Security Industry

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Earlier this year, a United Nations working group warned of the "global trend toward the increased privatisation of war and security", security companies' "lack of accountability" and the impact this could have on human rights. Better regulation has been the call from some think tanks, including the International Peace Institute, and last year the govt made some tentative moves towards stricter rules. Letting PMSCs have a hand in nation-building, academics like Chatham House's Dr Paul Cornish argue, blurs the lines between what private companies do and do not have the right to do. A country, the argument goes, has the right to declare war and mobilise an army.
A private company does not. So if raising a private army is not the objective, what is the future for the UK's private security industry nearly half a decade on from the Iraq bubble? Mr Binns is optimistic. "I think the market will change, and over time the nature of the security provision will change as the security situation improves and the ability of Iraqi security forces increases," he says. "The market will evolve, but there is a sustainable business there." As Andy Bearpark from the BAPSC puts it: there are still plenty of dangerous places in the world.[1]

Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs)

A private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services. PMSCs refer to their staff as "security contractors" or "private military contractors". The services and expertise offered by PMSCs are typically similar to those of governmental security, military or police forces. While PMSCs often provide services to train or supplement official armed forces in service of govts, they can also be employed by private companies to provide bodyguards for key staff or protection of company premises, especially in hostile territories.

The corporate nature of PMSCs is a barrier to their accountability for violations of international law. No international court has jurisdiction over these corporations and there is no preexisting mechanism in place bound by international law to account and manage for PMSCs use of force.

GardaWorld

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, GardaWorld provides business solutions and security services.

Aegis Defence Services
Aegis Defence Services has experience in 18 African countries, including resource-rich Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR). Aegis Defence ServicesWikipedia-W.svg

Aegis grew exponentially on the back of lucrative contracts with the US Defense Department, providing security for its engineers as they attempted to rebuild Iraq's battered infrastructure.[1] See also SourceWatch

Oct.2015Aegis was acquired by GardaWorld, the largest privately-owned security company in the world.
Aug.2010Aegis created a Swiss holding company based in Basel. The new company Aegis Group Holdings AG had a capital of 225,000 Swiss Francs, and was headed by Kristian Meier. Aegis' 7 owners swapped their stakes in the UK company for shares in the Basel-based vehicle.
Oct.2005Aegis acquired Rubicon International Services Ltd, a longstanding provider of corporate and otherwise executive private security services.
2002Aegis Defence Services founded by Tim Spicer, previously CEO of the private military company Sandline International and former Scots Guard; Jeffrey Day, an entrepreneur; and Mark Bullough and Dominic Armstrong, former investment bankers. Tim SpicerPowerbase-graphic.svg

Constellis

See main article: Constellis Holdings Inc

Control Risks Group

  • Control RisksWikipedia-W.svg
  • Chairman is a Scots business leader, Crawford Gillies, a director with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE plc) and Standard Life. Former chairman of both Scottish Enterprise and the Confederation of British Industry and is on the board of Control Risks alongside an ex-CIA agent and a former SAS officer.
  • The company’s Middle East operations are overseen by Andreas Carleton-Smith, an ex-SAS officer, while its Iraq operations are headed by David Amos, an ex-officer in the British Army, who now leads more than 1200 people with 340 armoured vehicles across the country.
  • Eddie Everett, formerly of the Special Forces, manages the company’s global client services, while Jim Brooks is CEO of its American arm. Brooks is ex-CIA, and worked for the agency supporting its worldwide paramilitary operations, and as a Navy SEAL adviser to Latin American security services.

G4S plc

See main article: G4S plc

Espionage / Corporate Security

See also Corporate Espionage

K2 Intelligence Ltd

See main article: K2 Intelligence Ltd

ITC Secure Networking

provides organisations with assured IT and specialises in providing its NetSure360° managed infrastructure and security services. designs and integrates secure IT network infrastructures. Website, Website.arch

  • Apr.2018: ITC Secure announced the acquisition of SBD Advisors, a Washington DC-based strategic advisory firm.ref,ref
  • Nov.2016: Acquired by private equity firm C5 Capital Ltd, as a first step in a broader strategy to consolidate the fast-growing and fragmented IT MSS market in Europe, and provide outsourced cyber security services.ref C5 Capital Website
  • 1995: Established by Tom Millar; headquartered in Docklands London.ref

Inkerman Group Ltd

  • Inkerman GroupPowerbase-graphic.svg
  • no wp page or mentions
  • Dec.2013: Capital Eye Policing Support Services Ltd name change to the Inkerman Group Screening Ltd.
  • Apr.2002: Name changed to Inkerman (Group) Ltd.
  • Jul.2002: Capital Eye Policing Support Services Ltd founded. Company no: 04487363
  • Jan.2000: Inkerman Group Special Projects Ltd founded. Company no: 03902058
  • Oct.1996: Name changed to Inkerman (UK) Ltd.
  • Jul.1995: VidaMed Ltd founded. Company no: 03085655

C2i International Ltd

  • C2i InternationalPowerbase-graphic.svg
  • no wp page, but mentions: wp search
  • Apr.2012: Company wound up. See Companies House.
  • Apr.2009: Name changed to Lynceus (Consulting) Ltd. Company status = dormant. Companies House
  • Aug.2003: Name changed to C2i International Ltd.
  • Jan.2003: C2i Consultants Ltd founded by Justin King, a former special forces pilot who said he specialised in surveillance and counter-intelligence.

Vericola Ltd

  • VericolaPowerbase-graphic.svg
  • no wp page or mentions
  • Oct.2014: Company wound up Companies House
  • Apr.2008: Company founded. Ian David Howes, Company secretary; Rebecca Louise Todd, Director.

Maritime Security

Protection Vessels International Ltd

Armed maritime security.

Associations

International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA)

International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC)

The ICoC's aim is to establish a set of principles for the industry based on international law and improve the PMSCs' accountability, through a mechanism responsible for certification, auditing, monitoring and reporting. However, critics claim the ICoCA "fails as a credible instrument in key areas such as governance, monitoring, redress, sanctions and state responsibility". South Africa - which has had a long tradition of PMSCs - has put restrictions on where its private security firms should go and fight, while Switzerland bans companies based in the country from operating in conflict zones. The UK has never implemented such measures; instead, it has adopting a standard (PSC.I) that relies on self-regulation and voluntary reporting, rather than binding regulations with redress mechanisms and sanctions. The UN is drawing up plans for an international convention that would be legally binding.

British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC)

British Security Industry Associaton (BSIA)

The BSIA is the trade association for the professional security industry in the UK. Its mission is to be the voice of the private security industry, supporting members and encouraging excellence, while educating the marketplace on the value of quality and professional security, and creating an atmosphere in which our members can flourish.ref

Articles

  • Jan.05.2019: Death on the door: how security industry risk has grown as police numbers fall. From tackling crime to guarding trains, private firms are filling roles public services once had. The Security Industry Authority, Home Office regulatory agency, said the trade has become vital to tackling crime. As police numbers dwindle and violent crime increases, private guards have been hired to fill the security vacuum, along with CCTV operators, cash transit specialists and close protection officers. The private security sector has been trained to help solve some of the most complex crimes, including child exploitation, along with assisting the National Crime Agency and the intelligence agencies. Increasingly, its operatives are also trained in counter-terrorism, feeding directly into the govt’s National Counter Terrorism Security Office. There are currently 386,657 licence holders; by comparison, there are around 146,000 police officers in the UK. Mark Townsend, The Guardian.
  • Feb.07.2016: How mercenaries are making millions from the misery in war zones around the world. Charity War on Want have condemned private security firms in Britain and are calling on the UK govt to ban companies from operating in conflict zones. War on Want say that Britain is at the centre of a growing global mercenary industry. No fewer than 14 PMSCs are based in Hereford, close to the headquarters of the SAS, while at least 46 companies employ former UK special forces. The UK Foreign Office have awarded contracts to PMSCs in conflict zones with a value of around £50million each year. This includes nearly £150million between 2007 and 2012 in Iraq. Linkbacks: #Control Risks, #Olive Group Billy Briggs, Daily Record.
  • Feb.06.2016: Dogs of war: Who are the British mercenaries roaming Africa accused of 'war crimes'? In the 15 years since the declaration on the war on terror, UK private military and security companies (PMSCs) have made billions of dollars in contracts awarded by British and foreign governments, as well as other private companies. The Security Industry, which moves vast quantities of weapons and typically recruits former soldiers or members of the UK Special Forces to carry out passive or defensive security, have expanded their activities in Africa, where experts claim they have been linked to both human rights abuses and political destabilisation. At the height of the Iraq occupation, there were 60 British firms operating there. John Hilary said that dozens of big British companies listed by the #International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA) - the main self-regulation body for UK Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) - "are all either already involved or becoming involved across either Sub-Saharan Africa or North Africa, where there are vast security issues. Wherever you have a situation where you have the Oil Industry, civil war or any form of unrest, that's where you can be sure #Aegis Defence Services, #Control Risks, #Olive Group or #Blue Mountain are working". PMSCs have been accused of buying arms illegally in some of the strife-torn countries in which they operate - including Yemen - and then dumping the weapons overboard before reaching their destination. While the #ICoCA stated "the Signatory Companies commit to the responsible provision of Security Services so as to support the rule of law, respect the human rights of all persons, and protect the interests of their clients", it failed to respond to IBTimes' request to comment. The #British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC) likewise did not respond to an email requesting comment. Article based on a report by Dr Sam Raphael, who co-runs the Rendition Project. Elsa Buchanan, International Business Times.
  • More article links at the bottom of this one.
  1. ^ a b The rise of the UK's private security companies. Major General Graham Binns, chief executive of #Aegis Defence Services. Aegis has made millions from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan since it was founded just 8 years ago. "In Iraq in 2003 and 2004 money was basically free," explains Andy Bearpark, director-general of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC). "That meant [private security] contracts were being let for ridiculous amounts of money - millions and millions of dollars of contracts being pumped into the industry. Linkback: Blair Ministry Edwin Lane, BBC News, Nov.02.2010.