Misuse of Procedures!

Kia Ora,

In previous posts I have spoken about how New Zealand is not ready for the Rugby World cup & the current incident with the Mine explosion has just emphasized it.

As I have said before if confronted by a suicide bomber NZ would hold about four investigations to determine whether it was a suicide bombing when in reality they had 30 seconds to respond.

Now standard operating procedures can work for you or against you & in New Zealand at present it seems we have forgotten the so called number 8 wire mentality that made us world leaders.

Right from its inception this mine has shown some flaws in the NZ processes.

First is the application of Health & Safety. Previously someone questioned my ability to comment on Health & Safety even asking what method I use.

As I said at the time I use what I learnt in the military which is plan for worst case scenario then ask So What? for every possible action.

This process worked in Iraq as it becomes second nature & you are doing it on the move, just like you do in the military. It allows dynamic thinking on your feet. It means you learn from all experiences even those of others.

The problem with the NZ legislation is it leaves too much latitude for businesses to short cut. Not that the mine has done this but first question is why did the gas sensing equipment have to be flown from Australia?
The Security Risk Assessment Handbook: A Complete Guide for Performing Security Risk Assessments
Now it is known that coal releases gas & this area is an area of previous mine explosions. It runs into the same seam of the worst mine disaster in NZ history, the Brunner mine explosion of 1896. It is also a short distance from where a relation lost a close family member in the 1968 Strongman mine incident(they also managed to be in Inangahua for the earthquake that year), so though a lot of precautions were taken there was still a lack of the vital monitoring equipment in the area.
The Essentials of Risk Management
There has also been comments by experts that the explosion doesn't look good. The fact two people walked out & said at the time three more were at that time expected to follow means there is a good chance many if not all survived.

How many of the experts have actually been near a large gas explosion?

Well I have when a 'suicide' bomber had their vehicle detonated on them at the embassy near our villa in Baghdad. It wasn't no ordinary suicide bomb, this was a butane(gas) tanker. Though our villa was within 100 metres we suffered no damage nor did the embassy from what we could see. Blast walls protected us, the explosive force did knock down three local houses & that was where most of the deaths occurred(10 all up with 7 from one family). Most of the police & the driver of the 'suicide' bomb actually survived although badly burnt & were actually the closest to the blast.

Information so far points to fact explosion appears to have happened near the opening of the mine, so it is again likely those in the mine are just sitting tight in oxygen rich areas that are present in modern mines. How the blast went within the confines of the mine is the big question, but the fact that those that got out were from an area behind the blast through an emergency escape tunnel says the effects are likely to be limited depending on subsequent gas build up.
Standard Operating Procedure
But again it is the procedures that have been the biggest worry both post the Christchurch Earthquake & during the current mine incident.

Now procedures are great for training to give the mind something to focus on when confronted by a situation. But they don't fit every situation.

Today there was talk of waiting for the scientific evidence to stack up before they send in the mine rescue team. But there is no monitoring of the gas levels overnight. The earlier someone could get in after the blast the better as gas will build if there is no extraction.
Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines
Personally I would of had the army over ASAP especially once they realized the weather was closing in with light drizzle(for those not aware light drizzle on the West Coast is heavy downpours everywhere else)& would prevent helicopters dropping the equipment as planned. Why? Because a section of infantry at each monitored shaft as outlined means you can continue to monitor 24 hours a day with good communication & they can be self sustaining for a prolonged period by deploying with their own supplies.

The second thing I would of done is let the West Coasters come up with a No 8 wire solution for going in ASAP with a homespun portable extraction system for the gas.
Good Clinical Practice: Standard Operating Procedures for Clinical Researchers
Now that may seem fool hardy & people will say we need to do it scientifically & controlled.

But the frustration is building.

My Whanau(family) come from South Westland(Southern part of what is referred to as the West Coast) & most things are sorted out locally as they just don't have the time or often communications to wait for the outside world(there are around the area of where we are based no cell phone communications & only satellite internet). Though I have only lived there for short periods one thing I know is West Coasters will only put up with the frustration for so long before they take matters into their own hands.
Financial Reckoning Day Fallout: Surviving Today's Global Depression
All these books might have good tidbits in them but we have to get back to doing things the New Zealand way which was take a bit from each & come up with our own common sense solution. These days we seem to care more about what corrupt bureaucrats say as to the best practice(as soon as I hear that word I know it isn't) than actually taking notice of what people want or are thinking.

Follow procedures yes but not just for the sake of following them. It has to make sense & bugger the science.

http://foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Some things never change!

Kia Ora,

Have been involved with a security task on subcontract.

Since not a true business yet where you can work on not in the business it has meant shortage of time. Not that I would ever want to completely stop doing the work on the ground as enjoy it too much.

What it has highlighted though is that some things never change.

Recently I blogged on the training system asking whether it was a corrupt system.

Well the last week & a bit has just made it clearer.

Since the industry at this time of the year is always stretched in Canterbury & this year even more due to post earthquake requirements especially here in Christchurch our teams always have inexperienced people on them.

This year we have been working with a lot of people from a local course where participants are often placed by government departments. One department in particular.
Bureaucracy in a Democratic State: A Governance Perspective
Well the insistance of these departments that people get training is great but not if the system is based on bureaucratic corruption.

The majority of those coming through are not up to even a minimum standard. Worse the person that joined our team had worked with us last year on same task but this year was even worse.

Despite the team putting the hard word on this person to perform & pointing out where they had to improve, there were only small gains.
Administrative Law: Bureaucracy in a Democracy (4th Edition)
To make it even worse they were caught out all the time giving false positions or making up accounts of what was happening.

There were other issues that I won't go into here, but at the end of the task they were told they had to buck up or forget the industry as at current level they can not be trusted.

Yet we know that if they continue on the course they will pass.

There is a need for some bureaucracy but when it gets to the stage where a corrupt system insists on taking a course that will lower, not raise the standards you have to wonder where the world is going too.

Somethings never change!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

That New Zealand mindset to the fore yet again!

Kia Ora,

Well that New Zealand mindset is to the fore yet again but this time it is building to back fire on the bureaucrats & government.

There has been a request by the Mayor of Christchurch & business leaders for the people to tell the world that Christchurch is OK & back to pretty much normal.

Now most of the services for the majority of us was back up & going within three days.

But since then it has been the bureaucracy that has slowed things down means nothing is back to normal & the frustration is growing. It is security & police that are going to have to deal with that.

This morning they are saying 1200 houses are going to be demolished when they have not checked most of the near 100,000 claims. People are living in homes which should be demolished & others are fearful with small cracks.

It is head in the sand stuff if the powers that be say things are normal & anger is growing.

One expert said there has been no damage since the major two quakes in the first week. Incorrect most people I have heard or talked too the damage has only shown in the last four weeks.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals
Then you have some commercial entities short cutting. In my case the commercial building I am using for my business/living has developed a large number of cracks in the outside walls, cracks & folds in the ceiling & water stains in the ceiling & at least one fold in the floor mainly on the upper floor.

By others damage it is not great but seems to be increasing & very minor liquifaction has shown in front of the unit(we now know that sand was used as an infil). The building is moving more violently as time goes on when heavy vehicles or trains hit certain spots. As if to make the point have just had a small after shock followed shortly by train shunting which caused more rolling & shaking than the aftershock.
Disaster Recovery
So it was passed onto the owners who have been great, but nothing was heard from the Body corporate. Suddenly the owners of the properties get a letter saying an inspection was carried out & all was OK. No one had seen or been spoken too.

Then I looked at date I was supplied. That was the date the alarm technician checked that fire alarms were going. They had been given a form with questions to ask about the property. That was the check. All the information came from us the occupants. So neither the person asking or us the occupants were qualified to comment apart from our personal thoughts.

That was the body corporate saving up to $7000, which is likely to be a flase saving. This unit I would not expect to survive anything over about 6 now the liquifaction has come to light, no matter how small. That is just based on reaction by property not so much the after shocks but speeding vehicles & trains.
The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-Step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Facilities, and Assets
Most of all the other area where there is no acceptance of the reality is the police saying crime has dropped since the Earthquake. Actually it hasn't, only reported crime has as people are still saying the police have too much to do so they don't call. Anecdotal evidence is that crime has gone through the roof.

But yet again New Zealanders in particular the bureaucrats are saying how good things are.

People are starting to think they have been forgotten & anger is building. I have just heard someone on radio say something that I have been thinking, the government if it doesn't get things moving quickly this will result in a huge back lash come next election.
High Availability and Disaster Recovery: Concepts, Design, Implementation
There is though an amusing side to this that those calling for the message to go out have not taken into account.

First there are those from other parts from New Zealand who have come to comfort or help friends & families have arrived felt a bit of a shake which the locals all just look & listen then carry on. But the visitors are leaving again often on first flight they can get. So what message are they taking back?

Then there is the alleged incident where two Australian structural engineers came to assist but left within two days not been able to put up with the shakes. Again message going overseas is opposite to what they are asking.
Disaster Recovery Planning: Preparing for the Unthinkable (3rd Edition)
Probably the funniest issue but one that is taking back an incorrect image is the tourists that have come on seeing the work going on in the central city thinking how wonderful it was been sorted so quick, but how bad the damage must of been.

Most of what they have been observing though is the work that was been carried out in upgrades in preparation for the Rugby World Cup. It is quite amusing to see them looking taking photos & making comments.

Mean while as was just commented by someone on radio, the New Zealand mindset that my place is bad but there is someone worse off so I won't rock the boat is going on & there could be upwards of 10,000 homes that have to be destroyed. Yet people are still living in them. It is something that is going on & without anything resembling certainty people can't move on. Right now they don't care if house is getting to be destroyed or not! They just want a decision, but bureaucrats are involved so no one does anything.

One person with a crack through middle of property & cracks in foundation have just been informed their property will be checked in March 2011. Not acceptable.

Again more frustration, more anger more issues for security & police to deal with.
Principles of Incident Response and Disaster Recovery
So the call for the message to go out that all is well is the New Zealand mindset kicking in ignoring the real issues. But this time there is enough anger coming through for the situation to get very serious very quickly.

That anger means more crime, more upset people for security guards & police to deal with.

The bureaucrats are struggling with this as they move too slow. EQC are just saying they have to have their processes in place. Excuse me, but they are set up for issues like earthquakes so all that should be in place prior. This could be the straw that broke the Camel's back here in Canterbury.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

As predicted as Economic conditions worsen so does Crime!

Kia Ora,

People keep spouting the financial crisis is over. Bollocks! In fact it is getting harder for people to make ends meet. One prediction is the middle class will cease to exist.

It means people are taking bigger risks.

The bureaucratic corruption of dealing with something by finding an excuse to do nothing, which is leaving people in limbo. That alone post the earthquake here in Christchurch means more are finding they have no other options.

But even without the earthquake people were taking risks to commit crime.

One contact in the security industry was telling me prior to the earthquake of on going metal theft on a site. It has recommenced post the earthquake. As they reported this as outlined in a previous blog we looked out the window to see two persons stealing metal one afternoon.
A Framework for Understanding Poverty
That all pails though to a news item on TV last night in another part of New Zealand.

First part of the item was on theft of copper where people are stealing copper earth wires from power poles, so that is live power lines above. The comment was if certain conditions were meet then it would mean an 8 metre radius around the power pole would become live.

So just tick theft & manslaughter if not murder to the charges someone is facing.
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism
But then when I thought that was bad enough, although I had heard of similar actions in places overseas which were poverty stricken then came the next one.

There was a photo of someone taking a railway track from what, as far as I could understand, the main trunk line for the area (well maintained so easier to get out)in broad daylight & placing tracks into a vehicle.

Another one with theft & possible manslaughter murder charges.
Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security
This is all stuff that happens in supposedly third world countries which New Zealand likes to think it is not. Really we are a fourth world country, that is third world trying to pretend we are first world. Some things we do to first world standards but thanks to the bureaucratic corruption of not really dealing with problems much of the country is living on or below the bread line.
When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Ourselves
So crime will increase & as has been happening according to anecdotal evidence violent crime will expand even more. Especially when you factor in people who have not been in this situation before so emotions are higher & they are more unpredictable. Therefore more violence.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

You have to ask is Honesty really the best policy? Corruption is rife!

Kia Ora,

A conversation last week with a former police officer set me thinking. We were talking about the NZ police today & his comments echoed those of current long serving police officers. Techniques might of changed but in reality the basics of how to police never change. But he is always getting told by young officers he doesn't understand policing today.

Ten years ago it was normal for police to encourage you to report suspicious activity & responded to them as not only did it impact on crime, even if the reported activity wasn't as suspicious as first reported it put the police in the area & also had an impact on crime.

Compare that to today where a call to report suspicious activity more often than not you are treated as the criminal with the grilling you get on the phone & then it is unlikely a patrol will show up.

That is not the police on the beats fault as they are under resourced & undermanned, but there is also a focus on getting arrests as opposed to impacting on crime from above when talking to experienced officers.

Not helping their cause though is the corruption that is rife amongst New Zealand bureaucrats which means their favourite method of dealing with issues is do nothing.

My recent experiences with bureaucrats which came to a head in the last week show why they police have to deal with so many upset people.

Not to mention security guards who also due to the low wages in the NZ Security Industry are likely to be having to deal with some of those departments in their own life.

The old bureaucrats trick of focussing on a red herring, to the side of the real issues, is to the fore.
Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform
As someone who has been bluntly honest my whole life (apart from those few drunken episodes for which most of us are not caught) it galls me to see those who have no care for others getting ahead by dishonest endeavours backed by bureaucrats.

Gone is the bureaucrat whose goal in life was to make life simpler for their community & like soldiers, police etc knew what the word service actually meant.

People have said it happens in all countries where bureaucrats hold things up. But as an Australian said who immigrated to NZ to launch a business opportunity he saw, "Mate setting up a company was the easiest anywhere, but after that nothing but apathy."

Having been around the world abit the worst I have seen is here in New Zealand. In the Middle East I actually found their open use of back handers quite liberating as it got things done. You just hired a fixer, budgeted for it & gone on with things.

In NZ to offer money would offend but then the hold ups due to requirement for committees (always remembering a camel is a horse designed by a committee) make the whole thing untenable.

New Zealand likes to think it has the perfect governance model, but it doesn't. That is those in governance give direction to those bureaucrats who are to deliver. Having been in Governance roles where I was also the beneficiary has shown that more often than not those in governance roles are actually in tune with those who are supposed to benefit.

Unfortunately the bureaucrats assigned to deliver are more often than not on a different agenda(the TV programmes 'Yes, Minister' & 'Yes, Prime Minister' spring to mind) altogether. Or to quote Ronald Reagan "the scariest words someone can hear is, We are from the government & we are here to help" or words to that effect.

It is why I find the TV programme 'Under cover Boss' so refreshing as it shows those in governance or top management actually finding out what the issues actually are for their business.
Governance (Key Concepts)
Bureaucracy today is more about how inefficent you can be. That causes frustration which in turn causes people to get upset. More often than not the first person who has to deal with it is the lone security guard.

Compare that to organized crime in particular here in New Zealand the gangs who in their own way tend to look after their people. Those that are better at it have less issues & make the job of the police harder as no one will talk against those who have looked after them when things have been bad.

Leadership is not all about been loud or giving someone the 'bash' to keep them in line. People skills are the first thing bureaucrats need to learn.
Corporate Governance Best Practices: Strategies for Public, Private, and Not-for-Profit Organizations
Oh the comment in the title of this book about best Practice. First thing I know from having been on the shop floor as soon as anyone says it, on the floor everyone knows its not.

If the bureaucrats could get their act together there would be a lot less upset people, the country would be saved millions if not billions of dollars. As I have said to one government agency in this last week, "I could run ... better with my little finger." Not only that have better people skills.

Corruption is rife amongst our bureaucrats & it really makes you think "is it really worth it been honest?" You are already seeing bureaucratic corruption at its finest in the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

The Catch 22 that arises when the NZ Security Industry is stretched!

Kia Ora,

Since Christchurch was hit by the earthquake the NZ Security Industry in the city has been stretched. Stretched to the extent that anecdotal evidence from another city says two of the major players have been recruiting there for security guards.

It has led to a Catch 22 situation where companies just have no one spare to fill in if people can't make it & in one case led a company refusing to let a staff member attend a call out as a volunteer fireman.

The sort of people who join the military, police or work in the NZ Security Industry are likely to be the type of person who will either just go & help or be a volunteer.

At the lowest level a security guard is poorly paid but has to deal with some of the most dangerous situations in the community often by themself. Usually before the police become involved. Many stick at it because there is that feeling of service without the real down sides of been a police officer like telling a family someone has died.
Gear Keeper High Security Key Retractor Clamp-On Rotating Belt Clip Police Corrections Emergency Equipment Gear Guard Authorized Dealer GSA certified, RT3-5826 (28" Extension)
Interestingly the union has now jumped in to highlight the situation.

I take it that is the same union that was involved when I worked for a sub contractor. They negotiated a huge agreement which included a wage rise that only covered the union fees, a wage rise for those with NZQA level 3 qualification of which at the time I was one of only three with it & was not entitled to it as worked for the sub contractor. Worst of all they negotiated a protected wage for senior guards but a new lower rate for those joining the company. Everyone seen coming what happened next. All the experienced staff suddenly received less & less hours of work which went to those with no experience at all & generally no security background.Therefore the senior guards had to leave to find other work to live.
Security Wire Mesh Window Guard - Recessed 3' X 4'
In the current situation, & it is likely to go on for a while, there are a few people who need to look at the reality of the situation. This includes bureaucrats who quote their acts but don't look at the intent of the act when it was passed through the New Zealand parliament. Which is what the legal profession do if it goes that far.

The NZ Security Industry overall is of a low standard but at the moment at least in Christchurch it is stretched & doing what it can with the resources available. Some situations are a real catch 22 & the industry is just doing its best to make it all work.

Some staff are so worn out. I am aware of one trying to convince his missus to just get on a plane with him & move to Australia. They have certainly earned enough money of late to do so.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Its that Mindset again!

Kia Ora,

Before the earthquake hit Christchurch & the surrounding areas there was a warning of boat people comming to New Zealand shores at this stage from Sri Lanka. Yet again though the New Zealand mindset is to the fore saying it could never happen!

This was not long after a ship full of illegal immigrants had made it to Canada from Thailand a trip that would be as long if not longer.

It seems that reality has no place in the decisions made by people when they comment on these things or burearcrats plans in many cases.
Illegal: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone
So how could that effect the NZ Security Industry?

Well even the earthquake showed that New Zealand & in particular the NZ police, as good as they are, do not have the resources to carryout all their required tasks.

So private security could if properly trained provide good manned surveillance around our coastline. Technology is great but only ever an aid & can be suspect to some of the wild weather we get.

As a matter of fact I put a proposal in to various agencies shortly after beginning work in the security industry for myself to do just that. This was in response to the regular small paper clippings asking for people to watch out around the coastline for those involved in movement of firearms, drugs & wildlife.
The New Case Against Immigration: Both Legal and Illegal
Not long out of the NZ Army at the time, my rather direct military way of presenting the proposal did not go down well.

One police District commander asked what made me think that the police needed any help as they did not.

My reply was the fact it was well known in the army thanks to friends in low places that there had been a joint request from several government agencies including the police for that very help.

It was also was well known that some of our units assisted by way of training to carryout surveillance for agencies. This stopped when the formal request went in as it was a grey area for the military to be involved.
Illegals: The Imminent Threat Posed by Our Unsecured U.S.-Mexico Border
I looked at reviving it as part of a new army training requirement for my section I was responsible for by requesting could we help with surveillance. I was informed to try but it was unlikely to go ahead because of legal concerns.

But by contracting private security with the appropriate training, going on the PSD experience it would actually be cheaper & allow the likes of the police to concentrate on enforcement.
Illegal Immigration (Opposing Viewpoints)
For that to happen though needs a change in mindset across the board to understand that things like boat people are a reality. It also needs a change in mindset on how to use private security & what constitutes the training requirements.

You wouldn't want a doorman or normal security guard on these tasks. Then it is the decision if the police or military style surveillance is the most appropriate.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

The Wheel goes round & round & round!

Kia Ora,

It seems in the time I have been writing these blogs the same subjects keep coming up here in New Zealand.

Over the last two nights it is back to arming the NZ polic again.

But it all comes back to having the resources & the training.

In previous posts I have talked about the mindset of the NZ Security Industry & the police not being ready for real security. It is not just about the training but the mindset which the NZ police would acquire if they were required to carry firearms at all times.

What I didn't realize though, until one of the reports highlighted it, was the total bureaucratic mess the police have to go through to arm themselves with the weapons they may have in the vehicle. It shows a mindset that hasn't faced the reality of the crime now on New Zealand streets.
In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection
It is only in the last few months that there has been a more general acceptance that more security need body amour. In the main though the NZ security industry refuses to see how it needs body armour or arming itself.

If the NZ Police are doing it or thinking of doing it then security should be doing it.

Why because it is often a security guard that arrive at these incidents prior to police alone. Then after an incident if someone is required it again is security that is called upon, usually again a lone guard.
Terrorism Financing and State Responses: A Comparative Perspective
Mean while here in NZ the wheel goes round & round & round!

This weekend it will be out of control drunks or another high speed police chase resulting in death where the police are blamed for an idiot running from them or another policeman facing an armed criminal without the ability to protect themselves.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Coming up against a countries Mindset when yours has moved on!

Kia Ora,

An article appeared in the Sunday-Star Times yesterday about how Rob Nicol the players representative for Rugby,Cricket & now the Athletes Federation is criticizing the New Zealand Olympics Committee's(NZOC) security plans for the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to al Qaeda
The problem Rob Nicol is dealing with is his exposure in particular through the issues surrounding the cricket tours to the sub continent has shifted his mindset in regards to security. Although I still don't think he or his advisors have fully grasped yet the threat to New Zealand, the biggest issue is he has moved on but New Zealand has not.

The NZOC has come back & pointed to the fact that the New Zealand government was best placed to offer security information.
I have had that said to me as well. Yeah right. Until the country is able to change its mindset then it is unlikely the bureaucrats who advise the government will change theirs & that is unlikely to happen until the first suicide bomb goes off here.

That is shown when the bureaucrats put together the new security personnel bill had no idea of what security face on the streets of New Zealand & made no provision for likely threats in the future. Or as I say it's only good use is as toilet paper.

But the NZOC is only reflecting the attitude of the country as are the bureaucrats.
Terrorism - A World in Shadows (Box Set)
The spokeswoman for the NZOC says it has seen the security plans for Delhi & they are in accordance with international best practice.

In the process of getting keeping my businesses moving until they become self sustaining I have had to carry out a variety of work. Everytime I hear the words 'best practice' I know that is exactly what it isn't going to be. I know many others think the same way as soon as those words are uttered.
Inside Terrorism
So Rob Nicol has a task ahead of him as you just can't change a nations mindset. In fact if you look at the US, the Oklahoma bombings, once it was realized it had been carried out by a US citizen no permanent mind set change occurred. If it had it is less likely 9/11 would of occurred.

This issue is part of the thought process I had to go through when looking on how to provide security & came up with the 0900 Suspicious concept. How do you provide really effective security without expending your energy in trying to change peoples mindset.
Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind
Or as a quote used by Robert Kiyosaki on financial education says "Don't teach pigs to sing as it annoys the pig & wastes your time". In other words educate by doing, not trying to change someone.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Terrorist Raidss! Why do people feel they are picked on?

Kia Ora,

Well have been taking part in a forum where the discussion stemmed from the terrorist raids in the Tuhoe area here in New Zealand in the last few years.

For those that are not in NZ, what happened was after police surveillance, the NZ police raided an area where the Tuhoe Iwi(tribe) is based. From memory 17 were arrested country wide, only two really with connections to Tuhoe, but the community was raided with roads blocked off where the training had allegedly taken place. Most of those arrested were from eco green groups & one person even had an arab name, which in itself is not suspicous but when connected to terrorism things take a different slant.

The first thing to come out was people say the raids were wrong as the charges were thrown out & new ones under another act were drawn up.

That is not what really happened, the charges were thrown out as they were brought under the new Terrorism act which the judge pointed out was badly written.

That is what happens when politicians listen to bureaucrats who have no idea what they are talking about. By not knowing they were not ready & rushed through bad legislation.

The same is happening with the new security personnel bill. Though not rushed the bureaucrats have no idea what they are talking about, so have produced some finely written toilet paper which will be shown to be inadequate & then some very rushed bad replacement will come into force.

Next some are complaining that they were not connected with any terrorists (depends on whose definition as there are so many it can range from work place bullies right through to organized crime & groups such as Al Qaeada, eco greens, anti abortionists) & their children were targeted.

If you let gangs, terrorist organization or drugs & you keep your kids with you then you can not expect otherwise as distasteful as that might seem. Basically it is your fault for putting your children in that situation. Bad parenting & poor community responsbility, no matter what rights you have to grievance as Tuhoe genuienly do.

In recent history there have been enough examples of children been used to carryout or assist terrorist attacks or activities. Vietnam children throwing grenades at vehicles or laying improvised IED's, South Africa kids throwing grenades into vehicles (participants in both have told me how hard it was to shoot towards children to keep them away), Northern Ireland people of all ages placing improvised IED's with magnets against vehicles used by security forces.
Whose terrorism? A classroom activity enlists students in defining terrorism and then applying their definitions to world events.: An article from: Radical Teacher
Whilst working in Iraq knowing this we were looking for the IED's & grenades. In Afghanistan it has been taken a step further with children been used as suicide bombers (so far apparently unsuccessful).

On a lessor level children are often used to carryout criminal activity on behalf of their parents or other adults. Only today a report came out of a 12 year old selling drugs at school on behalf of family.

In this situation in particular Maori have this habit of defending those issues which are destroying us as a people. Gangs/terrorism drug use, child abuse, domestic violence & the list goes on.
Terrorism: definition, justification, and applications.(Terrorism. The Philosophical Issues )(Book review): An article from: Social Theory and Practice
People such as police do not find it easy to point firearms at children as many of them are fathers, but like going into a hostage rescue situation you have to treat everyone as a terrorist until you are sure otherwise.

If I remember properly at the time the police also detained a school bus. Funny thing is when acting as enemy party on one exercise we used a school bus to elude friendly forces to move to a new area of operations. We train to learn from those sort of experiences.

On another exercise the enemy party stole a military ambulance & managed to use it to eliminate some high ranking officials. Rest of exercise & since Ambulances have got a good going over at least by NZ forcs.

In Iraq on more than one occasion insurgents used ambulance to good effect & there was always the rumour of a fire engine fitted as a suicide bomb.

Instead of complaining they should say, "why did we get targeted?" & What can we do to ensure it doesn't happen again?"

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Corruption in New Zealand & how it affects us all!

Kia Ora,

Recently New Zealand again basked in the glory as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

But is it?

In fact I would say it is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Corruption in New Zealand though is not about money under the table so much as to how the bureaucrats, both in public service & big corporations, work.

Basically they deal with issues by finding the flimiest of excuses to not deal with them.

When police deal with people they have a saying that goes something like "we deal with the bad, mad & sad."

Police & security world wide deal with the bad & that is not likely to change.

The mad you can split in two. Those that are generally mad from mental illness & as security guards you often have to deal with them as well.

But the other mad is those that are angry, frustrated & slide into the sad category as well.

It is those that are in that part of the mad or sad group that costs a country & in most cases you can trace it back to bureaucrats & their corrupt ways.

Recently here in Christchurch there was an incident that highlighted were this takes people. One person got so frustrated that they rammed & damaged a number of parking meters. Another rammed his vehicle through the front doors of IRD(tax department).

Others take even more drastic action & resort to weapons.

All this ends up in the lap of the police often by way of the security industry having to deal with it first.

Just the other day a person I was talking too, was serving someone from a telecommunications company & they effectively said they were there getting lessons of how to sideline customers who were complaining.

Several years ago someone actually asked a question about this to talkback host Kerre Woodham at newstalkzb.

Kerre gave an interesting reply. "the difference is years ago the public servant was a cardigan wearing man whose job it was to ensure enough people were trained & things in place so that everything flowed smoothly. Now we have a corporate model which is inefficient & everyone is running around fufilling meaningless goals that don't add to the effective running of the country." or words to that effect.

She was right. Whether you are in a capitalist or communist or what ever society you want, bureaucrats are there to ensure the smooth running of things & provide service. Not practicing corruption by not dealing with issues, therefore frustrating people into acting rashly.

The author of this book R. Buckmeister Fuller was once told by a member of one of those families that essentially run the worlds economies, "Bucky I like you, but you will never amount to anything as you want to make things simple. To succeed everything needs to be complicated." or words to that effect.

You could say the world at present time is the the product of that as trillions are being stolen from normal people by making them so complicated, no one understands them.

The problem is as people become more aware of what is going on & become more frustrated it could finally blow up in their faces.

New Zealand seems a real nice place on the surface. It is promoted as clean & green, safe environment amongst other things. But it is none of them. A small population base just confuses the issue until people start doing the per captia projections.

All the while in the front line an ineffective NZ Security Industry & increasingly hamstrung NZ Police Force have to deal with the situation.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Bureaucratic Idiocy further exposed!

Kia Ora,

Another Saturday night, but a warm one for this time of year & so with the change in weather came the idiots. But it also exposed further where Bureastucrats fail in their thinking.

But it was the idiots that took my attention first.

For the last two warm nights there has been the noise of a grossly underpowered scooter(or so I thought) giving its all up what appeared to be the railway tracks from the sound.

On hearing yet another boy racer in the area(a lot of police as well for once but they never seemed to be there at the same time) I walked out to see someone on a motorbike sounding not unlike the wound up sewing machine model you could keep hearing coming around the corner like they were doing 200kmh(but only doing 50Kmh). It reminded me of what a mate once said about riding a bike spaced out on magic mushrooms & another on marijuana about how they thought they were going real fast, but in fact going very slow.

In fact the person on marijuana infamously came off his bike at 1km an hour thinking he was taking it at a 100kmh, so lent it over as if taking the corner at that speed.

I just hope he was not the bike later reported to police riding erratically in some suburbs towards the centre of Christchurch, to be found dead after a crash into traffic lights in another area.

It might seem to be stretching it to connect the two but more often than not they are.

What I forgot to mention in the previous blog was the most obvious issue that the bureaucratic plans for gritting the roads missed.

They only had the grit put on the corners. Yes that is where the accidents more often than not will happen but not where they start.

Leading into the corners is a couple of nice straights & not just the boyracers use it as a drag strip before having to break heavily as they approach the corners. Most of these drivers can not actually handle ice on the straight in the first place.

So not only did the bureaucrats waste money having grit put down 'after' a week of frosts the day before a forecast overcast day, they missed out half the places that it was really needed. They also promoted crime as vehicles tried to complete doughnuts/burnouts shortly after grit was laid, not to mention poor driving.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Bureaucratic Corruption destroying the country & promoting Crime!

Kia Ora,

New Zealand likes to see itself as not corrupt, but it depends on your view.

In this country it is common for large businesses & in particular government departments to deal with situations by finding any excuse at all to do nothing.

Not as upfront as the so called corruption of the middle east where palms are often greased to get things done. But in reality that is just a way of doing business that has worked successfully for several thousand years.

The last few days has probably shown how bureaucartic corruption contributes to crime in the best way possible.

In recent months locally there have been a series of potholes appear in the well used local road. The solution has been to send work crews to continually fill in holes as they appear, even though anyone with an ounce of common sense can see the whole road needs to be resealed(despite it obviously done at lowest tender the year before).

The workers have even engaged in an hour long debate on the phone trying to convince someone higher up the chain that they are wasting money & time.

But the last couple of days have beat even that.

After three days of frost & not even bad frosts or from what could be seen black ice, suddenly trucks appeared midday yesterday & started laying grit on the corners & leading up to the corners.

This was despite the forecasts had been frost each of the last three days but none today. Yes the forecasts are not that accurate, but have been pretty on the mark this week.

First thing that happened within 15 minutes of the first grit being laid was cars were trying to carryout doghnuts on the loose material. Right then you knew it was going to be a busy night for Christchurch's boyracers.

So it proved with them adopting a new version of their new tactics. Recently instead of large groupings known as diesels vehicles have travelled in two's & three's but last night it was groups of up to 7 vehicles with the first one carrying out doghnuts/burnouts as the rest slowed before moving off to next position on their circuit.

But just to prove that the bureaucrats have no idea what they are doing most of today involved a street sweeeping truck getting rid of the grit, even though forecasts are for initially frost tomorrow, that now having changed to Monday morning.

The Corruption occurs where there is now insistance even by police communications for absolute proof of something happening or about to happen. By been totally reactive as opposed to proactive they allow crime even at the low levels to grow. All criminals start somewhere & it is not uncommon to see the group tagging one minute breaking into cars or even bashing people the next.

Of course the NZ Security Industry contributes to this by constantly telling people to ignore crime or suspicious activity. Often because the people in the supervisory roles have no idea what security really is.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz