The Private Investigator Friend or Foe?

The Private Investigator has always been portrayed in the cinema as a charismatic dark, sometimes sinister figure and in the media as a 16 year old cyberpunk cracking foreign intelligence codes and now, of course, as a criminally minded social intruder and phone hacker.
Many see PI’s as a civilian spy, a one-man band trying to make a meagre living from day-to-day routine enquiries waiting in anticipation of the ‘big job’.
So what exactly is a private investigator? The ex-police officer serving papers from the court in divorce proceedings? The retired person whose sense of curiosity and justice stirs them into action? Or the slick, quick, industrial-espionage specialist who continually tries to foil and outwit unscrupulous business people who are bent on financial and political power? Or the PI working for them to bring power by information at any price?
The truth of it is that all of the above and many other definitions fit into the world of the modern day Sherlock Holmes. The type of work carried out by investigators is as diverse as the people who take up the profession. As well as the usual, widely accepted and well-known matrimonial and divorce work, the modern investigator can be called upon to act as a professional witness, involved in gathering evidence to support legal applications put before the court. Sometimes the PI will be called upon to work in criminal investigations to help prove a theft or some other crime, and to gather evidence to be given to the police as part of a court case being presented before a judge or passed to a journalist to expose a wrong-doing. On the other hand, the PI may have to work for the defence of a suspected criminal, meticulously sifting through the evidence and challenging any inconsistencies or locating and interviewing possible defence witnesses.
I’ve worked as an investigator for more than 30 years and I have been called upon to carry out investigations to locate and prove that firms or individuals are manufacturing or supplying goods without the license-holder’s consent. Retail and manufacturing companies have used the skills I learned as a soldier to work undercover or to carry out covert surveillance, gathering information to determine how their employees operate out of site of management, to identify individuals or teams involved in theft, using company equipment without consent or selling intellectual intelligence and testing the company’s security and systems. I have been deployed overseas working undercover to expose Letter-of-Credit fraud, child abduction and protection. I’ve lived in attics, under garden sheds, in disused properties, even in drains gathering video evidence to show that a claimant – although saying that he/she is unable to work – is in fact fit and healthy. I’ve met with Special Branch and handed information over to uncover future terrorists leaving the UK for training abroad.
I would argue that society will always have the need for information and in most cases the needy will not really care how that information was gained.

What to do in a Hijacking

Nowadays terrorists may strike almost anywhere, and there is a chance that you might be subjected to some form of terrorist attack. The events of September 11 2001 – terrible though they were- formed a highly successful terrorist plan. It woke the world up to the power of terrorism and the terrorists’ total disregard for innocent people.

Taking control of a vehicle to use as a weapon of destruction is not, strictly speaking, hijacking. Hijacking assumes that the terrorist have demands, and have chosen a passenger vehicle to use hostages as a tool of negotiation to either attain those demands or gain publicity for them. In a 9/11-style attack, you can do no better than the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, and try your best to overpower the terrorists.

World governments advocate that they will not give in to hijackers’ demands. This is not strictly true as many have paid ransoms to hijackers not least to the Somalia Pirates albeit the actual negotiations and handovers have been organised by the ship’s insurance companies using marine security organisations as regularly documented in the Marine Security Review.

In any event, hijacked passengers and crews do undergo long periods of high stress often resulting in eventual release, but occasionally death. Obviously, survival in these situations is a very tuff challenge, but not impossible. In all survival situations the basic rules are the same, and you will benefit from knowledge, confidence, physical condition, a sense of humour and the will to survive. The usual survival priorities of protection, location, water and food still apply. Your best personal approach is to adopt as low a profile as possible – Protection, be constantly aware of your surroundings – Location, keep yourself hydrated, by drinking water, not alcohol – Water, and eat whenever it is possible – Food.

Blend In.

When hijacked, it is vital to assess the hijackers at the outset, and ascertain their potential to carry out their task, their political and religious beliefs, their aims, even the actual group they belong to. Generally, you will be told some of these things early on. If your political, religious beliefs or nationality do not conflict with the hijackers’, your chances of surviving are slightly higher than those of someone to whom this does not apply. If someone is executed to prove a point, the hijackers are more likely to pick someone they dislike. If you are unlucky enough to simply be from the wrong place, avoid attracting attention, become the grey-person the person that no-one really notices.

Extremes.

Despite all your efforts, hijackers may become violent towards you. At this stage, there is very little you can do. If you are absolutely sure you can overpower the terrorist – or you are certain that they are about to take your life – then fight. Otherwise, resistance will only make the situation worse, so do your best to take it. Show pain naturally, when it hurts: showing pain too early can make the aggressor impatient and more violent; trying to show how ‘tough’ you are will just get you beaten to death.

Gaining the respect of your captors through arrogant resistance only happens in movies. If you decide to risk game playing, try to build a relationship; if you can get a good rapport, it often leads to survival. If not, of course, you are liable to become the first victim.

Your bearing will affect the way you are treated. Some people have a ‘military style’ about them; they walk very upright, with an air of authority. Avoid this at all costs, as the terrorists, who will be used to the police and military, will assume you are a soldier or undercover operator and quickly eliminate you. On the other hand, slouching and looking unconcerned will mark you out as an arrogant troublemaker. Being aware of your body language and adjusting it accordingly is a very important skill that you should think about and practice before you need it in a real life emergency.

Communicating.

Communication, or the lack of it, is a difficult area. Your non-verbal communication will begin the process. It is hard to get the balance right; showing hate is as provocative as showing compassion in some situations. Try to look attentive, obedient. Inevitably, any communication will single you out and defeat the object of keeping a low profile.

If you have to communicate avoid deep eye-to-eye contact, but do not avoid eye contact altogether, as this is antagonistic. Blatantly looking away from your aggressor is as much an act of defiance as staring.

Rescue.

The decision to use military force to effect a rescue is only ever made after all other efforts have failed, when the lives of the hostages are seriously at risk. The country you are in may not have a properly trained, professional, competent, ant-terrorist force. Specialists may have to be brought in for support and advice as the crisis unfolds. Information gathered by the authorities needs to be correlated and assessed and this takes time.

Even an experienced anti-terrorist team has its limitations. The aircraft may have been flown through restricted airspace, and the observers’ surveillance craft not allowed to follow, although it will still be tracked. If the plane is flying from place to place, then the team may monitor its fuel consumption and plan an assault when the plane has to refuel at the next stop. Available refuelling facilities can be identified in advance and an assault planned.

Release.

As a goodwill gesture, hijackers often release some hostages. If you are so lucky, the authorities will need to interview you as soon as possible to get a better idea of the threat. Whilst still a hostage, make mental notes of events and descriptions of the terrorists, it will help if you can use known images as identity markers for example: look-a-likes, he looks like John Lennon etc. Take note of the weapons in use and the armed terrorist locations. If you are not released early, your chances of being involved in some form of armed conflict will have increased. Most assaults begin with stun grenades; these cause a shock wave that affects the balance and co-ordination. Do not run, there is likely to be a hail of bullets and a lot of confusion moments after the assault begins, so standing up exposes you, and the rescuers have enough to do without you popping up and down. The best option is to drop to the floor with your hands outstretched showing that you are unarmed and not in a position to trigger an explosion. If possible stay in this position until you are ordered to move- hopefully by a friendly force. If you have to move because of fire or other hazard stay low, and if possible, evacuate the aircraft. Once outside, stay down and get clear of the aircraft if you can, remember to keep your empty hands in full view, do not carry anything. If you are not sure where to go, lie down and stay in position until you are told to move.

Survivor’s Guilt.

If you survive a hijacking, you may have stood by whilst others were executed, even possibly because you kept a low profile. This can bring intense – but inappropriate – guilt. You have survived an encounter with people who have no scruples about killing, and you are not ever responsible for the actions of others.

Business Leaders Failure to Protect

More than 50% of Business Leaders Fail to Plan for Disaster!


The growth of a successful business is rarely rapid, but its demise may well be.

According to statistics supplied by the Business Continuity Institute more than 40% of businesses do not recover following a terrorist attack or, I suspect, civil riots. In fact, the demise of the business could be overnight!

So why is it that, more than 53% of businesses have failed to put together a Business Continuity Plan? Is it that the business leaders are complacent, inept perhaps? I’ve had a number of conversations with CEO’s and Managing Directors who have volunteered that their recovery plan is to work from home on their laptop, keeping contact with other business colleagues who are likewise working from home, until they can re-group.

‘Expecting the Unexpected Business continuity in an uncertain world ‘ a booklet published by the UK’s National Counter Terrorism Security Office, London First and the Business Continuity Institute as far back as 2003 defined business continuity management as:

‘A holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organisation and provides a framework for building resilience with the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand and value-creating activities.’

Laptop – Home….I think not.

Having a robust, proven business continuity plan is absolutely fundamental to a professional, well run organisation. Size has no part to play in this, big or small, there is no excuse for not expecting the unexpected. The aims and objectives of the plan should be hammered out and agreed at the outset and everyone within the organisation should not only know what to expect but be encouraged to actively contribute to the plan. The fact that you have taken the time to prepare for recovery is a factor that should be commonly known and shown. This is important for two main reasons. Firstly, because in the search for recognition and support, in these competitive times, potential investors, customers and service/product users will want to know that the business is sustainable and can continue to perform through adversity. Secondly, each member of the organisation will have his or her own ‘hidden’ concerns and worries. They need to feel that their overall contribution to the business success is seen as worthwhile and that they will continue to have a job, a wage and continuity of employment. That’s the responsibility of quality business leaders, there’s nothing worse than dissent and lack of confidence in a workforce and in uncertain times it is the leadership that has to remain steadfast, laptops at home is not steadfast leadership.

Critical Path Planning.

Planning is a relatively simple process, initially taking into consideration three main areas, People, Physical Assets and Systems. This in mind, the start can be an uncomplicated affair, a pencil, piece of paper and quiet corner is all that is needed. Pause for a while, and let your mind think about the possible outcomes if you do not have a plan. You could lose your business position as your competitors move in on your customers, taking advantage of your inability to perform leading to a loss of reputation, not to mention the effect on your staff and loss of expertise, also, possibly to your competitors as your workforce migrates to those who did have a plan. Then there is the probable health and safety claims and the inevitable increase in insurance policies, for the future, if there is a future.

Having realised the effect of not having a plan you now need to begin the process of putting one together. This is universally recognised as a five point checklist beginning with, Analysis of the Business, and secondly Assessing the Risk both of these you will know better than anyone else. Developing your strategy is the third stage and here you could bring in outsiders with relevant experience. That experience may well be worth the investment as the fourth and probably most crucial stage is the actual Development of the Plan. Finally, you should rehearse your plan to ensure that it is in fact workable. For example, let us say that your plan includes using a ‘Hot Site’ agreement. This is office space with equipment usually provided by specialist continuity companies such as Internet Central based at Keele University in the UK. They advocate that they will have desks and facilities available within four hours of the need arising. It is no use waiting for the disaster to happen and then expecting your plan to work. You need to test and experience the plan in the cold light of day without the trauma. Once tested you may well have to go back to the paper and pencil stage and re-think your plan. But that is certainly better than it going wrong at a critical moment.

This is a brief article by way of introducing you, the reader, to the concept of:

Proper Planning Preventing Poor Performance.

If you need any further information please do contact the author.

Riots take out Businesses

Proper Planing Prevents Poor Performance!

Statistics show that 40% of businesses do not recover following civil riots and terrorist attacks.

Most businesses in the do not have a plan in place to allow them to carry on with their business following a disaster. Today in Cities around the World people will be turning up for work only to find that they have no building to work from. Doctors, health professionals, social workers, solicitors and many other much needed services will be unable to help decent, innocent people to come to terms with the day-to-day problems they encounter.

Throughout my adult life I have been involved at grass-routes level in riots as a soldier and special police officer, spent years working as a social worker with delinquent and disturbed adolescents and been on the streets as an undercover operator gathering evidence for anti-social behaviour.

There’s nothing new in rioting and civil unrest, it’s all happened before; the difference is the speed of communication and the willingness of individuals to gang-up and cause mayhem.

To believe that rioting helps to move society forward is nothing more than folly, I fail to see any gain. Destroying the very fabric of a society does nothing to help those most needing help. If there is a need for political change, then do it in a constructive way not destructive.

Businesses need to learn a lesson and prepare properly for continuity of business following a disaster. Signing up for a ‘Hot Site Office’ where there are desks and equipment in place usually within 4 hours is the first step to not becoming one of the 40%.

Phone Hacker or Intelligence Gatherer? The Private Investigator

The Private Investigator has always been portrayed in the cinema as a charismatic dark, sometimes sinister figure and in the media as a 16 year old cyberpunk cracking foreign intelligence codes and now, of course, as a criminally minded phone hacker.

Many see PI’s as a civilian spy, a one-man band trying to make a meagre living from day-to-day routine enquiries waiting in anticipation of the ‘big job’.

So what exactly is a private investigator? The ex-police officer serving papers from the court in divorce proceedings? The retired person whose sense of curiosity and justice stirs them into action? Or the slick, quick, industrial-espionage specialist who continually tries to foil and outwit unscrupulous business people who are bent on financial and political power? Or the PI working for them to bring power by information at any price?

The truth of it is that all of the above and many other definitions fit into the world of the modern day Sherlock Holmes. The type of work carried out by investigators is as diverse as the people who take up the profession. As well as the usual, widely accepted and well-known matrimonial and divorce work, the modern investigator can be called upon to act as a professional witness, involved in gathering evidence to support legal applications put before the court. Sometimes the PI will be called upon to work in criminal investigations to help prove a theft or some other crime, and to gather evidence to be given to the police as part of a court case being presented before a judge or passed to a journalist to expose a wrong-doing. On the other hand, the PI may have to work for the defence of a suspected criminal, meticulously sifting through the evidence and challenging any inconsistencies or locating and interviewing possible defence witnesses.

As a Private Investigator I have been called upon to carry out investigations to locate and prove that firms or individuals are manufacturing or supplying goods without the license-holder’s consent. Retail and manufacturing companies have used the skills I learned as a soldier to work undercover or to carry out covert surveillance, gathering information to determine how their employees operate out of site of management, to identify individuals or teams involved in theft, using company equipment without consent or selling intellectual intelligence and testing the company’s security and systems. I have been deployed overseas working undercover to expose Letter-of-Credit fraud, child abduction and protection. I’ve lived in attics, under garden sheds, in disused properties, even in drains gathering video evidence to show that a claimant – although saying that he/she is unable to work – is in fact fit and healthy. I’ve met with Special Branch and handed information over to uncover future terrorists leaving the UK for training abroad.

You would be surprised at some of the trouble-shooting tasks investigators get involved in. The following is one such problem I was asked to solve

The Background:

A world financier should have arrived for a meeting in Dubai, but didn't show. Eleven million pounds sterling was also missing. His life and work partner had information that suggested that the financier was in his hometown of Beirut and probably being kept there by his family who were members of a well-known terrorist group.

The Task:

1. To locate the exact whereabouts of the financier.
2. To make contact with him.
3. To assist him to escape from the Country if he wished to.
4. To deliver him to a safe environment and ensure that he would be kept safe.
5. To locate the eleven million – believed to have been given to the terrorists for the purchase of arms.

Did I sort it?

Professional investigators have a code of confidentiality!

The Psychology of Self Defence

Physical violence and aggression is not someone else’s problem it can and does affect all of us. The perpetrators of these types of crimes against the person are indiscriminate in their selection of targets. The young, the old, male, female, healthy, disabled, black, white they’re all the same to the person who chooses violence to gain control and power over others.

We all have a right to enjoy our lives in freedom, free from oppression. Feeling and being safe from violence and aggression is a fundamental need for us to lead a full and enjoyable life. The problem is not everyone adheres to these principles and some take great pleasure in stripping others of these basic rights. Everyday of our lives there is the potential for us to meet and have to deal with violence and aggression. For the most part we manage to deal with this by diffusing the situation. This we do by using our communication skills to navigate through the aggressor’s mind until we meet his/her social conscience, (everyone has one it’s just that some are very distorted and often shaped by the person’s own early violent life events). Once we find the aggressor’s switch our communication skills can either make the matter worse or work to turn the aggression off or at least tone it down enough to move the situation away from a violent act. All things being equal we achieve this by self-confidence. If we show a lack of confidence in our negotiations then we risk giving the aggressor a signal of our uncertainty and vulnerability. Once this happens the real negotiation is really one sided, his! Whereas if we can continue to show confidence we can often avoid physical confrontation. Having good communication skills often moves the interaction from a physical confrontation to a verbal settlement.

When the talking stops, or when you are stopped from talking you may then have to resort to violence. Unfortunately in life you can’t avoid man, the aggressor, the hunter, and very often the hunter of man! Because of this there are times when you have to fight back.

In the daily fight for survival you may well be confronted by an aggressive and violent person who is intent on causing you damage or even killing you. Physical violence isn't pleasant but neither is it un-stoppable. As with all aspects of personal safety and survival much depends on your ability to quickly change the way you think and deal with the situation. Generally the fear of an attack is often greater than the attack itself. Once you have made the decision to fight, or have had the decision forced upon you, you must be absolutely determined to win and that means being as ruthless as you can be. Begin now to remove the sporting mentality. Aim to stop the aggressor and give him no mercy at all. It sounds extreme, I know, but if someone is willing to act violently towards you, you must conquer your own feelings of compassion and your distaste of violence. When you fight, fight for your life with all your inner strength. Be absolutely resolute that when you are faced with having to defend yourself or someone else against the possibility of an attack or an actual attack then you will treat it as an attempt to take a life and that means that you have to fight harder than the attacker. Once the action starts refuse to accept defeat work hard to achieve victory. Accept no rules in your combat, revert to absolute brutality you are dealing with a life-threatening situation and as such there is no place for scruples. The second you hesitate the aggressor will take the initiative and that is very likely to result in your demise.

One of the problems with the average law abiding person is that they fear the consequence of this type of action. Throughout their lives they have been taught to respect the law and respect other people. That’s all well and good if you are dealing with a compassionate, normal thinking decent individual. But, for anyone to use extreme violence then they clearly do not fit into this category. And therefore they don’t deserve any mercy.

If you are confronted with violence you do have the right to defend yourself against an attack as long as you can demonstrate that you used reasonable force. And of course, it is reasonable to stop someone from killing you by killing them first!

Meeting aggression and violence with aggression and violence is not something that comes easy to most people. As well as the physical effect of having to fighting for your life and beating your opponent there is the psychological effect. In most cases this damage goes on long after the body has repaired. Console yourself with the thought that you would have not resorted to the crudeness of violence if the aggressor had not forced you into it. Post trauma stress is a well-known condition and there are excellent counselling courses available if you think you need some support afterwards.

The real test is this: if you can put your hand on your heart and swear that you acted in self-defence and that you did what you had to do to stop yourself and/or those around you from getting hurt or the loss of life then you have nothing to feel guilty about.

Why?

The sun was setting over the hills behind my position. Turf Lodge Estate lay in the shadows shrouded in a golden grey hue, which hid its deprivation. I lay huddled against the wall of sandbags; an uneasy feeling crept over me as the night took hold. The quiet of the observation post added to my apprehension…
Because of its unique location high on the outskirts of Belfast the security forces had long used the electricity sub station for covert observations. The winding road, which entered the estate from the rich countryside, ran just a few yards from the main gate and was a favourite entry and exit point for terrorists.
A section of infantry had set up a vehicle checkpoint around the first bend, out of sight of the estate’s prying eyes earlier in the day. The quiet was disturbed as I heard them pack up and start their vehicles. Within minutes the sound of the engines faded. And a haunting quiet returned.
Instinctively, I searched the sky as my ears picked up the bop, bop, bop as the home made mortars left their drainpipe launchers. Mesmerised, I watched three bombs tumbled out of control towards us . The first hit the sub station perimeter wire and fell to the ground harmlessly. The other two cleared the fence; hit an area of loose pebbles and exploded. The orange flashes sucked the oxygen from my lungs. I threw myself flat onto the floor. The bombs packed with six-inch nails, sent steel and pebbles flying over my body. Jeff hadn’t moved quickly enough: the blast forced him into me. His blood and torn flesh oozed through my fingers as I pushed him off, and placed him into the recovery position. Nails were embedded in his back and legs; some had been forced under his skin, stretching it into grotesque shapes.
Seconds later, the quiet returned only the dust and smell of spent explosives remained to tell the tale. Jeff lay conscious, but without sound or movement. His eyes said it all, the shock showing deep in them.
The medics had been quick to respond. Jeff had been stabilised, and waved to the rest of us, as the doors of the armoured ambulance slammed shut.
I held that scene in my mind as his replacement arrived. Jock McCann was a tall lean man, whose dark bushy eyebrows met in the middle. In our elite unit we worked in small groups of four. Jeff gone, Jock’s presence put us back to strength.
I briefed the new arrival and made my way back to the observation post. Dave Bryant took up his position at the main gate. Jock stayed with the radio, and I lay watching the estate with Andy Hall close to hand. The night took hold. Once again, the quiet set in and the uneasy feeling returned. My senses heightened and I peered into the dimly lit streets, expecting something, but not knowing what. In the background I could hear raised voices. I strained to listen; it seemed that Jock and Dave were arguing. Before I could clarify my thoughts, instinctive reaction, forced me to the ground in response to a sudden sharp crack as a weapon discharged. A second shot rang out. The noise stopped as suddenly as it started. I heard the screams of someone in pain. My thoughts and gaze turned to the main gate and the road leading into the estate. I half expected to see another set of smoking drainpipe weaponry, but there was nothing to be seen. Puzzled, I moved towards the sound of the injured. Two more shots rang out, the bullets passing above my head. The thud as they hit the sandbags confirmed their high velocity. I ran and dived for cover, hiding between the massive electricity generators. By the time the third shot rang out, I’d realised that I was being targeted. I moved quickly dodging in and out of the machinery until I came to rest at the foot of a concrete pillar. I had a clear view of the main gates, which lay fifty foot in front of me. One of them was open the body of the injured man preventing it from swinging shut. He stopped screaming and lay motionless. The sound of his sobbing filled the gap between us. I couldn’t make out who was lying there. I wanted to shout to him, but feared giving my position away. I scanned the area. There’s no cover, what about there, no, not there, no cover, white stone chatter, very noisy, too much of it, silent so much silence every bloody where, no sobbing no movement, my movement; movement means signal, signal means give away position why? Why me? I shouldn’t be here, I should be back at home with my mum, eighteen only eighteen, a boy no man, oh shit, don’t go, stay, stay where you are, it’s safe here. Go you’ve got to go that’s why you’re here it’s what you do, how stupid, how silly, this can’t be true, can’t be right what’s right, other side of left, get your arse in gear Griff go mate go, go on. My fear wrestled with my conscience thought after thought ran through my mind. Suddenly, my training took over; I leapt up from my cover and hurled myself towards the gate. Nothing moved no shots rang out. I pulled the semi conscious figure towards me. Dave’s face was distorted with pain. I pulled his smock open. A trickle of blood ran down from a small hole in the side of his stomach. The smell of his involuntary bowel movement made me heave. I ripped his field dressing from his belt and forced the pad against the wound. I ran to the radio. Jock had gone. I called for assistance and took up a defensive position overlooking the estate. Peering into the dimly lit streets I could clearly make out the figure of Jock as he ran towards a known IRA safe house. Moments later a black taxi arrived and carried him away. Realising that he had defected, I rang off a volley of shots, but to no avail. I watched in disbelief as the taxi headed towards Belfast, slipping through the search light of the advancing helicopter, which, minutes later carried, Dave as he passed over Belfast and out of this life.