Physical Security in Scotland & Ireland

While touring Scotland and Ireland recently, I had the opportunity to observe physical security measures across both countries. I was impressed with the level of security that I observed, whether it was at the airports, the metropolitan areas, or the many locations that are frequented by tourists. What impressed me the most though is that it did not feel like security, and I would bet that most people did not even realize what I will describe below.  

As we toured the various cities throughout Scotland and Ireland, I realized that for much of the time that we were walking along storefronts shopping, or sitting at cafes having coffee, that we were actually being protected by bollards that separated roadways from pedestrian pathways. Some of these bollards had unique designs, like posts with horse head designs on top, or bollards shaped like cannons driven into the ground. To the causal tourist, these really appeared to be more decorative, although they served a very important purpose, especially these days. 

Some of these bollards blended in so well to their surroundings, that I realized that there were times when we had walked for hours, and were never exposed to the dangers of a vehicle-pedestrian incident, except for when we crossed the street, leaving the security of the bollards protective zones.

In areas where government buildings were present, they had placed a series of elongated concrete barriers that pedestrians could pass through, but would stop a vehicle if it had gained access to the sidewalk. If they needed to restrict pedestrian flow, they could place barrier arms onto these barriers, requiring the flow of pedestrian traffic to be directed through secured metal archways, that they had painted in bright art deco patterns, disguising them as pop culture, instead of a security measure.            

Those same elongated concrete barriers were placed along the edges of certain downtown roadways, and had K-rated swing gates that could be easily be deployed to restrict the flow of vehicles. 

Throughout both countries, cameras were everywhere. There were cameras installed on utility and traffic poles, the sides of buildings, along the perimeter of parks, and on the inside of buildings. I always wondered what it would be like being watched everywhere you go, but I saw an example of just how important these were as a tool. In one case there was a small fender bender, and judging at how fast both drivers got out of their cars, I doubt that either had called the police. Within a minute an officer was on scene, and gave the ‘thumbs up’ to the intersection camera. There was never a time that we felt unsafe walking around either country.      

One night we were watching a folk band playing traditional music at a local pub, and I noticed that there were a number of workers, dressed in their coveralls, coming in for coffee around midnight. I also noticed that they exchanged walkie-talkies with the bartender, who placed them into a charging station. I struck up a conversation with a sanitation worker that was taking a break, who was responsible for the immediate downtown area where we were at. He told me that every worker in the area, whether it be a bartender, a sanitation worker, or bus driver, had a walkie-talkie that they used to communicate, so that the police could be contacted in case of an incident. 

On another day we needed to exchange currency, so we visited a local bank. Upon entering the bank, you noticed a couple of impressive security design features. First, you walk into a plexiglass compartmentalized area that can only house 2-3 people, and required that the outer door be closed before the main lobby door could be opened. Once you walked in, you either went towards the ATM’s, or towards the teller area.

The ATM’s were mounted on three walls, and were spaced farther apart than we are accustomed to. There was a designated waiting area, spaced away from the ATM’s, where you were to wait until a machine became available, so there was no reason for anyone to be behind you. In the teller and ATM areas, and the plexiglass pre-lobby, the setback was far enough back where every bank employee and the security guard could observe you at all times. Obviously, within the plexiglass pre-lobby, if a group tried to barge into the bank, they would be limited to 2-3 people, and those same bank employees could lockdown the inner door. 

Throughout my travels, we observed small side streets and alleyways where decorative murals had been painted on the sides of well-lit buildings. Inevitably, down each of these pathways was a small pub or restaurant, which depended on this area being free from vagrants. The murals, meant to attract the attention of visitors, incorporated Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts to create locations where tourists would stop and take pictures, which garnered too much attention for a vagrant to set up camp there. And maybe the picture taker would take a break and visit their establishment as well.        

Although not physical security, I would be remiss if I did not mention how credit card transactions are processed in Scotland and Ireland. Over the last several years, I have personally had my credit card information stolen twice. I use a specific credit cards for certain expenses, so due to the card that was used, I knew that the card information had been stolen by someone in the service industry. 

While in Scotland and Ireland, every credit card transaction occurs in front of you, and the clerk, bartender, waiter/waitress, gas station attendant, never touches your card. They simply hand you a handheld credit card processing device, which always accepts cards with chips, and you enter tips (if applicable), and approve the amount. They never touch your card! To this day, most of the businesses that I frequent within the U.S. still do not use the chip reader.  

Lastly, I visited four airports during my overseas travels. As a seasoned traveler that takes over one hundred flights per year, all were noteworthy, but Edinburgh was simply impressive.

When you pull into the Edinburgh airport, you could see that security is a top priority. Permanent bollards separate pedestrian areas, and private vehicles are kept a safe distance away from the terminal. Automatic bollards and vehicle barriers are used to control commercial traffic near the terminal and are timed to not allow anyone trying to tailgate.  

As you walk into the terminal, it is open, and allows you to be casually observed by airport security. As you enter the security screening area, your tickets and passports are checked, and then you proceed down the lane, through the doors, and into a large open area. As you quickly navigate the roped lined lanes, you are eventually stopped by an employee, who watches the luggage loading conveyers that feed the x-ray machine process. You immediately notice that this entire screening area is very open, with they use glass walls to ensure that every employee is able to observe all passengers, no matter what area they are in. Every employee works their specific area, and never did I observe employees congregating.    

You remain a safe distance back before an employee directs you to a specific conveyer station, where instead on standing in line, you simply walk up to a numbered station. As you approach, a plastic bin pops up, and once you place your items in, you push it onto the conveyer. As soon as you do that, another bin pops up. Great use of simple technology! No long lines waiting for someone to haul a load of bins to the end of the conveyer.

I noticed that their staffing model is simple, and efficient. There is an employee assisting with the conveyor, an employee directing travelers through metal detectors, and a luggage X-ray operator. Then there are a few employees for post-screening if needed. 

After you walk through the metal detector, you pick up your luggage, and then can walk up to plenty of standing-height tables, so that you can get your luggage organized. Any luggage that is pulled out for additional screening is easy to locate through the glass enclosure, which is what happened to me. I had accidently left a small water bottle in my backpack, and they called me to the counter, where a young lady was working her post-screening station. She was pleasant, and brought up the picture of the x-ray and explained that there was something in a certain pocket that she needed to retrieve. She then turned the backpack towards me as she opened it, pulled out the water bottle, and then discarded it for me. I apologized, and was given my backpack.    

As I stood back and observed the efficiency of this operation, I observed an individual take a picture of the operation, even though there were signs that clearly identified that this was not permitted. As proof positive that these employees are watching, an employee immediately walked from behind a counter, sternly instructed the passenger to pull up the pictures, and watched as he deleted them in front of here. She then warned him about the regulations, and sent him on his way.   

As a security professional, I was just amazed at the level of efficiency and professionalism of the security team at Edinburgh, Scotland airport. The other airports that we visited were notable, but the Edinburgh, Scotland airport stood out. The working dynamics of the security screening at the Edinburgh, Scotland airport are something to be seen, and should serve as a model for others to follow. In all of the airports that we visited, I was impressed at how expeditiously international travelers were processed.

Anthony Hurley, MEP, CPP®, PCI®, spent 37 years in the electric utility industry before retiring as VP of Operations in 2017. He joined Witt O'Brien's, an international risk management firm, serving as Managing Director-Utility Practice. He is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP®), and a Professional Certified Investigator (PCI®). He specializes in Security Management and Emergency Management, and speaks to both topics on a regular basis. He can be reached via email (ahurley@wittobriens.com), or his mobile phone (216-554-0558).