Don’t just expect the unexpected. Expect the unthinkable. That was the message from Jim Batty of Group 4 Securicor at the recent Second Cityforum roundtable on Homeland security.
The event was chaired by Perry Nove, former commissioner of the City of London Police. Speakers included an opening address from Hazel Blears MP, Minister of State for Crime Reduction, Policing, Community Safety and Counter-Terrorism; and Sir David Omand, Security and Intelligence Coordinator and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office. Discussions covered the themes of ‘What businesses should be doing to help themselves’ ‘What is the Government doing for us?’ and ‘Are we delivering an effective global response?’ At the top of the agenda for discussion in these and other sessions was the development of corporate security and an assessment of organisations’ readiness to respond to security breaches.
What they say
Jim Batty, Senior Risk Auditor at Group 4 Securicor (UK Security), a co-sponsor of the event, spoke about the importance of taking a risk management approach to tackling the terrorist threat. He said: “The terrorist threat is real and it will materialise. One has only got to look at the news to see the degree of threat posed to UK interests both at home and abroad. London is a particular attraction, and is a target-rich environment for terrorist attack. However, if businesses adopt a risk management approach to their security function, by constantly monitoring and assessing threats and dangers, this will provide the basis for reducing vulnerabilities and establishing safeguards to appropriately mitigate the risks.”
