Among the many threats that individuals and organizations face can come from the most unexpected places or items. But what happens when it comes from expected – even anticipated – places? We’re talking about letters and packages – and ever since the Anthrax-laced letters appeared in the US in 2001, security agencies and organizations have become more wary of these threats.
Alongside biological weapons, letter bombs are another threat that has claimed lives in the past. It is important to prevent these letters and packages from ever reaching their target, which is why having a proper screening process is crucial in these cases.
Here are some processes and steps involved that agencies use to correspond to dangerous letters and packages:
Setting up a Mail Room
One of the most important things that need to be done to screen letters is to provide a space to do so. A mail room provides the safest location to screen letters and packages before being delivered to the client. These rooms must be located in a safe location away from causing harm to surrounding areas and away from the most important parts of a building or home.
Equipment is also an important concern, as agencies need to be prepared to check what is inside these letters and packages. Personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, and suits are required to keep agents safe at all times. It is also important to keep in touch with law enforcement, as some dangerous packages might contain items that require precision equipment to handle.
Having a mail room is the first step towards taking preventive measures to ensure a client’s safety. By setting this up, you’ll have the best location to screen all types of deliveries coming in and out.
Package Assessment
Once the mail room has been set up, a proper assessment process can be done. To ensure complete security, letters and deliveries sent must all be assessed beforehand for safety purposes. This step requires highly-trained personnel – as investigating a letter or package means looking out for different signs and elements that can cause suspicion. Depending on the content of the letter or package, this can take a significant amount of time, as agencies need to be sure that anything their client receives is safe and harmless.
Hiring executive security services ensure that you have these kinds of people keeping you protected from different kinds of threats. They also provide proper planning and strategy to ensure that your lifestyle will not be affected.
Assessing the Signs
Continuing the previous point, private security agents tend to look for signs that a letter or package is suspicious. Here are some of them:
- Misspelled words and other typographical errors
- Incorrect/Incomplete address
- Badly written fonts
- Excessive amount of stamps
- Leaking and discoloration
- Strong or strange odor
- Bulky or noisy content
- Dust or powder present
Should these signs be present in any package, informing law enforcement and securing them in a remote location is the best step to keep them from causing any harm. Assessment is an important security measure, and these signs tend to point out potential risks that your client might be exposed to.
Technology and Equipment
Modern private security provides agencies with the best equipment to handle different security and emergency scenarios. When it comes to mail room security, it is important to not only have protective gear, but also equipment that can scan and analyze letters and packages further.
This includes X-ray scanners, a separate air conditioning and heating system to prevent the spread of harmful agents, and mail imaging to improve package assessment. Having proper communication equipment is also important, as you would need to relay all emergencies and concerns immediately to your client and law enforcement. Security has become more complex over the past few years, and having the best technology on your side ensures as much safety as is possible.
Preventive Measures and Strategies
The biggest advantage of mail room security is that you can implement it within the whole private security plan. Agencies have created plans to ensure that clients remain unharmed. These plans are comprehensive and take a great amount of time to set up.
These strategies are designed to adapt to the client’s different lifestyles. Whether it be a lavish or private lifestyle, agencies know how and when to adjust and adapt their strategy to guarantee the best security available. The best private security will not only implement these strategies to keep clients safe during actual emergency scenarios, but also prevent them from happening in the first place.
Prevention is the most important step, as it ensures that the situation will not escalate and create more risks. By having a plan in place, clients remain safe at all times.
Key Takeaway
Private security is a huge matter, and making sure that risks and threats are prevented in the first place guarantees the client’s safety. By implementing a proper screening process for letters and packages, you can avoid any danger posed by these attacks, and ensure that appropriate measures are accomplished. Mail room security may only be one aspect of private security, but it’s just as crucial as any other protective measure.
Protect your Mail and Your World
An international security firm founded in 2001, WPG has a team of enforcers, investigators, analysts, and protection agents that number to almost 5000. These agents have backgrounds with the Secret Service, private sector security, and military protection.
With offices located in the United States, China, and Mexico, WPG ensures that we can protect our clients globally. With a clientele that includes high net worth families, political dignitaries, celebrities, and corporate executives, we are prepared for all kinds of security scenarios, and find ways to plan accordingly.
Personal security is a major need for some of the world’s most important people, and we at WPG will provide the best people that can do the job the best way possible.
