Saturday, April 17, 2010

Travel Security - Drug violence scares off tourists to Mexico

HEADLINE: Drug violence scares off tourists to Mexico
SUMMARY: Despite the bulk of drug-related violence being far removed from Mexico’s tourist destinations, fear is driving away visitors and threatening a crucial industry, already battered by last year's swine flu outbreak. Gory news reports of daily shootouts between drug cartel hit men are fueling concerns that Mexico is increasingly unsafe, even if most of the violence is along the U.S. border, far from top tourist areas. The number of international tourists flying into the Pacific beach resort of Acapulco fell by almost a quarter in the first three months of this year. The U.S. State Department has warned against nonessential travel along the U.S.-Mexico border, especially in the violent cities of Ciudad Juarez and in Tijuana, where hotel occupancy rates have dropped to around 30 percent.
ANALYSIS: The accounts of drug-related skirmishes and violent acts in Mexico are regular spots in the news. What is not typically reported is that the majority of these acts occur in a ribbon along the northern border with the U.S., and for the majority of Mexicans, life is pretty much status quo.
Hotels and other tourist-dependent businesses report significant declines in revenue and traffic. These reports vary widely with each business and destination. A significant percentage of the drop in Mexico’s tourist economy can also be attributed to the slumping U.S. economy and the H1N1 flu outbreak.
The liaise-faire attitude of American tourists partying in Mexico has shifted to a more guarded mindset. The precautions needed now to vacation in Mexico should be similar to visiting any U.S. city that has pockets of high crime. Tourists account for a very small percentage of victims in these conflicts. When you are
booking a destination, it is important to pick a location away from the known hot spots as you would in the U.S. Like being in an unfamiliar city, you should travel in numbers, keep to the main streets and exercise additional caution venturing out at night. Before you select a hotel, pick an established company that has and wants to keep a positive reputation. Contact them directly and ask questions about their security measures, private security guards and medical facilities.
Business travelers need to take additional precautions as they could be viewed as a potential kidnapping victim or a target of opportunity. The risk of kidnapping is a very real problem and adequate procedures need to be in place. Companies need to have plans in place for their employees and visitors. Kidnappers want money, not the person. Kidnapping procedures need to be rehearsed and individuals need to be trained. Contracting with executive protection professionals is a huge step in prevention. Hiring reputable U.S. companies with experience in Mexico is a logical choice. If you engage with a Mexican-based security company, U.S. laws and regulations
will be worth little.
Many financial institutions provide this coverage for key employees. The loss of key personnel can be just as devastating to a company as a natural disaster, catastrophic fire or large criminal activity. Companies that operate in Mexico, have a supply chain linked to Mexico or employees working near the hot spots of the
border region, need very detailed business continuity plans and training to address the various threats and vulnerabilities that come with operating there.
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Friday, April 2, 2010

Homeland security

HEADLINE: Why no subway is safe from terror attacks
SUMMARY: The suicide bombing of Moscow's subway this week highlights a potential danger that millions of people face on a daily basis on mass transportation systems. Security experts say little can be done to prevent future attacks without disrupting the infrastructures of the world's major cities. "Subway attacks are ideal for a terrorist," Will Geddes, CEO of International Corporate Protection, told CNN. "They are bringing the whole city to a halt and they not only create the disruption on that particular day but they create a greater residue of fear, which is their main aim.’’
ANALYSIS: Today, Americans understand the risks associated with a free society and overall have been cooperative with increasingly invasive security measures for air travel. For years, the public transportation systems of European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries have been easy prey for terrorists. Why? The heart of terrorism targets innocent, regular citizens going about their daily lives.
Subways afford a higher degree of terror compared to above-ground modes of transportation. When a bus or above-ground railway is bombed, the responders have an easier time gaining access to the scene, traffic can be rerouted and the bomb blast is allowed to expand in open air, which dissipates the shock wave faster compared to a constricted environment like a subway.
This week, the agency that operates New York City’s massive subway and train network, the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) publicly announced that half of the cameras within the subway are inoperable for a variety of reasons. Here we are, eight-plus years after the attacks of 9/11 and we still do not have a fully operational surveillance system in NYC.
New York City has a very good response team and does conduct drills on a regular basis. The problem is all of these resources are designed for AFTER an attack occurs. More resources need to focus on the PREVENTION of an attack in the form of Preaction™ planning.  
WPIX News in NYC toured some subway stations with MTA board member Andrew Albert to look at some of the areas of concern. Mr. Albert was very candid and forthright about the shortcomings of the MTA’s security system. He made the following statements addressing the camera and security measures in place on the subway:
·         "It's here but we don't know if they are working or if they are even watching us in real time (referring to the security cameras overhead at the time).’’
·         "So, we are pretty much alone. You have plenty of subway riders but you are alone when it comes to security."
·         "Is anyone watching? Yeah, the terrorists, the criminals, the people that prey upon us ... they are watching."
These are not reassuring statements. In the latest Terrorism Literature Report dated March 1, the experts are clear that Al-Qaeda and its satellite operations (in the U.S. and abroad) are still very focused on another U.S. attack, desperate for a U.S. victory to maintain credibility amongst terrorist groups. Aside from AQ, what about the typical street predators that includes individual felons, gang activities, etc.? Our vulnerabilities are increasing as governments grapple with reduced budgets. The resources to prevent and respond to emergencies are diminishing. Citizens need to be more vigilant and self-reliant than ever.
Having a Culture of Preparedness requires personal, family and community planning. You can start by going to www.firestorm.com and downloading Disaster Ready people for a Disaster Ready America for free.
HEADLINE: Rancher's murder fuels firestorm
SUMMARY: The unsolved murder of a southern Arizona cattle rancher erupted as a new flashpoint in the debate over illegal immigration, with conservative media and politicians demanding increased border security. Cochise County detectives have no information on the lone gunman who shot 58-year-old Robert Krentz, not even a nationality. More than half of all undocumented immigrants arrested along the border last year were caught in the Tucson Sector, which covers most of southern Arizona. A Border Patrol spokesman said he was not aware of any U.S. citizen being murdered by illegal immigrants in that sector for more than a decade.
ANALYSIS: Trying to address the situation in Mexico will make the peace process in the Middle East seem simple. For years, Border States have been warning of this building powder keg to the deaf ears of Washington. The genie is about to come out of the bottle and he is angry.
The Homeland Security Newswire recently reported that it is not uncommon to have a dozen homicides in a night in Juarez, which once was a highly desired location for American companies taking advantage of NAFTA. Since then, these companies are turning into high-security compounds, which are eroding the profit margins they sought moving south of the border. Car-pooling, operating cash-free locations, high security fences, kidnapping training and personal defense topics are the rule of the day now. The Mexican police are reluctant to report murders and kidnappings because these incidents will further drive away tourism and much-needed American commerce.
This past month alone, we have had the senseless murder of this rancher, three U.S. consulate employees murdered, factories being robbed and now the cartels are putting bounties on school children so the parents will pay a fee to spare their children’s lives.
The current methods and policies of the “drug war’’ are not working the way they were intended to and need to be reviewed. Removing the prohibition -- and thus the high profit -- from the drug trade will have immediate impacts, reducing the amount of money available to buy weapons, politicians and public sympathy. DHS announced that they are spending $742 million to “launch’’ security improvements at the ports of U.S. entry (by government standards that could take years to start and perhaps decades to be completed). But how much money has already been spent since the 1980s when the war on drugs was declared? What has been our return on investment? We really need to rethink our strategies. Improving entry points is a great start but is not the end-all solution it is being painted to be.
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