Managing Risk in Retail Environments: Security in the Chaos

The global climate in the security industry is warming. Acts and whispers of terror that have traditionally been reserved for the other side of the world suddenly do not seem so far away.  Attacks against our government in Ottawa, acts of violence discovered and prevented at shopping centres in Eastern Canada, and foreign extremist groups encouraging Canadian locations as the targets of terror all support the need for an evolution of understanding, policy, and training in our retail security programs.

The BCSCA has assembled a panel of experts to discuss some relevant questions about how recent events affect our operations in BC and what we as operators of high profile locations can and should do in response.

Moderator (TBC) will guide a conversation with our panel of experts giving perspective from retail security, law enforcement, and public relations firms.

Panelists include:

James Blight (Retail Security Specialist)
James Blight has worked in the BC security industry for 23 years. His experience includes retail shopping centre security, executive/personal protection, and event security. James currently works as Operations Manager for Concord Security, a role which includes training clients and employees in active shooter response and predictive profiling.

Sgt. Derrick Gravelle (RCMP "E" Division National Security Program)
Sgt. Derrick Gravelle has 22 years service with the RCMP. He served at the Langley Detachment, Border Integrity Program, Surrey Detachment and was the provincial crime reduction coordinator. He joined the Community Outreach Team at 'E' Division INSET and is committed to working with the communities we serve in prevention and intervention.

Ann Gibbon (Public Relations Expert)
Ann Gibbon’s career includes almost three decades of experience in public relations and journalism. Ann has worked with major Canadian PR agencies, and her 10-year-old PR consulting firm, Ann Gibbon Communications, provides strategic advice, media training, media relations and crisis communications services to a broad roster of clients. Her crisis communications support and strategic advice have helped organizations in resources, tourism, politics and other sectors to prevent, prepare for or respond to situations that could harm their reputation and overall businesses. Ann has practiced journalism at the country’s leading news organizations. She began her reporting career at the Montreal Gazette. She moved on to the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business, covering major national business stories in Vancouver and Montreal. She was also a business commentator for the CBC and spent several years working at CanWest News, now Postmedia. Ann has reported from Europe, Japan and Africa. Ann is an Honours graduate of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and speaks English and French.

More details to follow soon!