En:Technology and Close Protection

 Since technology make the entrance in any field ,in this days it is require the latest tech in help of achievements and transform a good rezult into the best .

  In the Close Protection Area (more specific) modern technology advances so too does it’s uses, but it’s important to realise that technology should be no substitute for knowledge. The apps I am about to list won’t tell you how to write up a risk assessment or client profile and they won’t tell you how to do your job on even a basic level. What they will do however, is assist you in certain scenarios where using an app would be quicker than the traditional method of looking up the information yourself. This is by no means an exhaustive list either, there are plenty of apps out there that can assist us as Close Protection Officers in certain aspects of our job, and these are just a few that I have used while working. Technology will come in your help as:

      Google Maps App.

 As form military tactics – Know the field ground – In essence we use a drone having a surveillance over the future location but as from field operative this app can come in very handy if you get a last minute client move and don’t have time to fully reconnaissance (recce) a  venue . Using the street view inside the app you can get a street view of a venue or area you may be visiting. This should never replace physically going to the venue to carry out a full recce, but as those of you reading this working in the Close Protection industry will no doubt know and have experienced, sometimes it’s not always possible. At least by using this app you can get a loose idea of what the area will look like when you arrive (I say loose because it’s important to remember that these images are not updated daily or even monthly and some things and buildings can change).

          Around Me

This app is my most used  app. It is a GPS locating app that will tell you where the nearest location is of a pre selected requirement. For example, if you’re in a new town and need some cash, simply select Banks/ATM from the selection list and providing you have your location services enabled, it will tell you where the 8 nearest cash point’s are. The list of things to choose from is large and includes, bars, coffee shops, favorites , gas stations, hospitals, hotels, pharmacies, pubs, restaurants, taxis and many more. This app is very handy and although it is no substitute for local knowledge, it can be very handy when in an unfamiliar location, especially if a client throws a last minute request at you.

Highways Agency (in UK)

The Highways Agency app is useful for Driver’s and Principal CPO team for two scenarios. Firstly it can tell you of any traffic problems you may experience while on your way to a job, and secondly it can help you plan your route while preparing for a client move. The way the app works is it lists every major road in the England and Wales that the Highways Agency is responsible for. You simply select the roads you are planning on using and are presented with two options. Option one is to view incidents on the road such as car accidents or break downs, and option two is to view planned road works being carried out. The app will also give you an estimation of the delay expected and can be very helpful when planning a route when you don’t have time or the logistics do complete a full route reconnaissance. You can also store a list of specific and often used roads and view your history. A point to bare in mind about this app is that it can only display information to you that the Highways Agency has uploaded onto the system and there can be a delay at times between an incident and the report.

JamCam Traffic Camera’s 

JamCam app works similarly to the Highways Agency but it gives you a real time view of the road. The way it works is that it allows you to view images from the thousands of road traffic camera’s posted all over the UK. By selecting a road from a list of all the roads covered by camera’s you can then choose which camera’s you wish to view. The images that you see are updated roughly every 5 minutes so it can be a fairly accurate tool, especially when used in conjunction with the Highways Agency app. You can create a list of camera’s and roads which can be access by a few taps of the screen.

          iTranslate Voice

This app is another aimed at the international travellers among the industry. It is not a free app like the previous two but it can be very useful. It is a translation app that speaks the phrase you type. You simply select the language of your spoken language and then select the language you wish to translate to, speak into your phone or devices microphone and tap a button. Using the iPhone/iPod/iPad’s voice recognition software it then display your message on the screen while speaking it out loud using your speakers. It has 36 languages available and more that are not voice recognition compatible, and is a quick and easy way to translate a conversation. You can even use the app to translate what the person you are trying to communicate with is saying.Is not 100% accurate(I’ve had some bad, or more funny results)but it can easy your language knologies. 

XE Currency Converter

The next app on the list is aimed at those who travel internationally a lot. It is a handy app that very quickly and conveniently show’s you the current exchange rate between a preselected list of currencies of your choice. It auto updates every 60 seconds. It allows you to set multiple currencies in a currency list and by simply clicking and inputting the figure of the currency you wish to exchange, it will show you all of your preselected currency values.

  

    Apps that may, or may not help you in your work. They have certainly helped me at times while working in Close Protection, and there is a key word there, “help”! These do not tell me how to do my job, nor do they replace local knowledge where applicable. They are merely tools that enable me to quickly resolve a potential problem quicker, for example when your client asks you out of the blue while out an about in an unfamiliar area “where’s the nearest coffee shop, I fancy a drink?”. These tools should not replace physical and local knowledge. I have heard of people, for example, using the Google street view to replace carrying out a physical recce. This is wrong. You should not rely on photo’s a few years old when you have the time to physically visit the location yourself prior to arrival. Obviously as I have said earlier, sometimes we as professionals don’t get the time to do this so these apps can be helpful to prevent you going into an area blind. Put simply, technology should be there to assist, rather than take over, and used accordingly can be a powerful tool! You may also have noticed in this article that I have mainly been talking about these apps from the view of a Close Protection Officer. This is because this is the industry I work in daily, however there is nothing to say that these may come in handy for other areas of security too.