Patrolling

The watch patrol can take a trip around the airport ground outside the fence and outside the terminal area from time to time to check that all is OK.

Patrolling around the terminal and garage area have to be cleared with airport security.

 

When you are patrolling the airport ground, there shall always be min 2 persons that walk or drive together, you never walk alone. The risk of getting in a dangerous situation is small but it's for the general safety that we do this. And it depends on the country how safe it is around the airports.

The things that the watch patrol is looking for is.

  • Bags or other luggage that are left behind
  • People that act suspicious (can be criminals)
  • Other things that can be of interest.
  • All types of crime.
  • Missing persons
  • Help people that take contact whit you.

On big airports will we set up a base station that coordinate this watch and keep track of the patrols that are active and keep track of where they are. Plus keeps the contact between the watch personnel and the airport police.


This is something that we will look in to, this central is not permanent so we have to look in to how we can do this, the easy alternative is to use a camping wagon or a RV (Recreational Vehicle) for this, so we can move it away
in the weekdays or when the season is over.
This central will be a place the personnel can meet up and take a brake between the patrolling and plane spotting.

Before Each Patrol Shift

Have at least two people to patrol Ensure you have equipment needed:

  • Video recorder

  • Pen

  • Paper

  • Forms

  • Flash light

  • 2 way Radio/Walkie talkie 

  • Phone (Zello)

Have and keep a log of activities of patrol (who you talked to, where you patrolled, etc..)

Notify someone in charge of your start and end time

 

Watch leader

Call or E-mail Airport police/security and notify them of how many are patrolling, who is patrolling on foot, bike, or car.

Location of patrolling, and contact info.

Patrolling Techniques

Types of patrolling

  • Foot patrol

  • Vehicle patrol

  • Bike patrol

Patrol in pairs

  • Safety

  • Motivation

  • More eyes

  • Show of force

Vary times, locations, and patterns.

  • Select likely times of activities.

  • Patrol locations of incidents.

  • Walk or drive in random patterns

Uniforms

  • Wear at least a bright coloured T Shirt or a High Visibility vest

  • Sends message to criminals

  • Shows organization

  • Lets passengers and visitors feel safe and may get involved

Patrolling Tools

  • 2 way Radios
  • Cell phones
  • Flash lights
  • Pen and note pad
  • Camera (video or still)

Being A Good observer

  1. Look for out of place vehicles, people, activities…

  2. Things that make you go… Hmmmm!!!

Don’t get involved, Watch and report

An independent third party witness is more credible and believable.

  • Don’t try and physically stop anything.

  • Don’t become involved in an argument.

  • Don’t put yourself or anyone else in harms way

Keep a patrol log of each shift

Camera’s – Cell phone, still, video. Write a short report of what have happen on the patrols.

 

Pen and paper – write down notes of an ongoing incident, or to record a suspect situation that may be important at a later date. Can write your own notes or have pre printed field rapports.

Accurate account of times, actions, and descriptions

Who - Names, descriptions, license plate

 

What - What happened, what took place, what was used

 

When - Times (time of day, date, duration)

 

Where - Location of incident, direction of travel, place hidden

 

Why/How - Manner in which happened, reason for action


See it, Hear it, Report it!

The program focuses on identifying suspicious activity and resolving matters with a real-time response. The initiative, based on the well-known ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ program, encourages people working or conducting business at airports to more easily identify and report suspicious behaviour to the Police.

 

The longevity of the Neighbourhood Watch program proves its success and to bring a similar initiative into the airport environment will be very beneficial, reminding everyone that they play an important role in keeping the Airport safe.

 

Airport Watch is a community based concept that requires local direction in accordance with the specific requirements of each airport location. The key to an effective and sustainable community based Airport Watch program is the active engagement and participation by businesses and staff within the aviation stream.

 

Airport Watch supports the countering of terrorist activities. It is central to both regulated aviation preventive security and to law enforcement. It leverages existing and emerging best practices and processes for intelligence, law enforcement, preventative security and infrastructure protection. Through information sharing, as well as analysis and investigations, it enhances Australia's aviation preventive security regime.

 

The purpose of the Airport Watch Program is to detect persons or aircraft involved in the transport of contraband, or involved in terrorist activities. This is done through the RCMP establishing close liaisons with the aviation community similar to Neighbourhood Watch. Learning the indicators of suspicious activity, collecting accurate and specific details of observations and then that information to the Airport Watch Program in a timely manner will go a long way in fortifying the security of our airports, aircraft, and ultimately our community.

How to recognise suspicious activities in airports

Profile of a suspicious aircraft

  • Flying without appropriate lights or landing after normal hours
  • Windows covered in paper or tape so you can't see inside
  • Removed or altered registration numbers 
  • Modified so it can carry a heavier load
  • Seats, etc., may be cleaned out of aircraft to allow for extra fuel or freight capacity
  • Plane sitting tail down when extra heavy
  • Door hinges changed to allow easier unloading of freight

Profile of a suspicious pilot

  • Seldom talks of flights taken. May seem anxious to resume flight while plane is being serviced
  • Reluctant to provide ID (e.g. pilot's licence, medical certificates, aircraft records, etc.)
  • Reluctant to allow others in or around aircraft
  • Operates expensive aircraft with no apparent means of affording it and/or no regular schedule
  • Rents hangar for one month at a time, pays cash, and uses out-of-province address, or post office box number
  • Generally pays cash for aviation services (fuel, etc.) and requires no receipts

Suspicious activities

  • Landing on rural runways, fields or lakes
  • Landing on a hidden runway after normal hours
  • Landing using runway markers (strobe lights, hand lanterns, flares, temporary markers, etc.) that may be left behind
  • Being met by persons and vehicles
  • No flight plan. Flight plans must be made for all flights. They can be filed with family members, friends or airports. Transborder flight plans must be filed with local international airports. Arrangements must be made for Customs officials to meet the plane, and planes can only fly into airports serviced by Customs
  • Inadequate or missing documents for aircraft (e.g. registration, modifications, safety, etc.)
  • Lack of maps or charts showing most recently declared flight path
  • Presence of maps and charts from source and trans-shipment countries

If it's suspicious, report it. Contact the Airport police

Do not approach suspicious individuals or ask them questions.

Report any suspicious activity by calling Local police or Airport police

 

Give any information you have on:

  • aircraft (description, size, colour, flag, location, etc.)
  • suspicious individual(s)
  • licence numbers, visible markings, registration details
  • the nature of activities you have observed
  • times and dates of occurrences

Your observations, jugement and knowledge of the area are very useful. If something seems suspicious or abnormal, let us know.