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Case Studies: Flawed Security Operation

A Flawed Security Operation and the Cost of Ethical Duty

Background

In a high-risk security assignment, I was subcontracted to be a member of a four man team to protect a mother and her three children under the age of ten. The nature of the threat required constant vigilance, with a focus on ensuring the children’s safety both at home and at school. The Operations Manager overseeing the contract instructed the security team to remain on school property while the children attended classes. Recognizing the legal implications, I pointed out that security personnel needed Enhanced DBS clearance to operate within the school grounds. I suggested an alternative, monitoring from outside the perimeter, but the Operations Manager dismissed my concerns, arrogantly asserting, "This is my show," and instructing security staff to refer the school to him if any issues arose. This approach backfired, leading to a legal dispute between the school and the client, further complicating the security operation.

Unprofessional Conduct and Client Concerns

As the operation progressed, the client's trust in the security company began to erode. The Operations Manager, instead of focusing on the family's protection, spent significant time boasting to the client about previous missions. He even claimed that his superior had once ordered him to plant listening devices in a woman's house. This revelation visibly unsettled the client, raising fears that her own home might have been compromised. When she expressed her concerns, I advised her to contact the company director. Instead of reassurance, she was met with an exploitative proposal—it would cost her fifteen thousand pounds for a bug sweep of her house. This unscrupulous behavior reinforced her decision to terminate the contract after a month.

Abrupt Contract Termination and Safety Breach

Upon learning that the client intended to discontinue their services, the security company decided to expedite the contract's end date. This left the family vulnerable, with little time to arrange alternative protection. A particularly disturbing moment occurred when a security operative, bound by contractual obligations, told the client he couldn’t stay beyond the revised date. However, he gave her chilling advice: if an attack occurred and the house was set ablaze, she should push a mattress out the window and throw the children onto it before fleeing. The security firm’s reckless disregard for duty culminated in a final act of gross negligence—on the last day of service, the on-duty security team deleted all data from the client’s computer and disabled her CCTV system. This left the mother and her children completely exposed, without surveillance or digital records to monitor potential threats.

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Stepping Up in Crisis

I was scheduled to begin my shift at 1900 hours that day, but the client, now in distress, called and asked if I could arrive earlier. After assessing the situation, I submitted an incident report to the company director, who failed to respond. By the time my shift ended at 0700 hours the following morning, the family remained without replacement security due to the sudden contract termination. The mother, unable to secure immediate protection, was left alone with her children, one of whom, a ten year old boy, had previously confided in me about the dire circumstances in their home country. He explained that he could never return unless "ninety-five percent of their family was dead or in prison." His words haunted me as I prepared to leave.

The Consequences of Doing the Right Thing

Faced with a moral dilemma, I knew I could not abandon this family. As a father and grandfather, I felt an obligation beyond professional duty, I could not leave them vulnerable to kidnapping or worse. I chose to stay and protect them despite the company's orders. For this act of integrity, the security company refused to pay me for my services. While they prioritized corporate interests over human lives, I prioritized my principles. Looking back, I have no regrets. Given the same situation, I would make the same choice again, because some responsibilities transcend contracts, they are about doing what is right.