Child Kidnapping Stats

The U.S. Dept of Justice estimates that 114,600 non-family abductions are attempted each year with approximately 3,200 to 4,600 being successful.

The risk of abduction by a stranger is relatively low for preschoolers, but increases through elementary school and peaks at age 15. Teen-age girls are considered most vulnerable.
24% of all kidnapping cases are by strangers; 49% are by family members, 27% are by acquaintances.

Source: www.kidini.com

Security Spending Up

U.S. companies spent an average of $1.03 million on security in fiscal 2004, up 22 percent from $844,982 in fiscal 2001, according to security report by an ASIS-affiliated foundation.

Footage Confirms Recon by London Bombers

You’ve heard it before and you need to hear it again – a reliable precursor to a terrorist attack is the rehearsal of the attack.

U.K. authorities released surveillance camera footage showing three of the July 7 London bombers conducting a test run less than two weeks prior to their attack. (Photo of video above). Evidence shows the three suspects entering a train station, arriving in London, and entering London's subway system. The route taken by the suspects on June 28 was the same route they took on July 7, and the suspects spent about three hours in London during the rehearsal. The discovery of train tickets and receipts from the suspects dated June 28 lead law enforcement to check the video tapes from that day, which uncovered the dry run.

The U.K.'s head of anti-terrorism, Peter Clarke, said the surveillance trip indicates that the suspects planned the attacks carefully: "This is quite typical of terrorists' methods: to reconnoiter the layout, the timings, to check security."

Security forces, employees and citizens can aid in the indentification of potential terrorists and prevention of potential terrorist attacks by being educated about typical terrorist surveillance and reconnasaince techniques.

Private Security Saves New Orleans Museum

The fact that the New Orleans Museum of Art, which holds a collection of some 40,000 pieces worth a total of at least $250 million, was untouched by looters during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is a testament to the foresight to hire private security guards.

The museum’s principal insurer -- Axa Art Insurance Corporation – saw the reports of widespread looting and complete breakdown of law and order after Katrina. The company hired a loss adjusting company and a security company -- International Investigative Group -- to inspect and protect the museum after the museum employees were forced to leave. The museum's deputy director, accompanied by the security company's armed guards, reached the museum by motorboat. A couple of National Guardsmen were also given orders to help protect the museum. The group had least two armed security guards on duty at all times with the group rotating between duty stations and a trailer located outside the front of the museum for rest.

The museum sustained only minor damage during the hurricane, and, although it was without climate control for two weeks, the museum's prints and photographs appear to be undamaged.

As mentioned before on this blog, business owners and heads of corporations need to integrate qualified private security into their asset protection program. This also serves as a reminder that you should not have your security program too heavily reliant on off-duty police officers as well. Chances are when you really need the cops, they will be assigned elsewhere.

"[W]hen a robbery victim does not defend himself, the robber succeeds 88 percent of the time, and the victim is injured 25 percent of the time. When a victim resists with a gun, the robbery success rate falls to 30 percent, and the victim injury rate falls to 17 percent. No other response to a robbery -- from drawing a knife to shouting for help to fleeing -- produces such low rates of victim injury and robbery success."

David Kopel

Wheelchair Bound Man Hijacks Airplane

The next time you are tempted to berate the TSA officers who are searching a wheelchair-bound passenger, remember the following story.

A father and son managed to smuggle two grenades aboard an airliner in Florencia, Colombia yesterday and then hijack the plane.
The father is confined to a wheelchair and he successfully circumvented the airport's metal detector because the chair was too big to fit through. Security agents did a visual inspection of the man and his chair, but did no pat down search. Hence he was able to smuggle two hand grenades onboard. Hand grenades!

Luckily for all aboard, the situation was peacefully resolved five hours later after the plane landed in Bogota. Apparently, the motive for the hijacking was to make a statement about not receiving government compensation for an injury.

Previous Defend University newsletters have posted items regarding the airport searches of different types of passengers as well as the zero-tolerance of toy weapons.

This situation is another reminder of why security procedures need to be strictly followed. Quit whining about them when you're at the airport. They are for all of our safety.

"As far back as man has kept record of training practices, lessons learned in combat and training, we can see that there is, and must be, an integrated approach to combatives.

It has always been a FIGHT, not a gunfight, fistfight, knifefight or stickfight. It's a fight.

James Riggs understood this, as did George Swift, Piazzarro and every other Conquistador, Knight, Bezerker, Mongol, Samurai and, and, and...

Bottom line, this is not unique to any one culture or system, rather it is a Truism that is readily apparent to anyone that has studied combatives, past and present, and anyone that is willing to test their skills against a resisting opponent."

Paul Sharp

"If you find yourself in a fair fight, then you didn't plan it very well beforehand."

Frank Borelli

Private Security Contractors Head to Gulf

Companies in the Gulf Coast region are hiring private security contractors to deter looters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One security contractor executive says that his company has been flooded with requests to provide security for commercial clients in the Gulf Coast region.

NOPD Collapse Revealed

The New York Times has reported that 200 New Orleans Police Department officers have deserted their city during the very one time that the citizens needed them most.

However, during the Police Department's very first press briefing today, the deputy police chief admitted that the figure was closer to 400. That's 25% of the city's 1600 officer force. The spokesman said he had "no idea" of why they did not report for duty, but understands that some are looking for family while some simply appear to be overwhelmed.

The NY Times has reports of officers throwing away their badges and other officers stripping off their uniforms and using their patrol cars to escape the city.

This is a sad, shameful reminder that -- despite the overwhelming heroic nature of the majority of police officers and firefighters -- you cannot rely on public safety personnel to ensure your safety.

If you are a business that uses the employment of off-duty law enforcement officers for your security, realize that a major call up is going to make this pool of officers unavailable just when you need them the most. Plan your security accordingly. That means you will probably have to begin to move your security to the private sector. Investigate the feasibility of in-house security staff as well as contracting with private security providers.

If you are an individual, you need to create a security plan and then get the equipment and the training that you'll need to protect yourself and your family.

"Remember, anyone can go on the offensive; it takes will & skill to be able to protect yourself and fight back."

Tony Blauer

Armed Thieves Push New Orleans Deeper into Chaos

The New Orleans chief of Homeland Security is reporting that roving bands of thieves are breaking into gun stores and engaging in gun battles with police, who have been ordered to suspend rescue operations to bring order to the streets.
One particular nursing home was well prepared before the hurricane and was coping with power outages and had enough food for days, but looters appear to be casing the facility and have already carjacked the facility’s bus.

"We had enough food for 10 days," said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. "Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot."

Seems like a bad time to JUST be learning how to defend yourself. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to begin digging a well.

Shame

Looting. Shooting. Armed mobs taking over hospitals, people dying in refugee shelters.

No, you're not looking at some Third World country -- we are talking about New Orleans here.

Reuters is reporting that gunshots are repeatedly heard and fires flaring as "looters broke into stores, houses, hospitals and office buildings -- some in search of food, others looking for anything of value. Two hospitals were under siege by robbers who used axes, guns and metal pipes to steal pain killers and medicine, according to a pilot flying relief operations into New Orleans."
National Guard personnel, volunteers in rescue boats, medical helicopters -- sent to help victims and restore services to the city -- have been shot at!

New Orleans, U.S.A. Can you believe it?

I'm hanging my head in shame that Americans are acting this way.

Now, there IS a heroic movement of military, police and human health services moving towards New Orleans. My own agency is mobilizing officers and search and rescue and medical specialists to convoy to the area late tonight or early tomorrow.

However, burn the memory of the survivors' reactions into your self-defense sense. We've said before that the police are NOT responsible for your safety. Indeed neither the city in which you live nor the Federal Government can be counted on for your safety and well-being.

Deperate people act in desperate ways. And, apparently, humans in most societies around the world feel justified in shooting, looting, stealing, robbing and plundering when thrown into chaotic conditions where there is no law and order.

Are you prepared to protect yourself and your family? If you are expecting the "government" to do it, you are going to be in for a shock when a crisis hits your hometown.