Threat Assessment for The Protection of an Identified Vip

Threat assessment is a process designed to identify individuals of concern, investigate individuals and situations, and consider the information collected. This is a time consuming process that usually needs to be done in a very short period of time. It involves early identification of individuals at risk, centralized reporting, initial threat assessment, investigation, gathering of information, making an assessment, developing and implementing an individualized intervention and management plan and monitoring and re-evaluation.

Furthermore, a threat assessment is the exercise of determining the credibility and seriousness of a potential threat, as well as the probability that the threat will become a reality. Can you imagine being a close protector assigned to protect a foreign dignitary and arriving at an event being attacked by a mob of angry protesters? This is a reality that can happen at any time all because the close protectors are not being provided with the necessary information to ensure the safety of the dignitary.

The Section Business Information Analysis (BIA) is tasked to provide VIP Protection Service with crime trends and crime patterns and threat assessments to perform their daily tasks. BIA interface with intelligence community and gather information regarding intelligence and counter intelligence analyze it and compile a comprehensive report for the protection of an identified VIP, Government installation and major event.

Identified VIP’s, major events and strategic government installations currently do not always receive the comprehensive security package they are supposed to be provided with. This could cause critical incidents like physical harm, a medical emergency and/or an embarrassment to the VIP.

A threat assessment is a structured process used by PSS to evaluate the probability of critical incidents. Currently requests for threat assessments are received late from different Government departments and VIP’s personal assistants. Feedback from relevant Intelligence agencies also delay this process, preventing PSS to provide a comprehensive security package to identified dignitaries, strategic government installations and major events. In other words, potential and likely known risks are not always identified and analyzed in time to develop and implement an effective security measure to ensure the safety and security of VIPs’ and major events.

During the last financial year 116 threat assessments were requested for visiting VIP’s, VIP’s travelling abroad and major events. Only 73 were received. It was mandated by Cabinet Memorandum dated 2004/11/29 that PSS provide protection to all identify VIP’s and major events.

The initializing of this project is to develop an effective and efficient computer software program that can serve as a communication medium for all VIP movements and upcoming events between different departments involved. It will involve departments such as National and Provincial Government Departments, State Security Agency, Crime Intelligence and the Protection and Security Service. Each department involve will consequently identify a section within to assist with the development of this program. It will also entail an evaluation of all current computer systems and other methods currently in use.

The safety of identified VIPs’, government installations and major events is a multidimensional issue involving different role players. Late threat assessment requests and feedback from relevant role players is of great concern. Accurate and live data remains limited and tools to improve this are still promising. Therefore, it is very important to deal with the root causes of this issue. Since the safety of VIPs’ is a multidisciplinary approach, this project may be relevant to other law enforcement areas. The initializing of this project is to develop an effective and efficient computer software program that can serve as a communication medium for all relevant role players in a timely manner to minimize the possibility of any threat that may be present against any VIP or major event.