*****

Surveillance Detection: The Art of Prevention

By Laura Clark and William Algaier; Published by Cradle Press, www.cradlepress.com (Web); 197 pages; $19.50.

Security management professionals often find themselves instructing officers and employees to “report anything unusual” as part of their efforts to prevent harm or crime. Unfortunately, this approach relies on the subjective instinct of the listener, and it produces numerous dead-end leads for investigators and law enforcement personnel alike.
This book offers specific, practical lessons that can be taught to security officers, as well as employees in high-risk countries, to give them the tools to identify and report suspicious behavior upon which the security department can act.
The authors of this work have extensive experience teaching surveillance detection to business, government, and military organizations throughout the world. They have years of applied practical experience conducting surveillance detection operations for high-profile individuals as well as high-threat environments in the Middle East. They distill that experience into a work that is well designed for the security management professional.
This is not a theoretical book. The material is organized and presented as a practical guide to conducting surveillance detection. The authors proceed in a logical fashion, explaining the difference between surveillance, surveillance detection, and countersurveillance; the distinctions assist the reader in developing an effective program.
As an example of how the authors proceed, there is a step-by-step process for conducting a risk/threat assessment. Determining the level of risk and threat is the first, critical step. The authors provide a sample questionnaire and matrix that security professionals can apply to their own programs.
lanning and preparation are the touchstones of this book. The authors provide a specific, detailed method for drafting an effective surveillance detection plan. They then explain in a clear and direct manner how to identify locations from which a subject could surveil a facility and how security managers can position themselves to identify these locations without being spotted. These surveillance detection locations can become a key part of a security operations plan.
Prior, thorough planning is the difference between a successful security program and a reactive one. This book is the kind of “how to” that every security professional needs in his or her library. Whether the concern is that someone may be stalking an employee or that you want to spot preattack surveillance overseas, the practical program presented here will serve you well.

Reviewer: Ralph “R.C.” Miles, CPP, has more than 20 years of military and private-sector security experience. He conducts risk assessments and pretravel briefings for employees working throughout the world and has provided protective services for them at locations such as Iraq and the Palestinian West Bank. He is a member of ASIS International.

Review From:

Ladies Who Launch (www.ladieswholaunch.com)

the Magazine

Security for Women: The Evolution of Empowerment

March 24th, 2008

Each week we feature a book written by a member of the Incubator.

This week:

Security for Women: The Evolution of Empowerment

Who: Security expert Laura Clark
Incubator City: St. Louis
What: The art of personal protection
Why: You’re worth it

No one likes to think about violence; it’s frightening and unpleasant. But because complacency and denial are two of the main reasons women are victimized, Laura Clark’s Security for Women: The Evolution of Empowerment is a must-read.

This book provides essential crime-deterrence and survival techniques. Using Situational Awareness Surveillance Detection (SASD), you’ll enhance your ability to detect and avoid danger by varying your routine, staying alert, assessing surroundings, recognizing predators, and giving credence to uneasiness. Armed with knowledge, confidence, and pre-planned procedures, you’ll dramatically decrease your risk of being hurt, or even targeted in the first place.

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