As we move towards Christmas this is the point in the year where we all tend to wind down a little and focus on the festive build up. It is also the point where our environment becomes busier than usual. Extra lights on houses, visitors coming and going, unfamiliar cars in the street, delivery vans stopping at every other house, parcels being dropped off at all hours. All of this creates visual noise and it becomes easy to switch off. Normally one strange car or one person standing in the wrong place would stand out straight away. But at this time of year there is so much activity that the unusual becomes blended into the background. We are busy in our own heads and everyone around us is busy too. That combination often means we miss the small things that would normally alert us to a change in our environment. So as we start a new week this is a good time to reset with fresh eyes. Each morning take a very simple two second walk around the outside of your home. Look for anything that wasn’t there the night before. Footprints in the garden. A gate that wasn’t quite closed. A bin moved. A strange vehicle parked up. Anything that feels out of place. If you have put in extra lighting this year it will help a lot. If not then your awareness becomes even more important. Use that basic bodyguard mindset. Imagine you had a principal staying at your house and they were coming out within the next hour. Ask yourself who is around. What cars are on the road. Who is watching. What movement is happening at the end of the street. Think about it clearly rather than emotionally. The aim is not to become paranoid but to stay observant. Knowledge is power. It is far better to notice something early than to be forced into a reactive situation later. Prevention always beats reaction and ninety percent of prevention comes from simply paying attention. So start this week with intention. Fresh eyes. Clear awareness. Calm vigilance. A few seconds each morning can make all the difference as we head into the busiest month of the year.

As we move into the busy run up to Christmas this is a good time to tighten up a few basic safety habits around the home. December is full of extra clutter, extra electricals and extra fire risks, so a bit of preparation now will make life safer and calmer when everything gets hectic. Start with the fire alarms. Test every alarm in the house, replace any weak batteries and make sure they are all sounding properly. This is your first layer of protection and it takes less than a minute to check. Next look at your escape routes. At this time of year people move furniture to make space for the tree and without realising it they block a doorway or narrow a corridor. Walk through your home and make sure every exit is clear. Check that nothing is preventing a direct route from bedrooms to the front or back door. If the tree or presents are in the way, adjust them now before the big day arrives. We also see a lot of new chargers and gadgets being plugged in at Christmas. Many people charge items ahead of time so they are ready for Christmas morning. If you are doing this make sure it is done while you are awake and paying attention. Plug it in, leave it a few minutes, then hold the plug to check for heat. Run your hand gently along the cable to make sure it is cool and undamaged. Keep chargers in open areas, never under clothing or next to piles of wrapping paper, and do not leave unfamiliar chargers on overnight. Speaking of wrapping paper, keep control of waste as you go. Christmas paper is extremely flammable. Bag it up, keep it away from open fires and log burners and do not let it pile up around the living space. Every home should have a fire blanket and a small extinguisher, especially in the kitchen. Just as important is having a simple fire plan that every member of the family understands. Do a quick walk through. If a fire starts upstairs, how does the family get out. If it starts downstairs, what is the plan. If the stairs are blocked, what is the alternative. Where do you all meet outside. These drills take only a minute or two but they build calm confidence if anything ever goes wrong.

Visibility, Awareness and the Car to Home Zone December is one of the busiest, darkest and most distracted months of the year. People are rushing from work, doing Christmas shopping, driving tired, driving stressed and often not looking properly. That means we step up our Bodyguard mindset. HIGH VIS AND BRIGHT CLOTHING This is not fashion. This is personal protection. A driver at night will see: A child in dark clothing at the roadside at the very last second A child in light clothing slightly earlier A child in high visibility or reflective clothing from a safe stopping distance The visual difference between these three is dramatic and life saving. Simple rule. If you are outside after 4pm in December, you glow. High visibility strips, armbands, reflective trainers, bright jackets. Anything that forces attention and gives you time and distance. WALKING SAFETY THE BODYGUARD WAY Walk facing traffic where possible so you can see vehicles approaching and react early Eyes up, not head down No headphones or one ear only at low volume Nothing in your hands. No phones, no scrolling Hands free equals balance, reaction and self protection THE MOST HEIGHTENED SECURITY MOMENT Car to Building and Building to Car One of the most heightened security moments for professional bodyguards is when principals are extracted from buildings into vehicles and from vehicles into buildings. This is where you often see overt security with presidents, celebrities and public figures. We do not need overt security. What we do want is the Bodyguard mindset. When you are turning into your street, especially in urban areas, it can be worth doing a quiet drive past your house, going around the block and returning before parking. It is surprising how many people do not actually know what is at the top of their road because they never travel that way. The simple habit of driving around your local area regularly builds awareness. What you are looking for is anything out of place. Someone not doing what they should be doing. Someone sitting watching. A vehicle parked that feels wrong.

Dogs are brilliant for home security … but not in the way most people think. 🐾🔐 I’ve trained dogs for years including dogs with genuine protection work behind them and here’s the honest, positive truth: 1. A dog is a deterrent first, a defender second. Most family dogs aren’t trained to take on a determined intruder. They might bark, posture, even bite but when a very aggressive human really pushes in, many dogs will back off. That’s normal dog behaviour, not “failure.” 2. Barking is the superpower. Burglars consistently say a noisy dog is one of the things most likely to make them walk away. It ruins stealth and pulls attention fast. Even little yappy dogs can be absolute gold here. (Size helps, but noise helps more.) 3. A dog doesn’t replace locks and common sense. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t lock the door I’ve got a big dog”… that’s exactly the moment to tighten up your habits. Dogs add a layer. They don’t become the whole system. 4. Remember the legal reality. In the UK, owners can still be held responsible if a dog bites someone on private property with an exemption for true intruders inside the home. Gardens and driveways are a very grey area.. So we want dogs to keep our dogs safe, controlled, and not put in to impossible situations, unless trained specifically for security and guarding duties they are a member of your family, not the protector of the family. 5. Signage matters and can be very important, give keep it simple, Good signs: “Dog on premises,” “Please close the gate,” “Dogs running free.” Avoid signs that imply threat like “Beware” or “Guard dog,” unless you’re operating under the Guard Dogs Act 1975 and meeting those specific rules. The goal is awareness, not drama. A beware or guard dog sign could be seen as an admission that you own a dangerous dog.. 6. Build a real family safety system around your life and have your dog as part of that system. Remember for some criminals the dog is the target, dog theft is on the increase, So think about the basics

Right, guys we all love our homes, our families, our lives. But here’s the truth: safety and security don’t just happen by chance. They’re the result of planning, action, and consistency. Think of yourself as your family’s bodyguard not waiting for something to go wrong, but being ready before it does. 🔍 The Facts • Home-burglary statistics show ~ 266,489 recorded burglaries in England & Wales in 2024. • Missing persons: it’s estimated that in the UK over 170,000 people go missing each year.  • And here’s a telling stat: 28% of Brits report they don’t feel safe at home, with burglary and cybercrime topping the list of worries.  What this means: your home, your family, your everyday life are statistically vulnerable. But also you’ve got the power to reduce that risk significantly. Why Being Proactive Makes All the Difference • It reduces surprise: when you’ve got a security plan, a fire-escape route and a check-in system, you’re less likely to be caught off-guard. • It empowers your kids/family: your children see you act, they feel safer and become part of the plan. • It makes response faster: if something does happen (fire, missing child, break-in) you’re not scrambling you know exactly what to do. • It builds a culture of responsibility: safety becomes part of everyday life, not just another item on the to-do list. 🛡️ Actionable Ideas for This Week… • Home-security review night: Pick one evening this week. Walk around outside your home with a torch. Check all doors, windows, locks, lighting, sheds and tidy away summer garden furniture and items. (especially now it’s starting to get dark). • Family fire drill: One evening, run a pretend fire scenario (kitchen smoke alarm goes off). Everyone leaves by the exit you’ve agreed, meets at the outside point you’ve chosen. One person calls the emergency number (you or partner). • First-aid kit for the kids: Get a kit, label items (“cuts”, “burns”, “scrapes”, “fainting”), place it where everyone can reach. Spend 5 minutes showing your children what each item is for.