The Bullet Proof Blog

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

2008-06-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you are headed to Pakistan - watch your back

2008-06-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-06-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-06-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Attention - Lawyers and Private Investigators!

2008-06-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

When does a bodyguard need to shoot into a crowd?

2008-06-24T16:28:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-06-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Danger in Dubai?

2008-06-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps it should be "Homeland Insecurity" in Britain.

2008-06-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

The power of communication.

2008-06-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Sometimes danger lurks right under our nose.

2008-06-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

2008-05-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Now that would be an interesting message to send out.

Copper Thieves are the New Gold Diggers

2008-05-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

How America may be funding the Mafia in Japan.

2008-05-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008-05-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Training your way out of financial difficulty

2008-05-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

My apologies to all of our readers for a lack of recent articles but we have been conducting an intensive Personal Protection training course in the Baltimore area and were concentrating on our new class of Executive Bodyguards.

Many of our students come from Police and Military backgrounds, with some still serving in those capacities. Last Friday, Police Magazine wrote an article about our training and how it was suited to those with a background in security. The editor asked me how attendees utilized the training once they graduated.

There are some who wish to train as Bodyguards as a career change, while others get into the profession as a way of advancing in the field of security and to be able to command a higher salary. That made me think about those who train to become Executive Protection agents so that they can work on a part-time basis. I recently read that many people who find themselves in financial difficulties during these trying times would be able to "stay afloat" if they could find a few hundred extra dollars every month. Of course, their regular jobs aren't going to give them a salary increase all of a sudden, so they must go out and do something to bring in that extra money.

Now there is another reason for people with the ability to further their education and training, not only to land a decent job, but to help them weather the storm during difficult periods like the present economic climate.
What better investment could one make than by investing in themselves?

Now that I'm back, I promise to pay attention to those security related items that might have escaped your attention. If you have anything you'd like to share, please feel free to drop me a line and tell me about it.

Teen bomb maker stopped in his tracks in South Carolina.

2008-04-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

The parents of Ryan Schallenberger undoubtedly saved a lot of lives when they turned in their son as a potential bomber. Authorities said he had all the components he needed to make several deadly bombs.

Ryan Schallenberger had used E-Bay to order 20lbs of ammonium nitrate from a supplier in Kentucky. The teen has been described as being "mad at the whole world". In a search of the family home, Law Enforcement officers discovered hate filled writings in which he praised the Columbine killers.

Having just returned from a Threat Assessment workshop at UCLA put on by Gavin De Becker Associates, I was able to identify many of the same characteristics that we looked at when examining other teenage killers who have wreaked havoc in schools across the U.S. Teens like this tend to have a "chip on their shoulder" and feel like they need to cause grave damage in order to "get even" or "teach people a lesson". Unfortunately, the "copy cat" phenomenon is a common denominator and these troubled teens seem to look up to those who have killed previously.

We all have a part to play in keeping schools safe. More parents need to emulate the Schallenbergers, who were willing to turn their own son in, knowing that he will most likely be locked away for a very long time thereby ensuring the safety of others. Class mates who hear rumors need to alert guidance counsellors and teachers and not be so quick to dismiss their fears and concerns. We need to get rid of any feelings that might suggest:"this could never happen at our school".

It is a sad fact that this terrible trend looks set to continue and violent behavior is capable of happening in any school where adequate security precautions are not taken. Whether it is from television, video games, broken homes or any other contributing factor, our youth are being exposed to higher and more toxic levels of violence every day. Perhaps we can do a better job at home and help to nip this evil trend in the bud before our classrooms begin to resemble battlefields.

Fidel Castro exports his criminals, but we give guns to ours.

2008-04-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was shocked to hear the news on CBS yesterday that the Army and Marine Corps are allowing convicted Felons to join their ranks. Are recruiters that desperate or just plain lazy?

The newscaster said that the Army and Marine Corps are going to open their doors to Felons who have been convicted of Robbery, Burglary, sex offenses and making terroristc threats. What can they be thinking? Have the lunatics started running the assylum?

These are some of the worst offenses on the books. I could somewhat understand if they said: "we are going to make allowances for those who have been convicted of multiple DUI/DWIs and as a result, have been declared felons". This new policy sounds like a plot taken straight out of Hollywood...."The Dirty Dozen" springs to mind.

One would think that the military upper echelon have enough on their plate everytime a story breaks about a young girl being raped in Iraq or Japan by U.S. military personnel. One can only imagine the future problems that will arise when they willingly open their doors to convicted child molesters, rapists, robbers, burglars and terrorist sympathisers/radicals.

The Navy and Airforce should be congratulated on failing to stoop so low. I hope they resit the temptation to put the same uniforms that have been worn so proudly in the past by decent human beings on those who should be wearing prison jump suits.

Maybe if the Government paid soldiers a decent salary, which is to say, much more than the $3,000 per month that they now get to put their lives in harm's way instead of giving it to Government contracting companies who charge the Government as much as $250,000 per year per contractor AND many times overcharge and over-bill the very same Government who are willing to pay a king's ransom in the first place.

Parents who say "No" to guns, but also "No" to metal detectors?

2008-04-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

If there ever was a case of "having your cake and eating it", this must surely be it.

Daniel De Vise, a reporter for the Washington Post wrote an article that recently caught my attention. The title read: "Suburban Schools Reject Metal Detectors". The word "Why" kept ringing in my ears as I read the story. Apparently, many parents feel that metal detectors in schools make the schools seem like camps or prisons. Surprisingly, consensus is building against the machines even at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, where last week, three loaded guns were found in a locker.

As if this was not bad enough, the article claims that many school officials view metal detectors as costly, impractical and fallible. Costly? Compared to what? If a metal detector saves even one life (and from what we have been witnessing at school shootings, single shootings are the exception while multiple killings are the "norm"), has that machine not paid for itself for the rest of time?

Another complaint amongst teachers appear to be the fact that the detectors will slow down access and leave children a few minutes late for class. I have not conducted a poll amongst parents but I am 100% sure I know what the result would be if I polled parents on which was most important: their child being five minutes late for class because they had to walk through a metal detector to keep them safe or getting to class in time but possibly becoming the victim of a deranged classroom killer who was able to bring a weapon into school because there was nothing to stop him.

I recently returned from a Threat Assessment workshop at UCLA hosted by Gavin De Becker and Associates. We studied school killings in greater detail. The one thing that was repeated throughout the course was the fact that many people are in denial. They want to believe that it couldn't happen to them or at their school. The sad fact is, it can happen anywhere that does not have adequate security. We live in more violent times and there does not seem to be any sign of things getting better any time soon. Sticking our heads in the sand and hoping the "Bogeyman" goes away is not the answer. We have got to act responsibly and demand that schools take every measure they can to keep our children safe.

The problem with Government contracting

2008-04-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

I am often asked if we "do government contracting'. When people in the Washington D.C. metro area find out that I am the president of a private security firm, they immediately think "government". While there are small (and not so small) fortunes to be made in that arena, it is also rife with problems.

The Washington Post on Friday ran a story about such a problem involving Air Force officers "steering" a contract to a company that "barely existed" but had a recently retired four-star general onboard. The article describes how the head of the selection team almost immediately "caved" and gave in after the highest ranking officer in the room, Maj. Gen. Stephen Goldfein advised them that if he could pick the winner, it would be SMS (the company with the recently retired four-star General)

Another member of the team described it as the dirtiest thing he had ever experienced. This is one ofthe reasons why so many small businesses can not compete in the lucrative but unfairly biased world of government contracting. While we work hard to attract customers and retain clients AFTER we run the gauntlet of bureaucratic requirements: licensing, federal and state compliance, insurance, building permits, etc. - those with a retired general on their payroll can win a $50 million dollar contract when they barely exist.

My question is this: if we are willing to jail unscrupulous CEOs who act fraudulently and unethically, why can't we send these high ranking officers to the brig (USDB) at Ft. Leavenworth after they have been stripped of their rank and pensions? I have a feeling that this action would send out a pretty clear message. These brassed-up bullies need to be taught a lesson. It's about time that we gave the "little guys" a break and punished the bullies.

Heartbroken mother of slain children speaks out about the Montgommery County court system

2008-04-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Amy Castillo's three little children were drowned by their father in a Baltimore hotel bathtub last week when he had them on visitation.
After the father, Mark Castillo, had drowned the little children, one by one, he attempted suicide my swallowing Motrin tablets and stabbing himself in the neck with a steak knife. Apparently, he was more accomplished at murder than suicide, and his half-hearted attempt to kill himself failed. He has been charged with first degree murder.

Understandably, Mrs. Castillo takes little comfort from his arrest. She feels that the court system needs to better understand mental illness and her case is living testimony to this. Mark Castillo had been diagnosed with depression and had been invouluntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2006 after planning to kill himself.

One wonders why the courts could not take this into consideration when allowing him unsupervised visitation a short while later. It was not as if he had visibly turned his life around. According to the article in the Washington Post he was unemployed and having issues. his ex-wife described him as: "I think all around he was in trouble. I think he was getting more and more angry".

We are often hired by clients to document the behavior of a parent. Sometime the client is an ex-spouse but quite often it is a concerned grandparent whose only motivation is love and wants to make sure the child(ren)comes to no harm. Many times the children are living in reckless situations and are lucky that their fate is not being left up to the courts and social servcies. While these authorities mean well, they do not often act in an expeditious manner such as in the Castillo case.

To parents we say: keep voicing your concerens until someone listens. If you have to go to a judge with a video of erratic or dangerous behavior or just the gut feeling of a parent, do not give up. Do everything you can and maybe your concerns will be heard and the slow bogged-down system will work for you.

From warzones to strip clubs, the truth comes out for a former First Lady and a Pastor.

2008-03-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last week in the Washington Post, "The Fact Checker" awarded former first lady, Hillary Clinton, four "Pinocchios" (real whoppers)for claiming to have come under sniper fire during a photo op. in Bosnia. On Thursday, Michael Dobbs once again awarded Senator Clinton another "poker" of Pinocchios.

This time she took heat for claiming that her trip to Bosnia was the first visit to a "war zone" by a first lady since World War II. Her claim is considered completly inaccurate, since Pat Nixon made a trip to Saigon in July 1969. At the time, South Vietnam was an actual, not a "potential" war zone in the aftermath of the 1968 Tet offensive.

The article also made mention of Barbara Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia in 1990, two months before the Persian Gulf war began. Speaking about Senator Clinton's claim that her aircraft made a tactical landing back in 1996, the pilot of the aircraft had a different memory. Retired Air Force Col. William Changose said that it was not true that they took evasive measures to avoid sniper fire. The Colonel went on to say that: "not only were there no bullets flying, there wasn't even a bumblebee flying around".

It seems that Senator Clinton is not the only one in the public eye to suffer from Pinocchioitis. Apparently the Police in Riverside, Ohio found a Pastor who had gone missing from his home in western New York, since Wednesday the 26th of March, after telling his wife that he was going to Best Buy to have his computer fixed. Officers found the Pastor at a strip club called the "K.C. Lounge", partying like a New York Govenor.

We often hear people in the media complaining about the negative effects that Rap music has on our youth. One wonders why we are now not hearing more complaining about the so-called role models getting caught with their pants down, so to speak. At least with the likes of rappers and other "bad boy" entertainers, what you see, is what you get. It's little wonder that so many people are comfortable telling lies during interviews and embellishing resumes in order to get hired and get ahead.

When I was going to school, the "dog ate my homework" excuse was used but not believed. Also, it tended to get used by children who had not yet reached their teens. I think that even children of that age these days will be able to see through these poorly constructed falsehoods that our "role models" would have us believe.

Unbelievable.