Minimising risks through ethical employment practices
Ahead of Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated concert in Vienna, the Austrian State-Security authorities appear to have identified a terrorist threat that has reportedly resulted in three people being arrested over plans to “kill as many people as possible”. The authorities believe they have disrupted a small group intent on committing a terrorist atrocity.
According to Sky news, Austrian state-security authorities discovered chemical substances and technical devices showing “concrete preparatory actions” at the older suspect’s house. There are suggestions from some media outlets that one of the suspects was employed by a facilities company, in charge of security at the concert venue, only days before Taylor Swift’s 3 planned shows were cancelled. Fortunately, he was arrested by special police forces near the stadium.
Insider threats have long been recognised as something to be aware of, and credible security providers ensure there are effective processes in place to minimise these.
If true, these allegations reinforce the importance of thorough vetting, compliance, and staff training, before security officers are deployed at any sized event. Knowing your staff, their background, and how they have come to be in your employment all add to effective security.
Despite industry pressures on security providers to minimise costs within the UK, Carlisle is proud to have completely removed the use of subcontractors for core, non-specialist, roles since April 2024, and has moved vetting of staff in-house. This strategic move not only offers more control over vetting processes and training, but also improves the quality of service-delivery and helps minimise risks.
The quality and integrity of our staff is at the heart of our service offering. We have made difficult commercial choices to achieve this, but events such as those in Austria affirm that they are the right choices.
Security officers play a critical role in keeping our communities safe, and it’s our responsibility to ensure they are vetted, trained, led, and equipped properly to perform their duties with diligence and expertise.
