Situational Awareness in Region of Interest

Discover Situational Awareness in your Region of  Interest

Theme, Mentality, Content and Reason for Application of Methodology towards Existing and New Challenges

Global Issues could impact on your region of interest

To consider the true situation

• We first consider Historic Data (Modus Operandi – The Pattern)
• then Current Challenges and finally, the X Factor (issues that we are unaware of)
• Based on the assessment

– we clarify our position

• We comprehend the true situation
• We are clear on the responsibility of the roll that we play which feeds our mentality
• We explore and consider the best skill-sets to acquire and master the skill-craft

• We then can make Decisions based on reliable and sufficient information
• And take most suitable Actions keeping in mind the Implications

This work is themed on current challenges in theatre

Theme: New Challenges that influence all sectors of the Security Industry and the faculty of Criminology

Global Security Managers work in the global village and could have regionally based Security Managers located in various countries or regions who are of diverse cultures and religions.

Situational Awareness taking global current challenges into account

The security manager must take current challenges in their location or region-of-interest into consideration; however, current global issues must be considered just as well. The criteria to consider the status of urban-warfare in certain regions of interest. Rape of people, murder of people, neighbourhood polarization (when the cultural law supersedes the host country)

From the outset, let us stress a fact. There are Muslims that kill Muslims so there is a very clear distinction between 2 groups. The one group is peaceful, and the other are aggressive and deadly militant terrorists. There is no reason to hold the entire Islamic faith to collectively hold to account for the actions of a few!

Who are the migrants that are seeking refugee status, and how could  this impact for situational awareness on current challenges? was a question that came to mind.

There are 3 distinct types of volatile refugees, namely,

1. Refugees from war torn Africa, where children were kidnapped from their villages, trained to kill and more than likely have killed and raped. They are numb with no sense of humanity and do not fear death and therefore react and determine unexpected criminal outcomes, such as, higher volatile domestic crime. Furthermore, these migrants would joint others in polarized neighbourhoods with impacts that are mentioned in the following item 2
2. The refugees from North Africa and Arabia of different faiths, however the majority would be of Muslim faith. Embedded in the refugees would be a small percentage of Islamic Militants where their religious law and religious criteria supersede that of any host country they would relocate in. Their goal of obtaining reward does determine that there is no negotiation for any earthly reasons as there is more reward in death than in life.
3. The migrants from Eastern Europe could be from war-torn countries and communities where Muslims were impacted

The Migrant issue produces violent incidents taking place world-wide have shifted many countries towards a nationalist right-wing direction giving rise to heightened levels of aggressive and violent incidents both from the left and right-wing supporters of many countries. This impacted to the degree that in Germany, the right-wing party that was not recognized since the late 40’ties now have seats in parliament.

The European absorption of migrants along with the crime related such as, rape, the terror attacks, neighbourhood polarization, and riots prompted nationalist fears. The USA now is following the shift to the right in which some countries such as the UK (Brexit) and countries in Europe are doing. This indicates that nationalists of different countries are opting for dogged determination to retain their own identity.

Many nationalists world-wide are opposed to the migration infiltration of different foreign cultures or fear religious polarization. Both left and right wingers will exhilarate volatile retaliation of those that oppose such and the globe at large is heading deeper into a multi-cultural war of thoughts and actions.

The left wing political demonstrations could be infiltrated by groups with vested interests that do have their agenda for keeping a high volatile atmosphere in theatre. The organized crime uses these demonstrations to disguise their agenda for store theft during demonstrations.

There is an increase in specific demonstrations from humanitarian groups that are pro – gay, environment – woman rights. You may not find militants embedded in these mentioned groups who are there simply to turn people towards pro-migrant groups.

There could be some Militants embedded into ”pro- humanitarian groups”, such as pro-Muslim, pro-Palestine that are focused on turning the local nationalist community against the host government and furthermore to recruit to radicalize people to their cause. One can see the impact when local citizens burn the flag or refuse to stand for the national anthem. We are not saying that all people that do such are militants, but, for sure all militants would do such or persuade others to do such.

The coronation of President Trump impacted on the USA branded or aligned government, non-government institutes or companies [especially Trump Holdings or supporters of Trump] and experienced increased demonstrations.

Furthermore, illegals that have committed drug or rape related crimes, then the outcome will continue with demonstrations and riots would gather momentum. Reason being, is that there are militants and organized crime or illegal criminals that have a vested interest in ensuring an increase in volatile demonstration behaviour or secondly, there are left wingers that strongly believe in their causes.

Global Security Managers in the USA or Countries shifting to the right, should be highly concerned and switched on already condition red with operations and mobilization ready. The skills that are inline to mitigate current challenges should be sought and trained with immediate effect.

UK and Europe

Brexit has begun the shift to a more right-winged stance, like that of the USA mentioned above, however, it may be a gentler realization and reaction to such. Countries that can follow a stronger right winged presence could be France, Austria and Germany.

Migrants already in Europe or on their way to Europe will consider Ireland as their oasis-objective, as it may be perceived to be a supportive spring-board with an Irish citizenship and passport to any part of the world.

Belgium, Denmark and Sweden will experience a stronger left-wing insurgency and possibly a stronger drive towards neighbourhood polarization by a stronger Muslim presence especially when motivated by any uprising and display of aggressive behaviour of nationalists. There are certain countries that are on-path to State-Polarization.

It is quite normal for cultures and religions would live in a polarized neighbourhood where their culture is the dominant culture that live in peace with the citizens of the host country. The difference between these cultures, is that, some cultures or religious doctrine use unacceptable behaviour that is viewed by the host country, such as, low tolerance for woman’s or gay rights. Furthermore, a small portion of the neighbourhood population would use violence to enforce their beliefs which would incite aggressive response from the nationalists of the host country.

The impact in all countries, when there is any Islamic Militant terror attack then the right wing will retaliate with counter demonstrations, increased harassment in neighbourhoods or workplace and bullying will drive Muslims into a common neighbourhood which will be polarized. Organized crime organizations will feed on the services rendered such as, trafficking in illegal products & services and motivate the tendency towards the barricaded no-go areas, similar, to ones established in some European neighbourhoods.

All European countries will experience increased demonstrations and attacks and especially on USA branded institutions and companies besides their own in their own countries or companies inside or outside their relative country.

Africa and Arabia will continue to experience the migration of people from their countries to Europe, USA and within Africa to South Africa.

Attacks will increase on the African continent and even more so countries that are shifting to the right world-wide and branded targets by globally focused Islamic Militants in Africa.

Africa in general will attract ‘wanted’ criminals and terrorists as corruption is rampant and the tracking infrastructure is not as sophisticated as first world countries.

Africa has 54 countries which lends itself to many influences that impact safety and security. The security issues differ on various aspects and assets to those of the West, for example – mining and crime. ‘Blood diamonds’, or Marine Piracy off the West coast of Africa. The risks will continue as is habitual with vested interested economic controlled political influences or organized crime.

South Africa will continue to attract people from war-torn Africa. South Africa could experience an increase in Xenophobic attacks and possibly increased higher violent crime by migrants.

In South Africa, there must be a small group of IS Militants which has not yet orchestrated any attack yet for several reasons. The African population identify with the Palestinians and the South African Government being very focal on such could lead to aggressive behaviour, such as increased riots by right wing black nationalist groups. These right- wing black nationalist groups could possibly support terror attacks against the USA and Israeli interests besides the Jewish community.

Impact world-wide;

• Increase in many one-to-one attacks on right-winged supporters and attacks by nationalists on left-wingers.

• Increase in demonstrations turning into violent riots

• Increase in workplace abuse, violence, bullying and blackmail

• Increased number of lone wolf attacks (active assailants). It is possible that there will increased incidents that involve knives besides other weapons such as weaponized trucks.

• Insider threat especially by radicalized locals or personnel working in USA or European branded interests abroad.

• Increased number of insider threat security personnel. Recruitment of radicals, whereas the security personnel could be the major threat, as they would have easy access by wearing a uniform and an access card.

• With the increased demonstrations and riots of left-winged orientated groups will motivate right-winged counter aggressive response by way of the same in such of harassment of Muslim innocents that will drive them to polarized neighbourhoods.

• Growth in size of polarized neighbourhoods and even more so extreme No-Go neighbourhoods, rape of woman, trafficking of woman and children, with lone wolf and small attack teams working on their own or in concert with others.

• Furthermore, there will be an increase of small attack teams working in concert with others at the same time or soon after an attack. Even though these teams may work independently, they could be activated in unison by way of media. If an attack takes place, then the media will cover the incident and other teams would be notified within minutes via media exposure and react accordingly.

Situational Awareness, Cultural Diversity and Cultural Behavior

All the above current challenges in theatre contain people from diverse cultures

To mitigate collateral damage impact, Security Managers and personnel must update and increase their skill-base with relevant knowledge in-line with the current challenges in theatre to mitigate against collateral damage.  Therefore, based on the current challenges mentioned above, there is one thing that all these cultures have in common – the People are all from diverse cultures. Consequently, one must know cultural diversity and know how to use this knowledge to mitigate the associated threats.

What is just as important, is that new challenges in all or specific regions of interest can manifest in seconds and rapidly expand to other locations. Subsequently, a heightened state of situational awareness is critical to what is going on the ground right here and now and, reaction speed is crucial to mitigate with appropriate skill-craft.

• Skills that are relevant now to mitigate the current challenges in theatre

• Managing demonstrations and riots for both nationalists and diverse cultures

Cultural Diversity impacting Situational Awareness: It does not particularly benefit by just adding to your skill-craft ‘cultural diversity’ as one should know how one uses the knowledge to evaluate, interview or use investigative interviewing methods to gather reliable and all the information. Over and above and furthermore, to manage people’s emotions for many reasons.

The A- Okay Sign

A very good example is: President Trump- it does not help build relationships with South Americans or the Turkish when he constantly displays the hand sign for the USA sign of [A – Okay]. He may be trying to tell the USA people that all is good, but he is calling millions of people assholes or homosexuals 

By not being situational awareness in relation to cultural behaviour – then proactive decisions cannot be made – and untimely no reaction speed could enhance the casualty of collateral damages, loss of Life and assets

Solution: Specific skill training must contain ‘’ how to use cultural diversity knowledge and be part of the curriculum for lie, deception detection and investigative interviewing. These are the critical core skill-sets over and above all others.

These skills are used for a variety of reasons by the security manager;

The security manager wears different hats at times in relation to job functions. Their job demands them to be investigators, conflict managers, mediators, negotiators, and compliance officers to ensure the physical environment is secure.

• Governance Management, Vetting and Compliance

• Project Management (security style) considering operations and mobilization

• Negotiations with suppliers and service providers

• Polarized neighbourhoods: policing and managing such neighbourhoods. Specific methods to recruit and place only staff with skill-craft in-line with such. Unskilled staff could incite incidents as they could be misinterpreting gestures or be misunderstood.

• Companies to select non-bias, racist, xenophobic or radicalized staff but people may lie or hide their true emotions to get the jobs in stores close to, or in the polarized neighbourhoods.

• Identify a person that could be abused, manipulated by bullying, extortion or blackmailed to working as the insider threat on a mission, or participating in concert with a militant organization, or organized crime.

• Detecting mental or emotional status of staff. Unstable staff could cause horrific collateral damage.

• Handling disputes with clients, victims or other issues with foreign nationals or other cultures.

• Selecting the experts, the right security service or sub-contractors with the right mental attitude and consider skills that would mitigate the risk with current challenges.

• Identify if staff are being abused in their homes by migrants from war torn countries that have been adopted or from various religious extremist cultures that support honour killings. This is a marked increase of domestic violent crime.

• Most importantly, gathering reliable and all the information as staff may lie, hide or share information for their own agenda to clarify the true situation to safeguard others.

Cultural Situational awareness dictates knowing the nature of the beast

Know the situation

Based on the ‘’current challenges’’ in theatre, we must consider the situation when we begin interviewing. Whereas, a person from one culture may feel guilty or shame when questioned on why they have killed people. They are also asked; how do they feel when their family are known by the entire community and the world that they are connected to the guilty person. Would they feel such emotions of guilt and shame?
The opposite emotion could be expressed, such as pride for themselves, besides their family feeling the same depending on where they live, their culture or religion. If one does not know the situation beforehand, then one will not be able to read the person and achieve the objectives.

Situational Awareness when you are with Two or more people from the same culture

Two or more people of a foreign culture can communicate and control ‘in concert’ the negotiation. This is displayed by using hand movements or facial expressions. Applying the same principle to crowd control people can work in concert and activate an attack right in front of security personnel without them even knowing so.

For operational management not knowing the cultural background or cultural communication could cause collateral damage and loss of life. This knowledge is vital for prison management where the gang culture and methods of communication could alert operational management of an imminent attack. The same principal relates to managing any demonstration be it students, workers, besides nationalists and immigrants.

Applying the knowledge

Security industry personnel can aggravate a person, or calm people during the evaluation, interviewing, investigation (using investigative interviewing methods). Applying the knowledge wisely would place the professional info a formidable position by not misinterpreting situation. If need be, the professional can orchestrate and manipulate emotions to a specific objective using cultural gestures.

This knowledge will heighten ‘situational awareness’ by means of a wide range of applications that could tangibly be used with culturally related body language as in cultural conduct and cultural communication.

Cultural Situational Awareness Impacts Interviewing and Negotiations

• Distinct cultures can communicate right in front of another culture by just using hand expressions. These are words that are displayed in hand movement – not sign language for the deaf. In this way, they can control a negotiation without the other knowing.

• When one misinterprets or is misunderstood, the negotiation can go sour. Emotion management is a vital part in the art of negotiation. [3](Adair, W. L., & Brett, J. M. (2004)

• Use ‘respectful’ cultural conduct gestures to bond with someone or to form a partnership for discussion or negotiation.

Cultural Situational Awareness impacts on the X-Factor and Decision Making

• X Factor: If one does not know what is going happening on the ground then one is unaware of the threat in theatre. Consequently, one then cannot make decisions nor react if one does not comprehend the nature of the beast (the cultural base-line). In one culture it could be acceptable to do certain things where in another culture, it may be highly unacceptable. This would most certainly impact decision making as emotions related to such could be impaired.

• Most importantly, there could be a cultural practice of conduct, where the people of a culture do not share information about each other to other cultures. An example is the term UBUNTU in South Africa. Therefore, people are even more not forthcoming with information to a person of another culture for such reason.

To test this on a single person – In the course find the chapter ‘countries and cultures’, as well as, various forms of questioning methods that will invoke reactions. You can also obtain the same reactions by displaying physical expressions.

To test this on a crowd – A crowd regardless of culture would react together by feeding off each other’s emotions. Enthusiasm in contagious – so is the lack of it.   [ Ref: Collective unconscious, a term coined by Carl Jung, refers to structures of the unconscious mind which are shared among beings of the same species.’’]

The movement in the hands or facial expressions could incite a group or calm a crowd down. To test this in the West to other westerners – simply touch a westerner with the left hand. Then, with your left hand touch a person from Arabia or certain African countries. You will see that their reactions are quite different. The reactions of touching someone with the left hand with distinct cultures could be the same reaction as showing someone in the West the finger.

Keeping in mind, a professional must be unbiased. There may be people that are biased without knowing why. They simply do not like specific cultures. Herein, we consider possible reasons for such.

It is obvious that professionals cannot afford to be racist, biased, sexist, or xenophobic, because, whatever you feel, will come out in your body language, expressions and tone of voice. Others will instinctively pick this up and possibly react aggressively, shut down communication or not co-operate.