for 2022 and 2023 by a considerable margin.

What does the data say?

We looked at data from 2016-2023 inclusive, excluding the partial year of 2024 (3 months at the time of writing). This combined ONS data with that provided by the Metropolitan Police. The results were interesting…

• The period 2016 to 2023 showed a declining trend. The total value of watches stolen from a 2016 peak of £94.5M to 2023 of £42.1M. 2016 did have an outlying month in March with £72M in stolen watches.

• 2021 represented a 7 year low at £25.4M of recorded thefts.

• Decline in the number of thefts.

• Increase in the value of thefts

• An annual value of £40M seems to be the baseline figure

• 2016 an outlier. March 2016, saw a total theft value of £72M, it is unknown what caused this spike and if it is genuine or due to a backlog of data. Reducing this month to be comparible with other months in the year would have seen a figure of nearer £25M.

Watchfinder and GQ

According to police data obtained by pre-owned specialist Watchfinder & Co, cases in England and Wales almost doubled between 2015 and 2022 – from 6,696 to 11,035 – and in 2022 there was a 41 per cent increase in thefts from 2021. London accounted for nearly half of UK cases in 2022, with 600 stolen in December alone.

GQ article - https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/watch-theft-report-2023

What are the tactics?

Theft of watches occurs over a range of crimes, theft from the person, theft from the home and theft from a commercial enterprise such as a jewellers. If we look at the most concerning, theft from the person, reporting gives a good idea of the tactics used and how they fit with the crime cycle:

• Target selection

• Planning

• Deployment

• Crime

• Escape

• Exploitation

Target Selection

One victim interviewed believed that his watch could not have observed while he was walking in public on the street and felt that it was likely seen while in a restaurant when he removed longer sleeved clothing. This indicates that watch theft from the person is likely more complex and planned than pure opportunity alone, with a network of persons who can recognise watches and alert others who commit the theft.

Planning

The operation is low complexity and may not be the first time the offender has committed the crime. This shortens the planning phase. The threat actor would likely want to confirm the target, the item to be stolen and select an appropriate place to commit the crime. Look out for being followed by people or repetitive sightings of vehicles such as mopeds with multiple persons.

Deployment and Crime

Modern tactics indicate that the planning, deployment and crime occur in a very quick sequence of events. The canvassing of high wealth areas to target vulnerable, unsuspecting and unaware victims very quickly, using threats of violence before a rapid escape.

Escape

London in particular saw the use of mopeds with high success. This method enabled a speedy approach and withdrawal, with assailants unrestricted by traffic or confined to the rioad network to facilitate a quick escape from the scene.

How has the use of violence changed?

Statistics showed that in London, while the count of thefts from the person had decreased, the use of violence in these events had increased over time. Often large knives are used to frighten individuals in to handing over their possessions.

Hunting the Rolex rippers

The Ozil incident - Blue Tick Show. Demonstrates the tactics used, canvassing an area and talks about the low prices obtained by theives.

How can you help?

If you’re reading this you’re likely to be a owner, collector or admirer and aspirational owner of luxury watches. The black market in stolen watches fuels demand, likely compounded by rising values. As a buyer, you can have a direct impact:

• Buy legitimate items - Check the Watch Register when buying second hand or to register a loss

• Buy from reputable merchants - Good resellers will have checked the history of your timepiece and will provide you with protection.

Should you be afraid to wear your watch in the UK?

The research is both reassuring and cautionary:

• In London watch thefts are down

• The value of watches stolen is at a similar level to 2017

• The use of and likelihood of violence in watch theft has increased

• The average value of theft has increased, this could indicate better targeting of high value items but also the rise in value of items

If you want to wear your expensive timepiece, and why wouldn’t you, think about these red flags:

• Attention by others - comments, questioning, lasting glances even by staff in bars and restaurants

• Particular attention to the watch face which may feel unnatural

• Feelings of, or being followed - by foot, mopeds or e-bikes

If you do notice any suspicious behaviour or feel uncomfortable take positive action such as:

• Avoiding low footfall or quiet areas

• Take a cab

• Notify the police or local security

Perhaps you would like a strategy to ensure you can wear your valuables without concern or to protect them from theft at home.

Contact BluSkills today to speak to an expert.

These aren’t just abstract risks. They are unwelcome disruptions to your core mission: providing jobs, creating value, and staying operational.

While many large organisations have the benefit of robust security departments, internal expertise, and external support networks, small to medium-sized businesses often represent a softer opportunity to threat actors.

So, how can your business, especially if it operates in or around sensitive industries, be better prepared?

Understanding the Threat: A Real-World Case

One example worth examining is the activity of the Palestine Action Group (PAG), formed in 2020 with the explicit goal of disrupting UK-based businesses linked to Israel’s defence industry, particularly those associated with Elbit Systems.

Until recently, PAG has been open about its targets, publishing them online and running training events to prepare volunteers for ‘positive action.’ The result? A wave of incidents across the UK—not just affecting manufacturers, but law firms, logistics firms, accountants, and financial institutions.

Organisations such as Barclays Bank and Instro Precision have been targeted multiple times. In Barclays’ case, activist pressure led to a shift in investment strategy to reduce attacks against its high-street branches.

Could this be your business—directly or indirectly?

Lack of Action Isn’t a Strategy

Understanding the anatomy of threat activity can help businesses better prepare. One proven framework is the Crime Triangle, which outlines three core elements of any successful disruptive action:

• Motivation

• Opportunity

• Ability (or Means)

We look at each through the lens of recent incidents and identify actionable insights you can apply today.

1. Motivation

Why would someone target your business?

In traditional crime, the answer is often financial. But in the case of activist action, ideology plays a major role. Instro Precision, a defence contractor, was openly listed on PAG’s public target list. That made the risk easier to foresee.

But not every business has this visibility. You may be unaware that your products, services, or clients place you in the sights of a determined group.

What you can do:

• Conduct an asset analysis to understand what might be appealing or symbolic to different actors.

• Identify likely threat actors and assess their motivations.

• Carry out a risk assessment based on asset value and exposure.

2. Opportunity

This is an area where your business has strong agency.

Opportunity refers to the access, visibility, or vulnerabilities that enable a threat actor to act. In Instro Precision’s case, activists successfully blockaded entrances using lock-on protests and in one incident, physically breached the perimeter, entered a building, and damaged property.

Watch video footage of the break-in here.

This was the third known action against the same site, highlighting a clear escalation. Even before this point, further measures to reduce access, increase detection, and shorten response time would have been proportionate and advisable.

Practical measures businesses could adopt to reduce opportunity include:

• Vehicle patrols to detect suspicious persons or pre-operational reconnaissance activity.

• Foot patrols of the perimeter to identify breach attempts or physical tampering early.

• Improved physical barriers at vulnerable points

• Situational awareness training to prepare teams to spot anomalies before a threat escalates.· 

These enhancements could have had a measurable impact:    

• A mobile patrol may have detected activists before a breach occurred.

• Foot patrols might have intervened earlier, preventing access to internal spaces.

• A visible security presence may have acted as a deterrent, shifting the group’s focus to a softer target.

The key message: even small adjustments to opportunity can have a large effect on a threat actor’s ability to succeed.

3. Ability

What is your adversary capable of and how can you influence the risk to reward ratio?

PAG, for example, trains individuals in protest strategy, planning, and execution. They're often undeterred by arrest because their goal is not to escape. Instead, it is maximum visibility and disruption.

Looking at the Instro Precision break-in video, we can see that a relatively low level of ability was required to conduct this action, mechanical measures facilitated a breach of the external perimeter and building outer and inner doors. While damage to the premises is unknown, little commercial operational damage was seen. This was likely the intent to protect those who conducted this action, while maximising publicity.

But what if a more malicious threat actor had exploited the same weaknesses? A more capable group could have targeted critical infrastructure such as gas feeds, electrical systems, or data servers to have a severe impact to the business.

Despite the breach, the successful arrest of several individuals at the scene, is indicative of an effective post-incident response being in place, with Kent Police arriving swiftly. 

What you can do:

• Assess the capabilities and methods of likely threat actors.

• Align your security measures proportionately to those capabilities.

• Recognise the aims, some actors prioritise impact over escape, changing how you must plan.

Protect Your Business: Key Actions to Consider

Even if your organisation doesn’t seem like an obvious target, if your products or services connect to sensitive sectors, directly or indirectly, you could be exposed to unexpected threats.

Here are some practical, proactive steps to take:

• Consult with external specialists to identify unknown threats and risks

• Conduct an asset analysis to identify what’s valuable or symbolic.

• Profile potential threat actors to understand motivations and tactics.

• Undertake a risk assessment that includes protest and ideological threats.

• Limit opportunity through access control, surveillance, good design and practices

• Increase deterrence with visible patrols, secure perimeters, and active monitoring.

• Strengthen detection and response with trained personnel and clear protocols.

• Update your business continuity plan to include activist disruption where appropriate

• Train your staff to spot signs of pre-incident activity or escalatory incidents.

• Monitor the threat landscape, identify and track key indicators that signal increased risk, such as online targeting, local activism, or global events.

Take the First Step Today

You don’t need to be a security expert to take action, but you would be wise to consider the impacts on your business. 

At BluSkills, we help businesses like yours build tailored, high-performance security strategies that are discreet, effective, and scalable to your risk environment.

Whether you want to assess your current resilience or build a plan for the future, we’re ready to help.

 To speak to a specialist, contact BluSkills today.

Credits:

Header Image credit: Cerib - stock.adobe.com

What is the security industry authority (SIA)? 

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator for the private security industry in the UK. It was established by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and works to regulate the industry and promote professionalism and high standards. The SIA is responsible for granting licences to private security operatives, setting and monitoring standards, and enforcing the law. 

What licenses do they issue? 

The SIA issues four types of licence: • Door supervisor licence • Security guard licence • Close protection licence • CCTV operator licence Each licence requires the applicant to have completed relevant training and to have met certain minimum standards. The SIA also provides additional training and support for those who wish to work in the security industry. 

How is the SIA funded? 

The SIA is funded primarily through licence fees, which are paid by those applying for a licence. It also receives funding from the Home Office in the form of grants. 

Has the SIA been successful in its role and how has this been measured? 

The SIA is generally viewed as having been successful in regulating the private security industry and has seen a significant increase in the number of people with SIA licences since its formation in 2001. It has also helped to raise standards in the industry and to promote professionalism amongst security operatives. 

The SIA has conducted several reviews and surveys to measure the success of its activities. These include customer satisfaction surveys and reviews of the licensing process. The SIA has also received positive feedback from employers in the private security industry, who have reported that they have seen an improvement in the standard of security operatives since the SIA was introduced. When is a close protection SIA license required A close protection SIA licence is required in the UK if an individual is providing any form of security services, such as bodyguarding, security driving, or security guarding? This licence is also required for anyone involved in the management, supervision, or training of security personnel. Individuals who are employed to provide security services, either directly or through a third party, must also possess a valid SIA licence. 

Is an SIA close protection licence required for individuals employed directly by the end user? 

Yes, an SIA close protection licence is required for individuals employed directly by the end user. Individuals providing security services must possess a valid SIA licence, even if they are employed directly by the end user. The SIA has put in place several rules and regulations to ensure that all security personnel are properly trained and qualified to carry out their duties. 

What if the work is classed as in-house? 

In-house security services are still subject to the same SIA licensing requirements. Individuals providing in-house security services must possess a valid SIA licence, and must adhere to the same rules and regulations as those providing external services. In-house security personnel must also meet the same training and qualification requirements. 

Is an SIA licence required if the security will be working ‘in-house’ i.e. when you are employed directly by the company that uses your services?

Individuals who are employed directly by the company that uses their services are not usually required to hold an SIA licence. This applies to in-house security personnel, such as security guards, door supervisors, and CCTV operators. However, they must still adhere to the same rules and regulations as those providing external services and there could therefore be a benefit to them undertaking the licensing process to ensure competence and currency.

What situations would not require a license? 

You do not need an SIA licence if you are providing private security services voluntarily. Additionally, you do not need an SIA licence if you are providing security services in one of the exempt categories, such as the armed forces, the police, or certain law enforcement agencies. 

What does a ‘contract for services’ mean about private security and is this licensable?

A contract for services means that a company or individual has been contracted to provide security services to a third party. This type of arrangement is licensable, and the company or individual providing the services must possess a valid SIA licence. The SIA has set minimum standards for those providing security services, and all contractors must adhere to these standards.

What is business licensing?

Business licensing is something the SIA has contemplated introducing. Currently, the SIA runs an approved contractor scheme which provides its members with increased benefits and a level of certification to reassure customers. This requires an audit of the business’s processes and compliance with ‘best’ working practices, although this can be demonstrated through other certifications such as ISO9001.

What does the future of the SIA look like?

The future of the SIA looks bright. The Private Security Industry Act 2001 has been a success, and the SIA has been able to regulate the private security industry effectively. The SIA has also seen a significant increase in the number of people with SIA licences since its formation in 2001. In addition, the SIA has put in place several initiatives to raise standards in the industry and to promote professionalism amongst security operatives.

Should you be looking to get qualified in close protection, we recommend Ronin South Africa as a highly reputable and quality provider. You can visit their website here.

You can find out more about licensing requirements from the SIA website here

What is a residential security team? 

A residential security team provides security services to residential properties, such as apartment complexes, condominiums or large homes and estates, and gated communities. They are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the residents, their property, and the surrounding area. Services provided by residential security teams may include patrolling the premises, responding to emergency calls, monitoring security cameras, and providing crime prevention advice. 

Who uses a residential security team? 

Residential security teams are used by a variety of clients, including property management companies, private residences, and businesses. They can be an invaluable asset to any property, providing its inhabitants peace of mind and helping protect their belongings.

How many protection officers are required on a residential security team? 

The number of officers required on a residential security team depends on the property’s size and needs. Generally, a team of at least two or three officers is recommended, although larger properties may require more officers. 

What exactly are the officer's duties? 

The duties of a residential security officer vary depending on the needs of the property, but typically include patrolling the premises and responding to emergency calls. They may also monitor security cameras, manage access control systems, conduct security checks, and provide crime prevention advice. 

How do I know if my security team is doing their job? 

The best way to know if your residential security team is doing their job is to assess their performance regularly. This can be done through daily briefings and regular inspections of the property. Additionally, it is important to check in with your security team to ensure that they follow proper procedures and respond to security concerns. 

Reporting the theft to the Police should be the number one priority in these circumstances.  However, realistically such cases are considered a lower priority theft of property and unlikely to elicit much of a response.

What can pet owners do themselves in this situation to proactively improve the chances of seeing their much loved family member again?

Here we look at a recent case of dog theft where the owners refused to passively accept their fate.  Their quick thinking and prompt action secured the return of their pet within 12 hours, without assistance from the Police and without cost.  We share this story in the hope that it might help someone else to do the same, should they be unlucky enough to become victims of this heartless crime.

For those of you who own a pet this may be a familiar fear given the rising trend in pet theft that became common over the Covid-19 lockdown period.

You return home from work, enter your home and immediately realise that your dog is missing. There are signs of a break-in and it doesn’t take long for you to deduce that your loyal family member has been stolen in the burglary.

You reach out to the Police to let them know you have been burgled.  Whilst the crime is recorded, they have nobody available who can investigate this for you as quickly as you believe is warranted.  You can’t just wait for them to arrive, your beloved pet is missing and you need to take action fast. What do you do?  Sadly, this is a real life scenario and currently it is likely not an uncommon one.

There is a lot of talk around the risks that social media can introduce to your life.  However, in this recent case the victims went on an “information” offensive; seizing the initiative by harnessing the power of viral social media, family, friends and ultimately the kindness of strangers.

Theft + 1 hour

The victims, understandably very distraught requested immediate support from their neighbours on their street. They asked for urgent assistance in sharing the theft on social media in an attempt to alert the wider community and locate their pet.

As more neighbours found out about the theft, the number of social platforms the theft was on increased. The story was uploaded to several local community groups, some of which have thousands of local followers and strong community engagement – this gave the crime enormous exposure in the local area, and in a very short period of time.

As everyone rallied around to help, sympathetic neighbours started to co-ordinate and organise their efforts. 2 people constantly monitored social media and engaged with posts, questions and reports of possible sightings.  This helped to keep engagement high and ensured the group were up to date with up to the minute progress.

Dog owning neighbours who were members of dog groups uploaded images of the dog and posted to these groups, further increasing awareness of the theft. A decision was made to mention that the dog needed urgent medication, the aim being to introduce doubt into the minds of the thieves and to reduce the appeal of ownership and value for any onward sale of the dog.

Theft + 2 hours

Within a matter of hours, the post had been shared far and wide over 4 or 5 sites, each with thousands of followers.  The story was seen online in different counties across the north and even further afield, forming a virtual information cordon should the thieves move out of the area. Social media posts were regularly updated with thousands of people becoming genuinely engaged and interested in how the search was going.

Using CCTV images captured from a neighbour’s CCTV cameras, images were also shared of the thieves vehicle.  This generated 20 or 30 additional responses from people who believed they knew who the culprits were.

Several of the responses indicated they had seen a vehicle matching the CCTV images driving dangerously in a particular direction. This helped provide a general sense of what areas the dog could possibly be in.

With this new information the targeting of posts shifted from the immediate area where the victims lived and into a different local town. Social media posts were updated accordingly to target the potential area that the dog could be in, with people in this new area now being encouraged to share the posts and join the search. This strategy led to further responses, with a report from an individual describing having seen a dog matching the description with a couple of people entering an apartment.

Theft +6 Hours

Updates continued to stream in and the decision was taken to issue a post stating that searching would now be focused in and around this new area of interest. This action, in conjunction with the identifying photographs and general social media buzz around the crime seems to have then motivated the thieves, or an associate of theirs, to make direct contact with the victims. The dog had now become more of a liability to them than an asset. A meeting was arranged and the stolen dog, was thankfully recovered unharmed.

This story is a clear indicator of the power of harnessing a strong information network, in this instance social media.

Some may point fingers at the Police for not taking action.  However the reality is they are not in the position to respond with the speed that this team of neighbours did, dedicate such manpower resources to it or act without the constraints of their dictated working practices.

Key success factors

Time - Action was taken very quickly, good estimates of the event times were established from CCTV

Evidence – Photograph imagery of the dog and of the criminal’s vehicle could be obtained and uploaded.

Relevant Groups – Local groups were used to share the message, these groups are generally highly engaged and spread the message very quickly.

Co-ordination – The group quickly organised themselves to manage the information channels, kept information current, engaged those interested and followed up on key leads.

Targeting – Leads were followed and potential areas were quickly targeted with posting to form an information cordon. This denied the thieves freedom of movement.

Skills – Not everyone is skilled at organization, social media, technology, online marketing and the other aspects that were key to this successful outcome.  Particularly at a time of high stress it can be hard to conceive where to begin.  The key factor here is to ask for help from anyone you can and allow other people who do have these skills to get involved.

Human empathy – It’s important to remember that most people in our society are law abiding people who wish to help someone who has been a victim of crime.  Many people own dogs themselves and can empathise with a crime like this.  In this example, the power of social media has simply been used to disseminate information as widely as possible, allowing the human spirit of other people (known and unknown) to do the rest.

A word of caution

While the outcome of this story was the successful recovery of the pet without harm, Police engagement throughout the process should be a consideration in the forefront of your mind.  This is especially true when considering a meeting in person with people possibly associated with the criminal fraternity.

Here the outcome was good, that may not always be the case and Police assistance with this final phase could have resulted in greater protection to the individual and the arrest of those behind the crime.

If you would like to speak to one of our experts about concerns or questions you may have on this or any other topic, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today on 0333 3056615 or complete the form below.

References

The Kennel Club - Dog Theft Article

 Crimerate - Dog theft

Pets 4 homes - Dog theft

Dog Magazine - Dog theft

Crime Stoppers

 Dog Trust

Chinese business owners targeted by tracker gang

Last week, Jun20-2022, West Yorkshire Police reported that a criminal gang who placed tracking devices on the cars of Chinese business owners in Leeds, in order to target their homes for burglary, had been jailed, you can read the article here. 

The gang believed the owners would store large amounts of cash at their homes and while cash was stolen the amounts have not been disclosed. The gang connected movements through technical tracking devices on vehicles, connecting parties to other homes, to additionally target these.

One of the victims reported someone had been seen going under their vehicle, they checked but found nothing untoward. Police subsequently found a device attached to the vehicle. 

Other tracker crimes

It is not just cash thieves have targeted in this manner. High value vehicles have been targeted through a range of different tracking devices. With the theft of 48,400 vehicles reported by UK Police in 2021, car thefts are big business, and these trackers offer thieves the ability to quickly find, track and steal vehicles. 

As technology advances and location enabled devices increase in number, the ability and opportunity to track people and things is becoming easier and greater, and often more difficult to detect. We look at a few ways you can reduce your exposure to these types of incidents. 

Understand what might make you a target 

Understanding what might make you a target and therefore a subject of surveillance is an important first step and it is important to remember this will not happen to the majority of us. To a number of our clients, surveillance does pose a risk and we constantly evaluate this risk on an ongoing basis. 

In this case it was the perceived storage of large amounts of cash, but it could be your vehicle, or your routines which are of interest. In our podcast, the secret world of surveillance, we explored the legitimate and illegal reasons you may come under surveillance and importantly when and what techniques can be used including tracking devices. 

Think about where you leave your vehicle 

If you do evaluate that there is a credible surveillance risk to you, reducing the opportunity for trackers to be placed is important. Leaving vehicles in quiet low footfall areas, can make life easier for those wishing to place a device, a high street would prove more difficult, but not impossible. You will also be more vulnerable at known regular locations such as your work or home addresses. 

Professional Help 

In this case, the owner conducted a cursory check of their vehicle, missing the tracking device. It is likely that they didn’t really know what they were looking for and the reason someone had been under their car. If you find yourself in this position, speak to a professional who will be familiar with the types and placement of trackers and can conduct a thorough search for you. BluSkills security chauffeurs and protection officers, regularly conduct such searches on our client’s vehicles to detect foreign devices. 

Summary

The placement of tracking devices for use in crime is not indiscriminate, there are key red flags which should allow you to make a decision on whether you face an increased risk. The full extent of the use of trackers is likely unknown. Successful thefts of vehicles and homes targeted for burglary through tracking of vehicles are potentially unknown if good practices are employed and trackers are removed, with only the failed attempts making the news and Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting. 

If you would like to speak to one of our experts about concerns or questions you may have on this topic, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today on 0333 3056615 or complete the form below.

In our previous article what is a close protection officer, we addressed exactly what a close protection officer is. Here we will help you better understand how a close protection task in the UK works.

What is it a close protection service?

Close protection is a team service comprising a number of key roles which include but are not limited to:

·       Team Leader (TL) - in overall control of the task

·       Personal protection officer (PPO) - responsible for care of the principal or client usually close to them

·       Close protection officer (CPO) – provides additional protection when in a vehicle, static or on foot

·       Security advance party (SAP) – individual or team responsible for checks of venues prior to arrival and greeting and leading the team in to the venue

·       Drivers - ideally security chauffeur or bodyguard drivers with advanced driving skills

·       Medic – Dedicated medical professional may or may not be CP trained depending on the team size.

How large is a close protection team?

The size of a team will depend on a number of key factors:

·       Your personal risks and threats including your profile

·       Your requirements, itinerary and movements

·       Budget

Threat and risks

As a general rule, the greater the level of risk and threat you face, the larger the team you will require. There may be exceptions to this and teams may be scaled down through the use of unconventional protection techniques or through client and provider risk appetite being greater.

Larger team sizes ensure fewer security compromises have to be made and that there will be a strong predictable response to an incident.

For low risk, security aware/proactive services it is not uncommon for a single close protection officer of bodyguard to be employed.

Your requirements, itinerary and movements

If you have complex and demanding schedules with many venues to visit or large numbers of people to be protected then again the team size is likely to be increased.

There may be a number of SAP individuals or teams checking venues, multiple vehicles and drivers for key persons and multiple protection officers for foot escorts.

Budget

Your budget will ultimately determine either what service level you receive or who can deliver your service within your budget.

Care should be taken with using tight budgets as this can result in varying levels of service provider, service quality and protection officer ability.

You may ultimately pay for a service you don’t receive.

5 key considerations in choosing a close protection or bodyguard service

1.     Plan your service in good time

Where possible, plan or book your service in good time. Failure to do this can often result in compromises and the introduction of risks. The foundation of an effective service is planning and preparation and this is often lost on a short-notice protection task.

Many close protection officers or bodyguards are self-employed, the good ones are busy. Creating teams or appointing individuals at short notice is challenging and does not guarantee you receive the team or individuals you deserve.

2.     Choose a reputable company

You don’t want to risk having unlicensed, untrained individuals representing you and exposing your information to these individuals.

There are many highly reputable UK close protection providers. They will have accreditations such as ISO9001, be SIA approved contractors or subscribe to other quality, service and management accreditations. Check these out and check the business, how long has it been trading, is it solvent.

3.     Obtain protection officer or team credentials, meet the TL or team

You should know who will be delivering your service and ideally have met them or spoken to them remotely before you meet them.

By obtaining profiles, you can check that the team members are the calibre you are paying for and get to know more about them before you meet them.

4.     Get a brief of the plan

Time allowing, you should understand what the overarching plan is and how your service will be delivered, this may be done by the provider or the TL directly.

This plan will likely change through unforeseen complexity and circumstance but it helps to understand how you service works and ensures you clarify that your team has put a plan in place for your safety.

5.     Service Agreement

An extension of above, you should be provide with a service agreement. This will ensure you know exactly what you are going to receive and how much it is going to cost you. Pay attention to additional costs and time overrun fees.

To find more about how close protection works or to make an enquiry get in touch with one of our experts today.

If you’re wondering exactly what a close protection officer is, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you understand more about these security operatives, how they’re trained, licensed and what you should be looking for if you’re thinking of using a close protection service.

Qualifications and training

·       In the UK, CPOs are mainly individual’s who have successfully completed and passed a level 3 course in close protection

·       Exceptions to this are those directly employed by their employer who receive internal professional training. Many employers still do choose to have their employees complete this qualification and attain SIA licensed status

·       The syllabus for the close protection course is agreed and set by the SIA and the industry’s key stakeholders

·       Courses are provided and delivered by training providers often underwritten and assured by accredited learning centres. Just like schools and universities, these providers can vary by way the syllabus is taught, what sector of close protection it leans towards, the standards and pass rates that are achieved and the costs of the courses

Licensing

·       The UK security industry is regulated by the UK Government through the Security Industry Authority (SIA). It is done so with a view to professionalising and assuring the security industry.

·       The SIA the regulator of the UK’s private security industry. SIA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office

·       Close Protection is just 1 of the licensable activates within the security industry

·       In the UK those not employed directly by their employer to deliver close protection services must hold an SIA frontline license in close protection, renewed every 3 yrs

Standard learning

The Close Protection level 3 course syllabus elements cover the following standard subject matter which are the minimum to get a close protection frontline license:

·       Roles and Responsibilities of the Close Protection Operative

·       Threat and Risk Assessment

·       Surveillance Awareness

·       Operational Planning

·       Law and Legislation

·       Interpersonal Skills

·       Close Protection Teamwork and Briefing

·       Conduct Reconnaissance

·       Close Protection Foot Drills

·       Route Selection

·       Close Protection Journey Management

·       Search Procedures  

·       Incident Management

·       Venue Security

In addition to these core elements CPOs must attain an advanced first aid qualification which must be kept up to date

Advanced learning and skills

The above learning criteria forms the foundation of a close protection officers at the start of their career. It may be difficult to know the difference between a relatively inexperienced CPO and a highly experienced CPO, but your provider should be able to provide you with evidence of learning and a decent profile summary.

What separates the qualified from the highly proficient operative is their continued dedication and commitment to excelling in their field and accumulation of additional skills sets.

Often but not always from Military and Police units (it is worth noting that there are many highly proficient close protection operatives without this background) Close Protection officers of develop a number of skills including:

·       Customer service

·       Advanced medical skills

·       Advanced and evasive driving skills

·       Surveillance awareness and detection

·       Risk management

·       Pedestrian escort or foot drills

·       Security and crime knowledge

·       Unarmed combat and weapon skills (theatre dependant)

·       Counter IED & Searching

Environments

Close protection officers provide protection services in a number of environments and sectors. Some dedicate their time to specialise in these distinct areas such as Red-Carpet events, the corporate environment or hostile overseas countries and regions.

·       Close protection is delivered in a number of environments or “theatres”

·       Permissive or lower risk theatres such as the UK, would likely serve executive protection, public figures & celebrity clients

·       Semi-Permissive environments are more complex environments with higher crime rates, organised crime and less trustworthy governments and authorities. Additional skills sets might include surveillance awareness, profile, medical support, covert lower profile methods might be used or the use of armoured transportation.

·       Hostile, high-risk environments, press, government, government suppliers and contractors, backgrounds from the military and police are usual, armed and unarmed customer and theatre dependant, likely with the use of armoured vehicles.

To find more about how close protection works and selecting the best CPO for you here in our blog how close protection works. Or to make an enquiry get in touch today.

Meet the former Royal Marine who ensures successful people can live without fear

The former Royal Marine has served in Afghanistan and Iraq, protected vessels from piracy, acted as a chauffeur and bodyguard for a FTSE 100 CEO and undertaken close protection training in South Africa.

His business, BluSkills, is built around a simple belief; that being successful shouldn’t place you at risk from crime.

click here to read more …….

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]]>BluSkills MD Featured in the Yorkshire PostSecurity ChauffeurRichard ChristianWed, 08 Jul 2020 13:35:42 +0000https://www.bluskills.co.uk/blog/2020/7/8/developing-expert-drivers57cbe618ff7c508975d1d471:58835219cd0f6828c5b2c9cb:5f05bf5332cb98544f05c336BluSkills Blog RSS

BluSkills security chauffeurs are highly proficient in a number of skills which combine together in our security chauffeur service.

The core skill of any chauffeur should be driving, closely followed by customer service. You may not know, but there is no requirement for a chauffeur or security chauffeur to be an advanced driver. In fact to become a licensed chauffeur, a local authority will conduct some basic background checks and conduct a basic driving assessment, the same as those to become a taxi driver. A lot of the time, you’re getting a taxi driver, better dressed, with a nice car.

Of course some chauffeurs personally invest in advanced training or come from an advanced driver training background such as the Police.

At BluSkills we believe you should be certain when you use our security chauffeur service that you are getting an expert, advanced driver, whose primary focus is to ensure you reach your destination safely. Our security chauffeur’s are all advanced drivers. There are many routes to becoming an advanced driver, all aimed at producing a more aware, better and safer driver, these can include the Police, the institute of advanced motorists and RoSPA.

Obtaining an advanced driving qualification is just the start of the investment in driver training. 

The UK experiences a variety of weather and road conditions it is important that a driver has a thorough understanding of skidding, so they can safely control a vehicle should the conditions or an external factor initiate a skid. All our security chauffeurs complete skid control training to develop this skill and their knowledge.

One of the benefits of using a chauffeur is the ability for our clients to turn their dead time in to productive time. To facilitate this we must put the customer at ease and give them the smoothest, most comfortable journey. To ensure we do this at BluSkills, we run our own internal chauffeur course. This course not only ensures our security chauffeurs understand and develop the roles and responsibilities associated with chauffeuring, vehicle administration, service, door interaction, but it is heavily focussed on ensuring client comfort while driving, a much overlooked part of other driver training.

As our security chauffeurs move through their career with us they conduct regular training and CPD. One of the advanced learning topics is evasive driving, you can find more about evasive driving here. While this can include manoeuvres such as handbrake turns and J-turns, at the core of evasive driving is the principal of identifying threats early and taking appropriate action.

This skill doesn’t just apply to hostile environments, but applies in everyday driving, where other road users or pedestrians may conduct unpredictable movements or actions which could lead to an accident or collision.

If you’re looking for first class chauffeurs to ensure your safety and security while maximising your time, then look no further and get in touch with us today.

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]]>Developing Expert DriversResidential SecurityBluSkills LtdThu, 02 Jul 2020 13:32:20 +0000https://www.bluskills.co.uk/blog/2020/5/5/domestic-staff-9-steps-to-a-safer-hire57cbe618ff7c508975d1d471:58835219cd0f6828c5b2c9cb:5eb13bc6b6165a7ec309a887BluSkills Blog RSS

Taking on domestic staff can be one of the most important and risky decisions you take. When done right, you bring peace of mind and quality of life to your home. When done wrong, you can introduce fear, uncertainty and distrust.

The guidance we will offer in this article may seem in depth, but first ask yourself this question.

How well would I like to know someone, to whom I will give my house keys, alarm codes, personal information and unsupervised access to my entire home?

Whether temporary or full time, most of these positions involve letting people into your inner circle, granting them extensive and often unrestricted access to your life, personal information and home, none more so than a cleaner, who may be expected to clean the most personal areas of your home, unsupervised.

BACKGROUND

A simple trawl of the internet has numerous recent examples of those who have unwittingly found themselves or their loved ones betrayed by a domestic member of staff.

Tamara Ecclestone

The potential inside job at her home in London reported involved domestic staff and an alleged theft of Jewellery worth £50M

King Mohammed VI

The Moroccan King, whose cleaner stole 36 luxury watches and was convicted of forming a gang to steal, break and sell the stolen goods.

Cheshire Cleaner

The self-employed cleaner was convicted of stealing from 7 of her clients, caught through a suspicious client's actions.

So how can we bring people into these high trust positions and reduce our risk of becoming a victim of crime, losing property and assets, the loss of an efficient home environment, having secrets disclosed and the psychological impacts from these incidents; distress, upset and reluctance to trust and re-employ.

There may always be some element of risk when employing staff for high trust positions.

As a supplier of security and chauffeur professionals for these environments, we understand the concerns, and this is an area that is always in the forefront of our mind, requiring particular diligence and thoroughness to ensure we don’t bring risk to our customers lives.

In this article we will introduce you to a number of simple measures which we use when recruiting for our team and have seen successfully used to reduce risk when recruiting for very high risk and trust environments, along with our infographic to making less risky recruitment decisions.

In this guidance we will focus on the security and trust aspect rather than role competence.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss your options or should you have any questions or require support.

There are a number of options when recruiting, self-employed workers seem to be favoured over employed at the moment, but you also have contractors to consider too. We will revisit this later on, but once you have decided which route you would like to proceed with the method can be applied to all.

Usually but not always, we see good practice in the office environment, but this gets left at the office and when at home, practices can become more relaxed and less structured.

Introducing these good work practices to the home environment needn’t impact how relaxed you feel at home, in fact the aim is to make you feel more relaxed and have greater peace of mind. It is important to remember though, that while you may be at your home, you’re in fact creating a work environment for someone else.

1. PRIMARY INTERVIEW

The first step in our recommendations is the interview process.

The aim here is to filter candidates for suitability at reach, and gradually bring them closer as you move along the process, with reduced numbers and increased knowledge of the applicants. This applies equally to engaging with a business as it does with employing someone.

You should conduct as many interviews as you need to feel comfortable and shouldn’t feel pressured in to rushing. It is important to remember that you are not just looking to verify that the person can do the job to an exceptional standard or that their personality fits with you.

We are trying to understand who they are beyond the work, motivations, pressures and vulnerabilities.

Starting with a phone interview or screening is a good way to conduct a primary filter and get some information to work on. You will be able to get a good feel for their knowledge, passion and motivation in a short call.

This can be done by you or on your behalf by your team. You may wish to consider withholding your name at this stage to preserve your anonymity. Next you might move to a “First Interview,” one or two meetings in person.

We would recommend conducting this away from your home or business so as not to give away where you live and work. Controlling information about where you live, home information and protocols is good security practice.

Making good notes is a highly recommended and may sound obvious, but you will need to refer to and cross reference the information gathered in these interviews later in the process and notes will avoid any accidental information cross-over in your mind.

2. VETTING & SCREENING

Once you have narrowed down your numbers and identified some potential candidates you can start to look at conducting the vetting and screening process.

This may seem like hassle, but we are looking to conduct some basic checks here, financial background, criminal convictions, work history and also, some basic reference checks, personal and work. You could conduct these yourself after seeking the required permission, it is very important to obtain permission, but there is an efficient industry around vetting and screening now.

For £200 you can save yourself some time, governance and data headaches and use a third party to conduct this on your behalf. Usually this is a simple online process which the candidates undertake.

Although basic in nature these checks will allow you to develop your picture of the applicants further by identifying potential risk and vulnerabilities. For example, a history of debt issues and convictions would raise concerns which would need to be allayed for any applicant who was going to have access to your family, home and valuables.

You should be particularly concerned if information uncovered in these checks is not disclosed or is actively denied. Open social media profiles can provide a, through the keyhole, insight in to people’s lives, their true character, opinions and behaviours.

If engaging with a company, you would undertake due diligence at this point. Check their financial accounts and directors on Companies House, see if the business is viable and if the directors are legitimate. Conduct a credit check, view their insurance and request to see their internal employment processes including their vetting and selection procedure, which should reflect the levels of diligence you would show in employing.

3. REFERENCE CHECKS

Your candidates should have provided you with a number of referee’s, if not obtain some. A mixture of work and personal life. Whilst references on a CV provide initial reassurance, they must be validated. If your candidate cannot provide referees, we would suggest this is a big red flag.

You should look to speak with the referees and ideally meet them in person or at least video call, to prove their authenticity. Again, do this away from home if meeting in person.

I heard a tale of a CEO being recruited at short notice, only for the business to find out when they tried to obtain their passport details, that the CEO was in fact a fraud, and that the referee, spoken to over the phone, had been the applicant themself, acting.

When checking references consider going back past the most current to gain a better picture. It may be the current employer just wants to offload the candidate on you.

Checking referees allows you to build up a much better picture of the candidate’s actions and behaviour over time and you may hear snippets of information which you do or don’t like, but which seemed unimportant to the referee.

Don’t be shy and ask searching questions about personal and work life.

4. CONFIRMATORY INTERVIEW

Now you are armed with a great deal of background information about your potential candidates, it is a good idea to have another interview with them.

Again, conducting this away from home protects over disclosure about your personal life.

In this interview you can ask questions around any potential vulnerabilities you have found to either confirm or deny their validity and satisfy yourself with the answers as well as revisit details given in previous interviews to confirm continuity.

When exploring vulnerabilities, we are trying to confirm:

• Is this person trustworthy?

• Do they have a proven track record of being in positions of trust and not abusing their position?

• Do they have any internal or external pressures which might lead them to abuse their position such as uncontrollable debt, expensive tastes outside of their means, family medical conditions with spiralling private treatment costs? Can they be leveraged by someone else to exploit you?

• Do they have certain controversial habits or connections, which others could use against them? These may be substance abuse, pornographic taste, infidelity, relatives or social circles linked to criminal actors.

This area must be approached with caution and sensitivity and while asking outright is a tactic used in screening, other less direct questions can be asked, with behaviours monitored and assessed for validity.

Wicklander-Zulawski are experts in his field and offer guidance and training on behavioural patterns and the clusters of these used to identify dishonesty.

As a rule of thumb, concealment, while possibly understandable given the personal and sensitive nature of the information, is a negative indicator. It is important in reducing risk, that a member of your team would be open with you when they are facing a challenge, which if left unchecked could resort in them abusing their position. Even good people can do bad things when seemingly left with no alternative.

5. AGREEMENTS

Confidentiality agreements (NDA’s) should be signed.

There has been much conversation about the misuse of these, and rightfully so. NDA’s are though, a valid and excellent tool which allows the employee to understand what is private and confidential, what can and can’t be disclosed and the repercussions of breaching these.

Agreements should be in place prior to any of the candidates coming to your home. At this point you will be disclosing much more about you, your family and home to the potential candidates, although by now you will have a much better feel for them.

6. TRIAL

A trail might well be the first chance the candidate gets to see you in your home and meet your family.

This will allow both them and you, to get a better idea of what working life together might feel like, whether it suits all parties and for them to meet other team members.

You can get feedback from them later if you require. Following the trial would generally be your selection point.

7. CONTRACTS

Contracts play a hugely important part in the process.

From experience, setting out the rule book on day one is not only good for you, but it’s good for the employee or company.

For a company they may want to issue a service agreement, ensure the detail you require is in this document, if not get it added. Outside the role specific tasks, consider establishing rules around boundaries, i.e. private areas for both you and for the employee. It is important to clearly define spaces and a good idea for your staff to have somewhere they can call their own and to relax.

Often, and with cleaning especially, this becomes a blurred line as the staff member may have access to the whole home and feel comfortable over time.

8. INVEST

Good staff can turn bad. Once you have found a great employee it is important to look after them.

Failure to do so can lead to a deterioration in the relationship and could end up in bitterness and resentment. These in turn could increase risk of crime, whether by the employee or through other means.

Finance has already been highlighted as a potential vulnerability and is recognised as a stressor in most people’s lives. You may have the ability to remove this stressor and for a relatively insignificant amount. An employee without a debt issue is an employee less likely to steal from you.

Emotionally supporting your employee may sound unappealing to many but this is a very effective way to identify issues and mitigate them before they become a problem. This is not a suggestion that you become friends, although this works for some, boundaries are important, but by taking a genuine interest in your staff, you will establish a baseline of behaviour and be able to identify changes from this baseline which could be symptomatic of a problem.

They may also feel able to come to you with problems which left unresolved may land back at your doorstep more negatively.

You can empower and develop you staff through simple training. Often personal development is overlooked in these types of roles and stagnation is not a human’s friend.

At BluSkills we deliver training to our clients and their staff members.

This not only develops the individuals but provides the additional benefit to the homeowner of increasing their capabilities in other areas such as security or first aid.

9. TEST PURCHASE & INTEGRITY TEST

Trust is earnt on both sides and care should be taken not to break trust. You will lose an employee if you treat them will little respect.

Should you however suspect an integrity issue, test purchasing is a method, often used in retail, which can validate the integrity of a member of staff.

You may provide the employee with an opportunity to take something of value in a controlled environment which might be hard to resist, cash for example, and measure the response.

Hopefully the topics and procedure discussed in this guidance will relieve some of the uncertainty and concern that may currently be preventing you from employing domestic staff, allowing you to take on staff with a risk based approach, feeling more relaxed confident and trusting while you build your team and improve the efficiency of your home.

If you would like to us to help you with any of the topics covered in this guidance, get in touch with us today on 0333 3056615 or admin@bluskills.co.uk we would be delighted to help.

Reports are claiming that the financial health of the UK and the World, are set to look pretty gloomy in the near future. A McKinsey article estimates that there are a potential 7.6M jobs classified as “at risk”, 50% of which lie in the lower paid category of under £10 per hour.

With the potential for high redundancies and a tough economic climate on the near horizon (factors the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have linked historically to uplifts in crimes such as Robbery, homicide and vehicle theft, 2008 crisis) if you haven’t already started to consider the Post COVID 19 threat landscape, now is perhaps a good time to be assessing how this potential change in environment might impact you and what you can do to minimise your exposure in relation to your security.

A key element to staying safe and secure is a risk led approach. The ability to detect, predict and respond to changes in threat and circumstance, escalating security measures and protocol when required and reducing when not.

Action needn’t always be drastic, but considered and proportional. It will vary by location and a risk-based approach based on educated assumptions will help you plan and prepare for the worst, while hoping for the best.

FUTURE RISK LANDSCAPE

Based on experience and predictions from the News and articles which looked at the impact of the crash in 2008, I would be working on a landscape of financial difficulty and increased un-employment. This could lead to an overall environment or pockets, where wealth, success and overt displays of wealth become less tolerated and accepted 

With that in mind, this article will look at mitigating this risk in relation to individuals and families. 

Those who are successful, perhaps perceived as “Rich” to others may notice subtle changes in atmospherics. For example, if driving a nice car, you may notice longer glances with a more hostile undertone. You may be more likely to be targeted in non-life threatening, but unpleasant actions such as road rage, gesturing, verbal abuse, confrontation, spitting (person and vehicle) up to acts of vandalism on vehicles left unattended.

In addition to this there may be an increased likelihood of being targeted by crimes such as vehicle theft, burglary and robbery. Typical tactics have involved following individuals from known high wealth hangouts to target them at home.

PROFILE IS KING

One of the most effective tools, by far, that I have employed over the years is the use of “profile.” In this instance we will look at how you can manage your profile in order to draw less attention and effectively hide in plain sight.

Having assessed the potential change in landscape above, profile is a tool which you can use to effectively prevent and mitigate many of the potential risks you may face. With just a little thought and imagination this a cost-effective, often no cost tool can make you feel more secure and relaxed.

Taking our security chauffeur service as an example. This is a proactive chauffeur service with a foundation in security. Unlike a regular chauffeur service, the aim of our service is to facilitate our clients and maximise their productivity, while simultaneously considering their safety and security at all times.

One of the ways we do this is through profile. There are always constraints, but small actions can have a big impact. For example, not hanging around the door in an expensive car at a collection point, but timing a smooth, efficient pick up reduces the time you have to draw attention.

Matching our clients dress is another way. There's very little natural about one person dressed casually with another wearing a suit with a hat.

Let’s look at some different examples of profile and how they can enhance security in an austere climate.

What is your vehicle’s profile?

Nice cars attract attention, especially when parked. You don’t necessarily have to sell your pride and joy, but considering when, where and how you use it will maximise your enjoyment and reduce attention. 

For example, taking your sportscar for a blast in the countryside to enjoy would carry much less risk than taking it to Tesco to do the shop or leaving it in parked on the high street.

Looking at chauffeuring, lowering the profile of your vehicle may help you blend in with the crowd rather than standing out. The Mercedes S-Class offers class leading luxury but is much more commonplace than a Bentley Mulsanne and looks similar to the smaller E-Class.

What are you doing?

The actions you carry out can easily highlight you.

Being seen with a chauffeur can be indicative of wealth and again attract attention. If you use a chauffeur, they should already be thinking of ways to reduce your profile, but you might like to consider the following.

• Sit in the front to create a more normal vehicle profile. The human eye is drawn to things which look different.

• You may choose to operate the doors yourself where appropriate, this will also expedite getting in and out of the vehicle.

The places you go may well be known for attracting wealthy individuals and as such could be targeted to find potential victims. Not visiting these venues will reduce your risk, or lower your profile while visiting by one of the other methods, putting you lower on the target list.

How do you look?

How you look and dress is a great indicator of potential wealth and none more so than jewellery and watches which can highlight you as a target.

Already there is a strong trend of theft of high value jewellery on the street in Cities like London. Avoiding or considering where and when you wear expensive jewellery or the use of dressing down, will help you to blend in.

Carrying expensive brand shopping bags when shopping will again highlight you and could increase the potential of snatched bags and robbery or being selected to be targeted later. Consider if you could collect these items later or if you use a driver, if they collect these at a later date or time on your behalf.

As a business we are constantly looking for changes in risk landscape and threat to our clients. A prevent strategy is infinitely preferable to a post incident, reactionary approach.

Conducting an honest appraisal of your life and your profile now, could significantly help you reduce the likelihood of a bad event or negative impact in the future as well as allowing you to enjoy life more and feel more comfortable.

Trends discussed in the UNODC were different for different regions in the World. Perhaps crime in the UK will spike, perhaps it won’t, extra consideration should be given to travel overseas when travel re-opens. The reaction to financial pressures could differ in severity dramatically from country to country. 

If you would like to discuss your current situation or potential concerns, get in touch with us today on 0333 3056615 or admin@bluskills.co.uk, we would be delighted to help.

Success brings with it complications. Time pressures, intensive travel schedules and attention from criminals looking to exploit you because of your wealth.

These factors should not have the effect of placing you at risk or having a negative impact on your health and wellbeing.

Frustration, increased stress, the feeling of being short of time and fear from crime are emotions which have the potential to manifest as your success grows.

We can help you. Our security chauffeur service can help you eliminate these pressures and feelings, allowing you to regain control and prosper.

Increased Productivity

We help you turn previously unproductive time spent driving and commuting in to productive work time. 

Create a sterile, productive, mobile work environment from which you can make confidential calls, conduct private meetings, plan for the next meeting and eradicate your unread email inbox.

You can arrive, relaxed, prepared and ready to drive greater success.

“NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE”

BUSINESS OWNER

Safer and more secure

You may be of interest to a criminal for a number of reasons, wealth, controversial industries, public profile, even your car.

Considering your security on the move, while handling a busy workload, making calls or spending time with family is a hard ask and can lead to an increased risk of an accident or failing to spot someone following you home to steal your car. 

Have you ever arrived and thought, how did I get here? This is a clear sign you aren’t paying full attention to your surrounds and to driving.

Let us help you to take control of your security and safety on the move, and reduce the chances of you being involved in an accident. 

Our Security Chauffeur’s are trained and licensed in close protection, as well as being advanced drivers. They plan thoroughly, are prepared for emergencies and will detect potential criminals who may have their sights set on you.

Improve your Quality of Life

Now you have successfully taken care of your unproductive time and your safety and security on the move, you can use your this freed up time to improve your quality of life.

Time previously spent at home or at dinner on the phone and answering emails can be handed back to your family, loved ones and your interests.

Revitalising naps and refreshments can be taken while you are on the move giving you more energy where and when it counts.

CONTACT US TODAY

Get in touch with us today to arrange your personal consultation, agree on your personal service and start enjoying increased security, safety and success.

faena hotel - beunos aires 14-12-2019

On the 14th December 2019 wealthy British businessman, Matthew Gibbard was shot dead and his stepson injured whilst being held up by armed robbers on mopeds, as they got out of a taxi at the Faena hotel in Beunos Aires, Argentina.

Reporting suggests that they were targeted at the airport, then followed to their hotel by 2 males on a motorcycle who were supported by another vehicle.

This is a tragic incident, made even more so by the fact that it was preventable and the warning signs will have been apparent should someone have been looking for them.

In this article lets’s explore some of the areas which may have led to the travellers being vulnerable to targeting and exploit in order to prevent the same thing happening to you.

We will compare the various solutions and their benefits at the end of this article.

Pre-Trip

Before you travel, it is crucial to understand your destination, this will allow you to make an informed decision on how safe your destination is. 

You can easily do this yourself or you could engage a security company to do it on your behalf. BluSkills offer this service for our clients, there are also other companies who have paid services and the US department for state travel app (Smart Traveller) is an excellent free alternative.

On the surface Argentina is a beautiful country, great restaurants and bars, great shops and beautiful beaches. However when we look at Argentina we can see from its economic profile that it has historically suffered from significant wealth disparity. From this we could accurately presume, high levels of street and organised crime driven by poverty and lifestyle complications around this.

Looking at the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s) guidance for UK citizens travelling, we can see a number of very detailed issues for travellers, Street crime, targeting of tourists in public areas such as hotel lobbies, bus stations, advice surrounding techniques and use of motorbikes using 2 riders through to robbery using violence and weapons in the street. The Smart Traveller app warns us about scams involving yellow and black cabs at the airports too.

Unfortunately, this is all sounding too familiar in relation to our incident.

Plan your trip

With the research now conducted, you have a much better feel for where you are going. You have identified a number of areas where we might be vulnerable and at what times of the day.

We can now start to mitigate these vulnerabilities through planning. There may be financial constraints to most people, however this may in part offset the risk of being targeted. In this case this appears to have not been pursued.

From the research we are concerned with the following:

• Arrivals and targeting at the Airport

• Safe travel to the hotel

• Check-in at the hotel

• Dangerous areas around the hotel

In any country we should always be wary at our point of entry. It is a choke point and a great place for us to be targeted. People of high wealth and means are generally funnelled through the same system as locals and everyday travellers. They are also easily distinguishable by their clothing, jewellery, travel cases and behaviour.

At this point in our travel, we have not established a “baseline” for the country. What we mean by this is that we cannot and have not yet established what normal and safe looks like. As we make our way through customs to baggage reclaim, in to the arrivals hall, we believe we are safe and we are also preoccupied, failing to take in those around us. 

“Recent robberies and the murder of a British tourist, increased fear in the population and caused a 30% decrease in reservations in the Buenos Aires area, affecting the national revenue significantly”-

Mirko Ruggeri - EMS Risk Management

This is where we are vulnerable and where we are likely to be targeted. Corrupt airport employees, porters, cleaners or those professional criminals lurking in the arrivals hall can easily pick up on foreigners who are vulnerable to exploit. They can guide us to where they want us, help us with our bags to a corrupt taxi, take us to a vulnerable spot en-route to our hotel or have us followed for later targeting at our place of stay.

Again, if we look at our guidance we can see it is recommended to travel without jewellery in order to avoid targeting at the airport. We would suggest lowering the profile of your luggage too, and also to be aware of cabs and book your ground travel in advance. 

Our planning therefore starts with low profile entry to the country where we meet our pre-arranged travel means which needs to be reputable. Hotels can help with this or you may wish to go through a security company who will have points of contact or can arrange a security conscious solution for your destination of choice. 

In our example, the security option would have had the ability to have detect the surveillance from the airport and taken the appropriate action once detected. They also have the established baseline at a time when you don’t.

We should also look at the location of our hotel. In this case there is detailed information available including neighbourhoods in Beunos Aires to avoid. San Telmo is noted and is close at around 1KM, from the hotel. While this is not something to stop you booking the hotel is is important to know that you may be very vulnerable if walking around this area and may be targeted from your hotel.

This planning would have given the travellers the best chance of getting safely from the Airport to their hotel, allowing them to establish the normal pattern of life. 

While we cannot determine from the articles exactly how the victims were dressed to travel and whether they had lowered their profile, it is clear they took a yellow cab and is believed the father was wearing an expensive watch. It appears this gang targeted travellers from the US and Europe, holding up fake welcome signs to observe arrivals more naturally, whilst having the support elements to conduct follows from the airport.

Valuables are worth less than your life

While becoming the victim of crime and letting someone get away with taking your possessions may not sit comfortably with you at all, it is preferable to the loss suffered in this incident.

All the warning signs had been missed and the two men found themselves involved in the robbery. The criminals in this incident most likely wanted to take the valuables, escape and cash them in; the “target selection”, “plan”, “execute” and “exploit” process.

The best way to have diffused the incident would have been to have given them what they wanted quickly and with the least fuss possible, and in fact this is also the guidance given by the FCO in their advice pages.

When involved in an incident we will behave in a number of ways, often instinctively, we will freeze, flight or fight. In this case it was fight. It is impossible to say if the FCO’s advice may have changed this reaction to the incident, however it is easier to suggest that by researching the location, planning the trip and taking the advice given, this incident may more certainly have not befallen this family.

Below we have compared a number of travel and security options for comparison.

We would like to thank our friends at EMS Risk Management and the Faena hotel for their help in supplying estimates and information on the current situation in Beunos Aires.

If you’re planning a trip overseas and would like to, know more about your destination, have a risk assessment conducted or arrange secure transportation and security for your trip get in touch with us today.

EPISODE 1 - Security Strategy

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat” Sun Tzu

 It is widely recognised strategies are key for success. You have used strategy in business, personal goals and fitness. Why should security be any different?

At points in our lives we have probably all thought is my home secure and could I make it more secure? Perhaps you have suffered a break-in or near miss.

Often, the result is hastily contacting an alarm and CCTV installer who will install an alarm system and some cameras around your home. This is the tactics before strategy approach.

To develop a robust and considered security solution, we start with a strategy. We look at how you live your life, explore how you want to live your life, what risks you face, from where and how we can mitigate these. Once we have established this we can look at tactics. 

Conducting a security audit of your property allows us to identify potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for improvement. 

We can then Introduce procedures and good habits, approved by you, eliminate bad ones, all the way through to introducing technical measures such as CCTV and alarm systems.

Together we can devise and implement a security strategy specific to you, considered and fit for purpose, with the ability to change with you, as your situation changes.

EPISODE 2 - Holistic

 Holistic  - “the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.”

At BluSkills we take a holistic view to your security, that is we believe it is critical to take all aspects of your life in to account when we look at your security.

Generally speaking, an alarm and CCTV installer, will install home security systems to deter and prevent burglars and stop there. Taking our residential security guidance as a case in point, we look at your life in a larger context to determine how best to keep you and your family safe. Some examples of questions which would help achieve this are:

- What company do you own or work for and what sectors do they operate in? As a leader or owner, your business’s problems are inextricably linked to you and can well end up on your doorstep as was seen with M&S and “Stop the Cull.”

- What are your interests and what are you actively or publicly involved in? Shooting, Politics, Religion, there are many interests and activities that at the right time and with public knowledge could see you face an increased level of risk.

- Who are your family and might their activities make you vulnerable? You may have been discreet with your wealth but your partner or family might attract attention publicly through their lifestyle choices, you may have a more publicly facing family member which may attract unwanted attention or increased risk.

- Have there been previous incidents? There may be a specific person who has targeted you in the past, perhaps an ex-partner. An event could trigger a recurrence of their attentions towards you.

Questions and information like this allows an understanding of your life, the identification of potential groups, types of people and specific people, who may present a threat, informing on the ways they may look to target you and subsequently driving the considerations and approach we would take to yours and your family’s security at home and away from home. 

Alarm systems and CCTV may be an important tool in this approach, but with this bigger picture we can look to pre-empt and mitigate risk, take positive pre-planned actions in a timely manner and give you peace of mind.

EPISODE 3 - Impartial

There are currently many security companies and security product companies who offer free home security surveys. It’s a great way for them to build a relationship with you in person and a great way for them to sell you their products, which subsequently makes you and your home safer.

Making you safer is obviously a great thing, but clearly this arrangement is potentially open to abuse and has its limitations.

Surveys if done properly are rarely free and are usually impartial. Home buying surveys are a great case in point. It wouldn’t necessarily be in your best interest to have a home buyers survey conducted by the vendor.

BluSkills Security guidance consist of Personal Risk assessments, a survey of your home, the production of a detailed report and the design and agreement of security policy and procedures all of which contributes to your personal security scheme.

The process is extremely thorough and takes in to account a wide range of factors such as your personal lifestyle, your homes location and other risk factors, as well as the more generic threats posed by domestic burglary, see our previous Holistic and Strategic pieces for more detail on the process.

BluSkills security surveys, assessments and guidance are impartial, much like your home buyers survey. We don’t sell or install security equipment or measures, nor do we currently recommend suppliers so you can be assured we are only identifying what is required.

What our report and guidance will do is inform you as to what you really do require as part of your strategic scheme. So, when it comes to liaising with the various trades, you can be confident in what you do and do not need.

EPISODE 4 - Empowering You

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any” - Alice Walker

Often, but not always, we find ourselves consulting with the victims of a residential crime or burglary when undertaking residential security services. These events have usually resulted in feelings of vulnerability, fear, anger and a desire to ensure the event doesn’t happen again, at any cost. 

Many homes unfortunately become the victim of repeated burglaries. Burglars wait a short period for insurance claims to be settled and goods to be replaced before they exploit the same vulnerabilities.

At BluSkills we recognise it is critical that you feel safe in your home and that you know your family are safe, whether you are taking proactive action before becoming a victim and especially if you have been the victim of a crime.

TAKING BACK CONTROL

You can and will take back control. By engaging a security company to conduct a security survey and audit of your security you will identify vulnerabilities. Often these vulnerabilities are a mix of your lifestyle, behaviours, gaps in physical security measures and perhaps technical shortfall.

Your lifestyle and behaviours are a key part of this. Most companies will focus on burglary. Quite possibly this is the most likely threat you face, however if you work in a controversial industry and, or, your home address is connected to your work life then you could at some point see work issues landing on your doorstep in the form of protests, harassment and retribution. Follow this link for a great example of this.

Once these vulnerabilities are identified, recommendations should be made, with recommendations prioritised. You can then set about improving your security.

This process enables you to take back control. Importantly you will understand your security. Why there were vulnerabilities, what these were and how you have mitigated these.

PREVENT & DETER

At BluSkills, we believe for the main part, in a prevent and deter strategy. This is a proactive strategy and unless you employ a residential security team (a team of our security professionals located at your home) you and your family will play a huge part in the detecting the early warning signs and taking positive early action.

The ability to do this comes from education, awareness and good policy and procedure. Once you are conducting this good security behaviour you will feel much more relaxed and reassured at home, with clear actions to take should you detect behaviours you are unhappy with.

SEND A MESSAGE

As we mentioned earlier, many homes are retargeted for burglary. It is important that when a burglar or burglars return, they see a positive difference and you send a message to them not to try again.

If you haven’t been targeted the same is equally important. A Perpetuity Research study showed burglars often employ a period of surveillance, even if it is short, this may be done covertly or under a legitimate activity such as a trade. The greater the risk or reward, generally the greater the period of surveillance. 

Now you will have the ability to detect them conducting this and ensure they see good security practice in place, along with robust security.  Be a hard target, make them move on to a softer target.

Assessing your current security situation is a vital first step to prevent you becoming a victim or a repeat victim. You don’t know what you don’t know. As one of our clients recently attested, “as a family, we have never felt safer.” If you would like to start your journey to a safer home get in touch with us here to find out more.

He admitted to 25 offences, committed over a period of 11 years and theft to a value of half a million pounds, with property totalling £371,00 being taken from one home alone.

Police suspect, however, that his crime spree started in the late 90’s and the value of property stolen could be way in excess of that admitted.

In this small report were a number of interesting pieces of information that stood out. Here we will take a look at some of these, and offer insights which may help you protect yourself against falling victim to burglary.

The Prowler, real name Kapaj, was an Albanian who arrived in the UK in 1996. When he was first arrested in the Wimbledon area he was in possession of stolen goods, while working as a builder.

This profession and many like it such as installing windows or cleaning windows is a great profession for a burglar to adopt.

Potentially low skills levels are required for assisting in these roles. In the majority of cases, the employer would not undertake background searches and interviews to determine legitimacy of employment status, criminal background, previous checkable work history, and on top of this it offers the individual the perfect opportunity to identify and conduct reconnaissance of potential targets with a reason to be there.

Ask yourself how many times you have left workers at your home unattended, given them access to your keys for prolonged periods (which they could copy), perhaps while away on holiday or left a property insecure for them. Have you ever found them in rooms they didn’t need to be in or suspected missing cash and valuables? Perhaps you’ve suffered a break-in after you’ve had works done.

Ensuring that you use reputable firms who have a thorough recruitment and checks process in place is not fool proof, but a sensible step to protecting yourself and reducing your risk. It’s not that uncommon, schools often require builders and trades to have only enhanced vetted staff to their sites, to protect their children and themselves.

Display good security practices at these times, keep valuables hidden and control or restrict access to the relevant areas of the works. Make trades report in and out, limit the use of phones to their vans or a set area, have agreements in place. Introducing measures like these will send the message that you are a secure, hard target.

Kapaj then moved away from London to Manchester. As it transpires he would travel from Manchester to Wimbledon sometimes 3 times a week to conduct reconnaissance of properties and burgle homes.

Often his break-ins wouldn’t be to steal but to gain knowledge of the property and identify areas of high value items, such as jewellery and watches, It was even reported he would repaint window frames which he had damaged and leave methods to gain entry at a later time.

He chose times when the occupants were at home or away on holiday to strike, in order to avoid active alarm systems. We would suggest you are the most valuable thing in your home and if your alarm isn’t protecting you and your family while you’re at home, perhaps you should consider rethinking it. Kapaj was meticulous in his trade and highly motivated.

Often we hear phrases like, who would go to that much trouble, that would be a lot of effort or that would be too difficult. Understanding that these offenders can be highly motivated, skilled and professional, just like you are to your job or business, is sometimes hard to hear, but a fact of life nonetheless and well evidenced in this situation.

If you leave a vulnerability there’s a chance someone will exploit it and more often than not, that vulnerability will be human not technical. Windows left open, doors left unlocked, hiring of unchecked trades, not reporting that suspicious person or notifying your neighbours, leaving the key under the mat, keeping a highly predictable routine, showing off wealth, bins left out, mail left in the letterbox, the list goes on.

Consider what you are doing that provides an opportunity, you’ll know what it is because you’ll have that nagging feeling in the back of your mind when you do it and arrange a more secure way of achieving the same effect.

It took potentially 29 years to catch the Wimbledon Prowler, with at least 25 families affected by his crimes and potentially 25 families who won’t easily forget his crimes. Many of these homes will have had sophisticated security measures in place.

If you would like to discuss your home security get in touch with us here today.

A big part of improving the security of a person or family is the introduction of these procedures and the introduction of emergency procedures for events such as fire, break-in or attack.

Producing these procedures is the easy part. In our experience the key to the success of these procedures lies in the rehearsals and testing. Running through the procedures has a number of benefits.

Proving the procedure

Does it work? It is only when we start running through an emergency procedure that we can truly prove it; how long did it take to lock down the house, was it feasible to get to a safe room, did you take your phone to the safe room and so on? At this point if required we can make amendments and refine the procedures.

Reinforcing the procedure

It is one thing to read an emergency procedure in a procedure document, it is another to put it in to practice under pressure. Rehearsing your emergency procedures has the benefit of proving the procedure and cementing it in your mind, so that should the worst happen, you will know what you are doing, where you are going and who you are calling.

Eliminating denial

It has been discussed by many people including Freud that humans can use denial to rationalise a situation and reduce stress and fear. By rehearsing you are accepting that you face a risk, building in triggers for positive actions and making the likelihood of you reacting in a timely and positive manner much greater.

In 2011 a friend and colleague of mine was aboard a vessel when it was attacked by Somali Pirates in the Indian Ocean. The four unarmed security operatives on-board, co-ordinated a withdrawal to the ship's safe room, prevented the pirates from accessing the ships citadel and subsequently taking control of the vessel.

This is a great example of mitigating an undesirable event through a well rehearsed procedure and although it took place on a ship in the Ocean the principles are exactly the same. 

I wanted to know if he felt rehearsals had contributed to their successful protection of the crew and vessel.

“Having experienced the value of well rehearsed emergency procedures first-hand, I for one will never underestimate their significance. Having been on the receiving end of a Somali pirate attack in the Indian Ocean with nothing but non-lethal defences at one’s disposal, well drilled emergency procedures were quite literally the difference between life and death. Predicting people’s reactions in times of distress and uncertainty is an unmastered art. Yet rehearsals go some way to addressing this unpredictability. They provide all parties with a real-time understanding of their role and responsibilities in any given event. Without such understanding, chaos could quickly ensue and compromise the successful outcome of the situation.”

You can’t be sure when or even whether you may face a situation where you need to act quickly and decisively to protect your family, yourself or your property. Hopefully from this example you will see the benefits that having a well rehearsed plan can deliver.

If you feel you want or need assistance with your home security don’t hesitate to get in touch with BluSkills today.

Simply earning these sums can place your key leaders at an increased level of risk from crime, combine this with their association to your business and its activities and you introduce further elements of risk, which can be heightened in times of crisis.

Given that you are investing these sums in your leaders, what if anything have you allocated to investing in their safety and security?

A business’s leader is generally seen as the face of the company. As humans we like to humanise organisations and in fact companies are going to great lengths to humanise themselves in order to gain consumer trust.

A likely consequence is that businesses leaders can be targeted in a crisis, people want to hold a person to account. There have been numerous publicised instances over the years and one such example would be the leader of the retail chain M&S.

The M&S CEO became the target of a campaign group protesting against their operations. They publicly released the leader’s home address on their website and urged protestors to visit their home.

These events, can at best be distressing to the leader and their family and at worst result in serious security issues. These events are also likely to affect how your leader manages with the business issues around the trigger or cause.

In these circumstances time is of the essence. Perhaps you act proactively to a perceived threat or perhaps you are reacting quickly to a situation you couldn’t have foreseen, either way this is where your crisis management kicks in and you turn to your procedures to ensure your leader and their family’s safety.

Or do you? Often businesses are focussed on the business response to a crisis and there can be a tendency to forget the individuals, leaving leaders and staff vulnerable away from the planned security environment of the office.

From time to time your business will face challenges, large scale redundancies, protest groups, press interest and many others. You have considered how the business will react to these events. If you haven’t already, now is the best time to consider how the business will protect its key leaders at these times.

BluSkills can help your business with its crisis and emergency planning, helping you to introduce sound and robust emergency procedures which ensure the safety of your people. Get in touch today to ensure your key leader is protected.

At BluSkills we specialise in conducting residential and commercial security risk assessments, providing detailed guidance on how to reduce your vulnerability to crime. 

Whether you are a high net worth individual, farmer or customer service advisor, we all face the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

In this blog we look at the part a community can play in reducing and tackling crime.

Regularly we see a lack of engagement in local communities, none more so than in affluent areas where residents tend not to engage with each other. This may be due to hectic lifestyles, perhaps due to a desire for privacy. 

Despite individually spending large amounts of money on technical solutions, burglary, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime still exist in these communities, just check out the national crime map to see what I’m talking about and click "find my neighbourhood" to view your area.

While working in an affluent rural town I heard a resident’s alarm sounding. I went to check if everything was ok at the property. Nobody was in. I came across a few neighbours, none of which knew a contact number for the owner, none seemed concerned about me loitering around with the alarm sounding, nobody had reported the alarm even though it had apparently been sounding for hours. Ask yourself, Is this the response I want from my neighbours when my home alarm is triggered?

To me this incident just highlights the importance of a community engaging with each other and coming together. It is a powerful tool and much underutilised in tackling crime and is strongly promoted by the Police as well as other organisations such as the neighbourhood and home watch scheme, which I will return to later.

I have worked all over the UK as well as in hostile environments overseas, some could even argue domestically, and the one thing that has always been apparent is when a community is tight knit and aware. It ranges from just observing you through to reporting you to others in the area even actively engaging with you as an outsider or as a suspicious person. 

You might call this just being a nosey busy body. To a person looking for the opportunity to commit a crime it makes for a tough environment to operate in.

There are many ways you can come together as a community. Knowing and regularly talking to your neighbours, especially in remote and isolated areas. Make sure you have contact details for them. Discuss issues or suspicious activity in your area and let trusted neighbours know when you are going to be away and who may be visiting your property while you’re away. The key here being trusted, select carefully.

There are of course more formal ways of doing this. One such scheme is the neighbourhood and home watch network. Very well known and established, they offer a great framework and support structure with links to the local Police as well as specialist assistance from experts and businesses. On top of this insurers may even offer discount to areas which subscribe to the scheme.

Less formal schemes exist such as social media groups. These groups may be local communities or specific groups such as Farmers or local business, sharing recent incidents and suspicious activity to warn others in the area.

You could even start your own simple group such as a WhatsApp group for local residents, where concerns and suspicious activity could be shared easily and quickly, images of vehicles, descriptions of suspicious people. 

North Yorkshire police have a great community messaging email alert network to notify local residents of suspicious and criminal activity in their area, its generally quick and up to date, your Police force will have one too.

In summary an engaged community is a really strong deterrent to crime and the best thing about it, is that it’s free. The effect of many eyes looking out, reporting and engaging suspicious behaviour will far outweigh that which you can achieve on your own and create a non-permissive environment for those looking to commit crimes.

BluSkills provide a range of security services. To find out more about our services and how we can help you get in touch with us here today.

After leaving the Military I undertook a Close Protection course overseas with the aim to continue my security career in the UK.

The first role I undertook was for the leader of a FTSE 100 listed business as a Chauffeur/Bodyguard. The leader I worked for was a security conscious and proactive individual which made the role very rewarding.

This was the start of BluSkills and our Security Chauffeur service. In this role my security background repeatedly enabled me to think of the bigger picture and to outperform other regular chauffeurs despite the fact many of them were excellent chauffeurs.

I reformed policy and procedures at our head office, working in partnership with the on-site security department right through to improving the domestic security measures all while ensuring outstanding service and safe transportation.

So, what does a security chauffeur offer me over my regular chauffeur, I hear you ask?

Firstly, a security chauffeur delivers the excellent customer service you expect from your chauffeur along with the safe progressive driving that comes from advanced drivers. This allows you to either relax and recuperate from a hard day or maximise your productivity from the comfort of your vehicle.

Next, we take the time to get to know you. We carry out a risk assessment which includes your medical needs. How many times have you been asked if you have allergies by your chauffeur?

So why do you we need this information? Correctly assessing the risks you face is key to our service. You may think, there are no risks to me. There may be a risk from an allergy or from a planned or opportunistic crime. Wealth for example, can be a powerful motivator. Being a business leader could lead to threats and attacks from disgruntled employees or activists, depending on your activities, through to political beliefs and memberships, again powerful motivators.

Knowing this information will help us identify in what direction the threat may come, where from, who from and how. Threats may fluctuate at periods, threats received through difficult periods of business for example, but the business and its security chauffeurs can be proactive at these times and upscale security or modify behaviour where appropriate based on the risk rather than reacting post incident.

If you’re looking for a chauffeur, the chances are you spend a large amount of time on the road. You visit unknown places, you may visit high crime areas, you travel away from your local area and away from the security of your home. This is another area where a security chauffeur steps in.

BluSkills carry out extensive planning before any journey. Why? So we can make sure we have a plan, a plan to keep you safe, a plan in case something goes wrong. We know where the nearest police stations and medical facilities are along the route and at your venues, we look at the area we are travelling to, consider the activities you are undertaking. We will even conduct reconnaissance where appropriate. All this means a more efficient, safer service.

Planned crimes will almost certainly have a period of surveillance, even if short. Whether this is a planned burglary or the theft of a vehicle, a criminal will want to observe the target before exploiting it.

Security chauffeurs are surveillance aware, we look for and draw out surveillance in order to identify the potential for a planned or opportunistic crime, whether this be a follow home to steal your car or valuables, through to a suspiciously parked car monitoring activity and watching your routines at your home or office. You can get a great idea of what is involved by reading our Security Chauffeur blog, ‘a day in the life of a security chauffeur’ or see how to prevent the impact of a lack of situational awareness and not detecting surveillance in this Bentley Bentayga attack article.

BluSkills conduct ourselves in a proactive security conscious manner that aims to deter those looking to exploit you as an easy target and allow you to escalate your security in time.

Finally, and critically are the trustworthy operators that deliver your service. They are highly trained, highly experienced and have a proven track record of integrity and discretion They are vetted to industry standards so you have full knowledge you are in safe hands.

A crime may happen to you it may not, but that is an unknown. By using a BluSkills security chauffeur you are taking a calculated step to ensuring both yours and your family’s safety and peace of mind, for just a little extra.

BluSkills provide a range of security services. To find out more about our services and how we can help you get in touch with our experts today.

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]]>Security Chauffeur - A considered approach to your safetyRichard ChristianThu, 26 Jul 2018 09:11:01 +0000https://www.bluskills.co.uk/blog/2018/7/26/knowledge-dispels-fear57cbe618ff7c508975d1d471:58835219cd0f6828c5b2c9cb:5b59875103ce645f31dfb5deBluSkills Blog RSS

If, like me, you don’t want fear to get in the way and prevent you from achieving your goals and dreams you may be familiar with this topic.

Throughout my career I have conducted very dangerous training, visited very dangerous places and done fairly dangerous things in those places and I’m still here to write this.

I’m not a believer in luck. Early on in my career, and I suppose life, the risk was managed for me, more latterly and currently I very much do this myself.

It’s logic and common sense, that rather than bury our heads in the sand and hope for the best, we acknowledge the risks and put measures in place to mitigate these.

Your life is no different and nor is your security. But this is what many people do, putting their blind faith in the law of averages and luck rather than acknowledging the risks and mitigating them. These people are soft targets.

Perhaps wealth has snuck up on you, perhaps your circumstances have changed quickly or perhaps your job sees you visiting countries and places you are unfamiliar with.

At BluSkills we firmly believe and promote, having a plan. And that’s what we do for you, although you can definitely do some of this yourself.

We take a look at your life and the risks you face from the outside, a perspective you may not take, but a critical one. It’s important to understand that a criminal may make assumptions based on what they see, such as, big house or nice car and to them this may equal, lots of jewellery or lots of cash on site. This may not be the case but that doesn’t stop that thought process.

Some of the risks you face are generic, and others are very specific to you. Once identified, we look at how we can mitigate these risks. Quite often this is done simply and cost effectively with procedures, some of our services are aimed specifically at doing this for you.

The key part to this process is honesty. Acknowledging to yourself what risks exist and you face. The strength and confidence then comes from knowing you have addressed these risks, even if that means you’ve used us to do it on your behalf.

A great example of this is parachute school. There is nothing, at first glance, logical about jumping out of an airworthy plane and relying on a piece of material to carry you safely to the ground.

This is where I first heard the phrase, “knowledge dispels fear.” This simple phrase, to me, embodies risk management. Be honest with yourself. Knowing you have identified and addressed the risks you face and are ready for them, empowers you to feel safe in your home, out and about or jumping out of a good aircraft.

BluSkills provide a range of security services. To find out more about our services and how we can help you get in touch with us here today.

When you think of evasive driving techniques what is the first thing that comes to mind? Handbrake turns? Reverse 180's? The Transporter?

We all want to practice these moves, they're pretty sexy and great fun to do and to teach. But in the real world are we going to use them? Current vehicle technology designed to keep us safe makes it more difficult to execute these moves, with the vehicle constantly fighting against our desire to tactically unbalance it.

I was taught, and subsequently teach that evasive driving is the early recognition of a potentially hazardous situation and the taking of early appropriate and controlled avoiding action. This could be a simple drive around the threat, reverse away from the threat, even an early stop short and turn around.

This video of an attack in London shows an attempt at the "fast reverse." It's not sexy, but it is effective and quite possibly one of the few the manoeuvres you will use if you have to use evasive driving in anger one day. It also shows what can happen if you get it wrong, albeit with a little help from the follow car.

On a very windy and changeable day four of us gathered at the Blyton Park circuit, a recent purchase by Ginetta cars. 

In case you haven’t heard of Ginetta cars they are a road and race car manufacturer based on the outskirts of Leeds in Garforth. Ginetta have a racing background and pedigree, selling cars and competing in motorsport worldwide and have their own excellent race series’. 

The day was broken up in to 3 x 20 minute sessions in the Ginetta G40 on the open and wind swept circuit. We started with a driver brief before heading out on track with one of Ginetta’s drivers, to get a feel for the circuit and the car. This proved very useful as they may as well have briefed me on the Nurburgring for what I remembered once I got on track. 

The emphasis was on learning the track with gradual progression, building speed throughout the day. Soon our instructor was giving us guidance on braking, throttle control and steering inputs as we started to explore the limits of the G40, although I wouldn’t say troubling them, especially not with the £7K excess looming overhead.

By the end of the day we had all improved our speed around the track considerably and had a brilliant time with it. I went to sleep that night mulling over where I had lost time and how I would approach the various corners differently next time they let me loose on the track. 

A few days later and behind the wheel of a customers Ghost, I started to see where racing and driving for speed actually also relate directly to driving for comfort and the security chauffeur role.

Although there are many ways to drive, slow, fast, progressive, there is a common thread throughout. The more we pushed on the track and explored the limits of car, the more important the basics became, smoothness and accuracy of steering input, balancing and smoothness of the throttle.

It is the same now, driving with an emphasis on comfort, the smooth use and application of throttle, steering and brakes delivering a much better ride. While the lines we take on the road vary to that of the track confident and accurate vehicle placement is very important.

There have been many benefits from our day at the track which will now be incorporated in to our driver training program.  A big thanks to the Ginetta team for providing a safe and fun environment in which we could further hone our driving skills.

January 2018 saw the “Night Watcher” hit the press. The burglar was reported by Police to operate alone, armed and has successfully conducted 7 burglaries over three years stealing up to a reported £7M in valuables with victims including the Duke and Duchess of Richmond at Goodwood House.

The Night Watcher is believed to use long periods of surveillance, entering the home on occasions before the burglary to locate safes and valuables. When conducting the actions, the burglar is armed, uses force to make victims comply and has been reported to behave as if they knew the layout of the property.

These tactics and knowledge may appear to make crimes like these unpreventable and have led Police and press to suggest the possibility that the burglar may be from a military background. 

So, what can you do to prevent this happening to you, short of utilising a 24 hour a day residential security team?

Ultimately it can prove very difficult to prevent a highly skilled and determined individual from conducting this type of action. You may not want to protect your valuables and may be of the opinion that these are just objects, expendable and covered by insurance. They may on the other hand be precious, to be protected for future generations and be the fruits of your labours. I think you would have to be a very resilient individual to suffer this type of ordeal without some degree of psychological impact. 

How can you and how do BluSkills look to prevent a difficult to prevent action such as this? We take a look at a few steps you can take.

No crime can occur without trace, look out for small signs and tells which are out of the normal. In this instance, the burglar employs a long period of surveillance and this will most likely involve close reconnaissance. Picking up on these activities is your chance to take control and quickly escalate your security measures. Vehicles in the area which don’t belong, signs of activity on your grounds such as depressions in grass, disrupted gravel or foreign objects such as wrappings, batteries or equipment are all good indicators. Review your CCTV regularly, using motion incident recording can help make this a much easier process.

Good security procedure is another critical area, both a deterrent and denying opportunity. Most operators and certainly at this level, don’t want to get caught. Your job is to make your home look much harder to target and therefore the chance of being caught much more likely. By security procedure we mean a set of rules for all, designed to make life hard for the criminal. Things that ultimately people don’t do, such as locking doors and windows, setting alarms, reporting suspicious behaviours, controlling keys and so on.  It’s no surprise for Goodwood House to be targeted, open to the public, I’ve been on many occasions, wandered the grounds, the perimeter of the house and could quite easily have gone in to the home, this close target reconnaissance is invaluable.  Think who is coming to your home and what access you are giving them, staff, trades and services.

Finally we look at your routine. In this instance “bad routine” As humans we seem drawn to setting patterns, things like work can dictate this to a certain extent but you still have the opportunity to be less predictable. It is this predictability that can provide the advantage to a criminal. Consider what you do and how you behave. Would someone watching your home quickly be able to establish when your home is occupied or not? Where you will park before entering your home, which entrance you will take, when you will let the dog out? The list is endless, but varying routine and avoiding patterns is good practice.

In summary the signs will be there. By raising your awareness and picking up on things that aren’t natural you can get a head start. Make life hostile for those acting suspiciously, talk to them, ask if they need help, why they are in the area? Report them to the Police with good descriptions and footage where possible, make your neighbours aware. Once you think you’ve identified suspicious activity, act, ensure your security measures are being used and deny the opportunity.

BluSkills offer expert security guidance and security services for individuals and business. If you have any questions or would like more information get in touch with us today here. We look forward to hearing from you.

A Lesson In Awareness

The following video shows an attack on a vehicle by a group in November this year (2018) near Bury. The group arrive on mopeds and block off some exits while the vehicles windows are attacked with an axe.  

From the video there are a number of lessons we can learn.

Awareness:
Try to keep good awareness of your surroundings while on the move and especially when you come to a halt. There is every chance this group followed the vehicle prior to stopping at the lights which could have given the driver an early indication something wasn't right.

Escape plan:
You are more vulnerable when you come to a halt. Ensure you give yourself enough room to manoeuvre around the vehicles around you. You may remember the saying tarmac and tyres from your driving test. Take a few moments to look at possible escape routes around you, gaps in the traffic and gaps in the street furniture. This may seem strange at first but with a little practice the observations will become second nature. In this instance the driver could have taken the left slip road or moved in to the right lane almost immediately.

Psychological barriers
A conclusion we drew from this video is that the driver and their actions or lack of them, may well have been influenced by a number of psychological barriers as opposed to physical ones. The first factor is undoubtedly shock. From the article the driver first knew of the attack when the window was struck by the assailant’s axe, immediately placing them on the back foot. 

Next when it comes to removing themselves from the incident, the driver appears to dismiss using the escape to the left. Perhaps it wasn't on their route or perhaps the moped and rider blocking the route appeared to be an obstacle. The reality of this situation is that there could be a genuine assumption of threat to life. Using the 2-tonne vehicle under control the driver could have moved either around the moped or moved the moped and driver out of the way using reasonable force under the circumstances. In fact, you will see the vehicle in front of the Bentley does exactly this and slides away.

Cars to the front of the vehicle have given it room to extract, but again it appears the driver is bound by the psychological barrier of queuing at the red light, as it shifts forward, only late on does the driver take the offside lane after the traffic light has turned green. This manoeuvre could have been taken much earlier, treating the red light as a give way and turning with the traffic to escape the attackers and limit any potential of an accident. Again, this action would be justifiable under the circumstances.

Overall this incident lasted around 30 seconds. With good awareness and an escape plan it may have lasted only a few.

These are just a few examples of the skills BluSkills security chauffeurs employ to keep our clients safe. If you would like to speak to one of our experts about bespoke security awareness training or our security chauffeur service click below to speak to one of our experts.

Friday

Planning

The day actually started 2 days ago with the planning. This phase is equally as important as carrying out the task itself. It allows us to look at the venues and routes in detail so when we arrive we have either been there or feel as if we have. Also we plan our emergency procedure and locate emergency facilities along the routes and at the venues. This is a straight forward task and one which we do pretty often so the planning process is shorter this time. After the planning is done I check the medical equipment is present, in date and serviceable.

09:00

I have been up for around an hour and a half by now and am leaving my house to travel to the client’s house.

I have all the equipment we require for the task as well as the company’s paperwork. We keep detailed records of the hours we are working, expenses, vehicle mileages and condition. The drive is approximately an hour, I ensure that I am not being followed away from my home. It is important not to inadvertently take home life to work and work life to home.

“Detecting surveillance may be the first sign that a crime or action against the client or client’s property will occur"

10:00

After ensuring I haven’t been followed I arrive at the client’s house. I have an hour and a half to prepare and check the car as well as clean another of the client’s vehicles before I leave. Today is a journey to meet the client and bring them back home, and will probably take around 11 hours.

11:45

I receive a request from a member of the family to drop them off. It is in the same direction and I have some time in the bag so I am able to assist.

I know the venue so I quickly program it in to the SAT NAV, load the car and we leave. We leave the property and head to the venue ensuring again that we are not followed leaving. I will do this every time, both before and after we stop. It may seem over the top but detecting surveillance may be the first sign that a crime or action against the client or client’s property will occur. In one of my previous roles a lady employee was followed home, threatened and had her car stolen. Had she known she was being followed the incident could potentially have been avoided.

The route is very slow so I box around the traffic using the map on the SAT NAV. We arrive on time and I drop the family off.

12:50

Drop off complete I now set off to the pick-up. Throughout the drive I look for suspicious behaviour in front and behind me. Most people find long drives on the motorway mundane but I am constantly observing the traffic, looking for hazards and noting each junction number (should we have an emergency and I need to give our location) and planning escape routes. This mental occupation wards off tiredness and passes long journeys more quickly.

15:00

I take a quick stop after just over two hours on the road. A quick coffee, some fresh air and some food ensures that I will remain alert. I pick up the client’s preferred paper.

16:30

I make my way to a car wash that I know well and trust to do a good job, it is around 10 minutes short of the pick-up. Now the car looks great I fill up with fuel and make my way to the pick-up. A motorbike pays us some attention, we exchange friendly nods and he and the stunning Ducati go on their way. It’s nice when people react positively to the vehicles, often this isn’t the case. You find yourself having to minimise the profile and pick-up and drop-off much more discreetly.

17:45

We arrive with time to spare. I let myself in to the property and start to load the vehicle. I make sure the water and paper are in the right place and that the charging leads are present.

18:30

Fully loaded and client on board we depart. I vary the routes out and ensure we aren’t followed. it is important for us to do this to break up any routines that could form and make us predictable. The traffic is clear at this time.

20:15

We sail to our first stop. All clients are different, our client today likes to stop regularly and I can’t complain it is good to stretch the legs and freshen up.

22:50

After just over two hours we are approaching the client’s home. The traffic is very quiet now and I again ensure we haven’t been followed in. I open the gates then wait for them to close behind us. This prevents any opportunity of tailgating (where a person or vehicle follows another through a security measure) it’s a very easy way for people to bypass security measures. I help the client unload the car before putting it away.

23:07

After a quick check of the vehicle and taking some notes for the paperwork I say goodbye and leave. It has been a long day but I still feel fresh thanks to some pretty fantastic British/German engineering.

To find out more about how our services can help you, click below to speak to one of our experts today.

SPEAK TO AN EXPERT NOW

This week saw a terror attack at Westminster bridge, the first attack in London since Somali-born Muhiddin Mire, launched a knife attack at Leytonstone tube station. The terror threat remains at ‘Severe’ meaning an attack is highly likely.

With Security services successfully disrupting 12 attacks in the last 12 months, the move towards the ‘lone wolf’ low complexity attack tactics continue, whilst UK emergency and security services continue to train and work to prevent a mass casualty attack.

So what can you do? It is important to not let terrorism create fear, restrict or negatively impact your life. There are a number of ways to reduce your chances of being in the wrong place and it is also important to educate yourself on how to detect a potential attack and how to react should you get caught in one.

Know where you’re going, both domestically and overseas, the UK government website has advice regarding travelling to foreign countries, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice Maps like the below can also be useful to check terror threat levels.

Terror attacks are designed to create fear and in order to do this they are likely to strike the civilian populous, makes sense they would want to target densely populated areas with lower levels of security.

We’ve seen attacks on busy market places, shopping centres, concerts and tube stations. All areas of high footfall and harder to secure. Take note of anniversaries too, whether of attacks or key events. Attacks may be planned to commemorate these dates.

Learn and train. There is now a free app from citizenAID designed to give you information and training on how to prepare for and react to a terrorist attack. Open up the app once downloaded and move step by step through the app to find out how to react to events such as seeing a suspicious package through to treating a major bleed in an emergency.

Drones, otherwise known as Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are receiving a great deal of press at the moment, near misses with commercial aircrafts through to their potential use in delivering your online purchases. But what are they really being used for?

I wanted to get a better understanding of current drones and their capabilities so I met up with Richard Burnett, Director at AWOL Media Productions. AWOL own and regularly use drones for filming. AWOL have successfully worked on projects for companies including the BBC, the Bear Grylls survival academy and Sky News over the last five years to name a few.

Firstly Richard explains that in order to use drones for filming and commercial gain you are required to be registered and granted Permission For Aerial Work by the CAA. This involves ground training and a practical assessment on each drone type used. Companies are also required to carry specialist insurance and other checks and balances to ensure they fly compliantly at all times.

In addition to using much larger platforms capable of carrying full-sized cinema cameras at long range, AWOL are currently using the DJI MAVIC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1d_ptE6yrc), an incredibly small device with collision avoidance technology and features such as tripod mode which can hold the drone stable in flight to get quality cinematic imagery. “The drone films in 4K quality, it’s incredibly manoeuvrable and quiet, in fact we could easily fly it inside a property.” At just 83mmx83mmx198mm it’s really compact and will fly for around 30 minutes. “It’s a really good bit of kit and allows us to get some fantastic shots for our customers that previously would have been cost prohibitive, you’d have had to look at hiring a helicopter and cameras. Now there’s also no reason why you couldn’t have an asset in the air constantly for days at a time, providing continuous cover.”

Next I start to pick Richard’s brain on how a drone could be used as a surveillance tool.  Could you effectively use one of these drones in order to surveil a property? “Of course, it would be a really useful tool,” he goes on to explain, “you could easily identify high value assets that may usually be hidden from the street or road. You could see any security measures in place, pick up on camera and security dead spots. With the flexibility of a drone like ours you could get high quality imagery fed in real-time to tell you if there’s a presence on site, observe the property from outside to look for high value items or identify if the property is occupied. You could even get still photos of occupants inside.”

So not only could a criminal find out your security measures and vulnerabilities without stepping on site, they could gather imagery which could be used for several purposes, possibly including extortion.

Whilst the drones AWOL use are expensive at around £1k a piece, there are plenty of affordable options on the market. And as we’ve seen they can provide a great deal of fun for the enthusiast but they can also be a useful tool for criminals.

If you haven’t considered drone countermeasures as part of your security scheme, perhaps now is the time to do so. BluSkills deliver residential and commercial property assessments. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your properties security or how to protect yourself against UAV’s get in touch here.

Social media is an amazing tool, it helps us keep up to date with what’s happening in the world, what friends and family are up to and lets businesses show us offers and products tailored to our interests and likes.

Unfortunately there are people who exploit these platforms for their own gain, extortion, black mail, identity theft and burglary are just some of the things we could be faced with when sharing a little too much information. 

So how does this happen? Take a look at your privacy settings on your personal social media accounts or your family members, who can see what they post? Friends, friends of friends, the general public? 

Without realising we can unknowingly share more than we realise thanks to real time posting and location services. That picture of you on the beach, at the airport or you checking in to your favourite restaurant can let a criminal know you’re away from your home and that the coast is clear. Combine this with photos of your nice cars, expensive jewellery and you could have made yourself an attractive target, I’m sure, unless you’ve been living under a rock you’re aware of what happened to Kim Kardashian in Paris? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37538453

Consider what clues may be lurking in the background of your photos and think about geotagging (data included in your images to show where they were taken). 

Something else to consider, insurance companies have warned that it is possible cover could be affected by announcing your plans on social media. Insurance company Hiscox previously told The Sunday Times that it does not insure celebrities who publish their holiday details and dates in magazines like ‘Hello’ and ‘OK’.

78% of ex-burglars interviewed said that they strongly believed social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are being used by current thieves when targeting properties, with 74% stating that in their opinion, Google Street View was playing a role in today’s home thefts.

Ever seen a TV show called Catfish? Thought not, that TV show conveys exactly how easy it is for other people to steal our photos and create fake social media profiles. Ok so that may seem harmless in the long run but if they can steal your photos what other personal information are you freely giving away to other people? Posting photos of your pets and their names? Is your birthday visible on your account? These are all answers to security questions and passwords and can easily be found with a bit of research. Be savvy about what information you’re posting and who you are friends with.  

Similarly, to the opportunity covered above, young adults and adults can easily become the victims and they need not be deemed vulnerable. Imagine the damage a compromising photo could have on you and how much would you pay to prevent that from happening. The BBC recently reported on the large numbers of young woman from conservative societies being shamed or blackmailed with private and sometimes sexually explicit images. Read the article in full here http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37735368

The good news. So although that seemed quite an extensive list of potential hazards, the good news is you can control these things, to a certain extent. By knowing the potential dangers you face, you can take control of your social media and online world and by taking control you know you have done all you can to protect yourself or your family. 

Facebook guidance security https://www.facebook.com/safety

Twitter security guidance https://support.twitter.com/articles/18368

Instagram safety guidance https://help.instagram.com/154475974694511

Snapchat safety guidance https://www.snapchat.com/l/en-gb/safety

Home Security

At BluSkills we take a holistic approach to security, with home security forming a substantial piece in the overall security picture. It is not just about securing possessions but most importantly about protecting yourself and your family. 

Residential security is a large subject and there can be many influencing factors as to how you may become a victim of crime at your home. 

Here we will look solely at deterring theft from your home and highlight a few simple measures you can use to help keep your home off the radar.

To the average person burglary is thought of as an opportunistic crime, however research conducted by security company ADT revealed:

-      Burglars displayed professional attitudes to burglary

-      Operated in teams, with team sizes of 2-3 being optimal

-      Burglars may watch properties for up to 24 hrs or longer 

-      72% confirmed they watched a property before breaking in

-      Would observe the property from nearby bushes

So what can we do to make our homes less appealing to burglars? 

Community

In my opinion this is a very powerful and much underused tool in securing the home. A close knit and observant community will create a difficult environment for potential burglars and criminals to operate in. Many eyes noticing, engaging and reporting suspicious vehicles, people or behaviour can far outweigh the impact you can have alone. Communities can come together in person, via social media, messaging groups or by a neighbourhood watch scheme. Remember that crime rates in your neighbourhood can affect the value and desirability of your home too so it’s in everyone best interest to engage.

Know your area and the crime within it. The Police now offer a crime mapping service on the internet which lets you search by postcode.

Control Access

Control access to the premises and to your home. Lock side or back gates that give access to the rear of your property and to your back garden. Keep your Windows and doors locked even when in the house or your garden. Cheap locks can be easily snapped or bumped so check if they are carrying the recommended kitemarks.  Ensure your shed is locked, these are often a target due to weak security and an out of sight location. Bushes can provide excellent cover for observation areas. Bushes should preferably be of a dense thorny nature. Ensure trees and branches don’t offer easy access to upper floor windows and doors.

Lighting

Lighting can be a strong deterrent to a burglar. Well sighted security lighting to the outside of your property will restrict a burglars ability to move around unnoticed. Internal lights on timers or smart sockets controlled via your smart phone will give the impression of an occupied home. Leaving the same light on for prolonged periods can easily have the opposite effect and flag an unoccupied home.

Reduce Appeal

Keep high value and appealing items out of sight. Use curtains at night to prevent those outside looking in to your home. It’s easy to observe from the dark outside in.

Technical measures

An up to date alarm system with a visible alarm box is a good deterrent especially if monitored. Critically they should fit in with your lifestyle and be easy to use. If you have dogs for example and the dogs trigger the alarm every time you set it, then you will inevitably not set your alarm. As well as deterring a potential burglar CCTV can capture good imagery of suspicious activity, perhaps someone conducting recce of your property. As per the community piece this imagery can also be distributed to your neighbours or Police to make them aware.

Natural measures

Dense thorny bushes restrict observation areas and make it very difficult to move through. There are a number of animals which are territorial and provide a good audible deterrent such as dogs and even geese which can be aggressive and very vocal.

Procedure

Finally, procedure. Get in to the habit of thinking security, create a procedure for leaving your home and get everyone in your home to agree to it. Every time you leave your home ensure your windows are closed and locked, high value items out of sight, set your alarm and lock your doors. It only takes that once leaving the window open or not setting the alarm to provide someone with an opportunity, especially if they’re observing.

BluSkills deliver residential and commercial security risk assessments and guidance. We assess your current security situation, identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities then produce detailed reports with guidance focussed on procedural measures which can be complemented with technical security measures. If you want to find out more about how we can help you then get in touch with us here.