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G4S

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This article is part of the Center for Media & Democracy's focus on the fallout of nuclear "spin."

G4S (formerly Group 4 Securicor), based in the United Kingdom, formed with the merger of international security firms Securicor and Group 4 A/S (formerly Group 4 Falck). It is now one of the top security firms in the world, along with Sweden's Securitas. G4S runs prisons, transports cash, provides security guards, and installs security systems and surveillance devices. It operates in some 100 countries and has 470,000 employees. U.S. based Wackenhut is a subsidiary. [1]

G4s also provides hazardous material management, border security and cash management services. The company moves more than £300 billion in the UK each year.[2]

The company is owned 57.5% by the stockholders of the former Group 4 Falck and 42.5% by the stockholders of the former Securicor. The new company's stock steadily rose ending 2004. [3]

Contents

Contracts

  • For the first time in twenty years, the military may use private guards at bases in the US. Wackenhut is providing security at 18 bases in the US, including Fort Bragg and West Point. [4]
  • GS4 is heavily involved in Israel, where:
Through its Israeli subsidiary, G4S Israel (Hashmira), the company has provided equipment for Israeli-run checkpoints and terminals in the West Bank and Gaza including luggage scanning machines and full body scanners. The company provided security system for prisons for Palestinian political prisoners in Israel and in the West Bank, including the Ktziot, Megido and Damon Prisons in Israel and the Ofer prison in the West Bank.
The company also provided security systems for the Kishon ("Al-Jalameh") and Jerusalem ("Russian Compound") detention and interrogation facilities. Human rights organizations have collected evidence showing that Palestinian prisoners are regularly subjected to torture in these facilities.
The company also provided equipment to the West Bank Israeli Police headquarters, located in the highly contested E-1area next to the Ma'ale Edomim settlement, and the security services division of the company provides security services to various businesses in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[5]
  • In the UK, on December 20, 2004, Securicor Justice Services was awarded a five year contract, that begins in April of 2005, by the Home Office to provide escort and removal services for the Immigration & Nationality Directorate. [16] SJS is also supplying the Home Office with electronic surveillance services in England and Wales. [6]
  • Manchester, England, has awarded G4S a seven-year contract for all of its City Council guarding services. This includes protecting 50 sites and an Incident Response Service. [7]
  • On May 1, 2003, G4S was granted a five-year contract to provide base protection and security at Camp Bondsteel and Camp Montieth in Kosovo. [8]
  • Through the Wackenhut Corporation subsidiary they provide armed guards for for airports, nuclear power plants, US embassies, and prisons. The security services also include consulting for areas where guards are deployed, fire and rescue services and background investigations. Through Wackenhut Services they offer services such as facilities maintenance, hazardous material management, security and law enforcement, emergency preparation and response, and they provide border protection for the Office of Homeland Security. [9]

[10]

  • G4S has been in Nepal since 1996 guarding embassies and businesses from Maoist attacks.

[11]

  • In November of 2002, G4S was given the go ahead to offer security services to clients in China. Among their first clients were IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant and Raffles City, a huge complex in Shanghai. [12]
  • G4S provides security to many buildings, including the new mosque under construction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. [13]
  • The subsidiary, Cognisa Security, Inc., offers security consulting services to commercial and institutional clients in the US, transportation services, biometric technology installations, security guard training and staffing. [14]
  • G4S has been protecting the deep-water port at Zeebrugge, Belgium since 1986 [15]
  • Securicor subsidiary, Argenbright Security, controlled 40% of the US market for airport screening until late 2001 when they entered a plea agreement admitting to several violations in regards to hiring practices, audits, labor violations, and falsifying statements to federal regulators, giving them honors of one the worst companies in 2001, [17], fined $1.5 million, and resulting in loss of the contract at Boston's Logan Airport and Bedford's Hanscom Airfield in November, 2001. They also had operations at Dulles, Newark and Chicago's O'Hare airports. Argenbright was not operating security measures for the airlines of hijacked planes out of Logan on September 11, 2001.[18] Argenbright exited in 2003. [16]

Subsidiaries

Other Past & Current Clients

Board

Accessed July 2012: [19]

Personnel (2007)

Key executives: [20]

Selected members of the Board of Directors: [21]

Former personnel:

Lobbying Expenditures

As Group 4 Falck
Year Subsidiary (lobbied for) Amount Firm
2001 Wackenhut Services $160,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.
2002 Wackenhut Services $160,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

[19]

Business Services Industry
Year Subsidiary (lobbied for) Amount Firm
2003 Wackenhut Services $200,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.
2003 Wackenhut Corp. $200,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. ($120K); Barnes & Thornburg LLP ($80K)
2004 Wackenhut Services $380,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. ($200K); Federalist Group ($140K); Berman Enterprises; ($40K)
2004 Wackenhut Corp. $180,000 Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.
2005 Wackenhut Services $100,000 Van Scoyoc, Inc.

[20]

G4S spent $40,000 for lobbying in the first half of 2007, using the lobbying firm Duane Morris Government Affairs. [22]

Contact details

"The Manor", Manor Royal
Crawley
RH10 9UN, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-0-20-8770-7000
Fax: +44-0-20-7776-1301
Web: http://www.g4s.com

Resources and articles

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. ↑ G4S Profile, Hoovers, accessed September 2007.
  2. ↑ [1]
  3. ↑ [2]
  4. ↑ [3]
  5. ↑ Group4securicor (G4S), Who Profits, Accessed: 17 April 2012.
  6. ↑ [4]
  7. ↑ [5]
  8. ↑ [6]
  9. ↑ [7]
  10. ↑ [8]
  11. ↑ [9]
  12. ↑ [10]
  13. ↑ [11]
  14. ↑ [12]
  15. ↑ [13]
  16. ↑ [14]
  17. ↑ [15]
  18. ↑ Hashmira: 91% of company shares are held by Group4securicor (G4S)
  19. ↑ G4S Board, organizational web page, accessed July 2, 2012.
  20. ↑ The Executive Committee, G4S, accessed September 2007.
  21. ↑ The G4S Board, G4S, accessed September 2007.
  22. ↑ G4S lobbying expenses, Open Secrets.

External articles

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