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18. September 2019

News release

Family company owner Friedrich P. Kötter: “Security will become a very important location factor”

-> More than 120 participants discussed major challenges of urbanisation during the security conference STATE OF SECURITY at the Brandenburg Gate

-> Board of Directors of the KÖTTER Security Group: “Cities need integrated security solutions focused on prevention and networking between all key actors”

-> Florian Haacke, Head of group security at Innogy: “The energy sector is aware of its unique responsibility in defending against cyber attacks”

Berlin/Essen (18/09/2019). Violent excesses in public areas, the threat posed by crime clans, and cyber attacks against the energy supply: These are just three examples of the growing security demands specifically facing major cities. Yesterday, more than 120 participants discussed how these factors impact the attractiveness of a city as a business location and the subjective feeling of security among the population at the 6th “STATE OF SECURITY – Security conference at the Brandenburg Gate”, an event put on by KÖTTER Security und German Business Protection (GBP). 

Germany's largest cities are booming, and the trend is only going to continue. “On the one hand, this brings major opportunities for urban and economic development, while on the other hand posing huge tasks for municipalities, especially in terms of security”, explained Friedrich P. Kötter, Board of Directors at KÖTTER. Some of the causes for this include, for instance, the threats posed by extremism and organised crime, the formation of social hot spots due to deep social changes, tight public financial resources and the vulnerability of infrastructure due to advancing technical networking.

“We must rethink security, and we need integrated security management tailored to local, on-site requirements to do so” emphasised the Vice President of the Bundesverband der Sicherheitswirtschaft (BDSW - German Federal Security Industry Association). “Our focus is on intensive networking between police work and other private, public and social actors, as well as solutions that are forward-thinking when it comes to potential hazards”. The building blocks range from urban planning and district management to increased cooperation from agencies and service providers to the use of digital components. The focus is not simply on just adding cameras, but rather on the more intentional and specific use of the newest technologies in public spaces and by companies to avert crime through optimised prevention processes, and in advance whenever possible. 

“A broad-based security strategy like this, focused on prevention, likewise helps to increase objective security as well as the subjective feeling of security over the long term” said the security expert. Friedrich P. Kötter is convinced that “this means it is already a significant factor for cities, as the competition to entice companies and professionals to move to and remain in cities becomes ever more intense. This development will only speed up, so that security will become a very important location factor”.

Klaus Zuch (Senate Administration for Internal Affairs and Sports):
Security investments have an impact

Afterwards, Klaus Zuch, Department Manager of Public Security and Order in the Senate Administration for Internal Affairs and Sports for the city of Berlin, and Dr. Holger Floeting, research associate at the Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik – German Institute for Urban Studies, emphasised similar points. Klaus Zuch referred, for instance, to the continued great need for action specifically in the fight against organised crime. At the same time, he emphasised the reduction in criminality: “The numbers in Berlin have dropped for the third year in a row. Joint measures such as more police presence in the area, security partnerships between the police and service providers and increased investment in corporate security are having an effect. We must be consistent in continuing this trend”.

Dr. Holger Floeting underscored the large-scale societal approach to successful urban security. This includes more than just crime fighting and crime prevention by the police and regulatory agencies. Civil protection organisations, chambers and companies, the housing industry, trade, associations, and each individual citizen are called upon to respond in the face of increasing natural hazards, growing attacks on critical infrastructures and an increase in polarisation in wealth distribution. “Mobilising and coordinating these diverse actors is one of the greatest challenges” explained Dr. Holger Floeting.   

Dedicated innogy Training Centre for defending against cyber attacks
Florian Haacke, CSO/Head of Group Security at innogy SE, addressed the challenges for operators of critical infrastructures, focusing specifically on the issue of cyber security. “Since even a partial failure of our networks and systems can have direct effects on industrial production, telecommunication, utility supplies to private households, etc., we in the energy sector are aware of our unique social responsibility, for instance, in preventing and defending against cyber attacks” emphasised the Head of Group Security. Because of this, there are over 130 specialists responsible for security alone at innogy. “With the CyberRange-e, innogy has created a highly modern training centre for employees of grid companies and IT, to prepare them to detect and defend against cyber attacks on energy infrastructures. The training centre can also be used by other energy providers, municipal partners and security agencies” said Florian Haacke.

Panel discussions with other distinguished participants
The other challenges facing urban society were the focus of a panel discussion moderated by GBP Managing Director Dirk H. Bürhaus and State Secretary a. D. Fritz Rudolf Körper with Hermann Kühne (Head of Corporate Security at the Berlin Water Company (Berliner Wasserbetriebe)), Theo Veltman (Rainmaker Innovation and Program Manager of Innovation for the municipality of Amsterdam), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Fiedrich (Head of the Department of Civil Protection, Catastrophe Aid and Property Security at the University of Wuppertal) and Dr. Christian Lüdke, Managing Director of TERAPON Consulting GmbH, which is part of the KÖTTER Corporate Group.

New legal framework for the security industry / international Security
In addition, the role of the private security industry was another major focus. Ministerial Director Dagmar Busch, Head of the Department of “Federal Police Matters” at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community underscored its important function for domestic security, among other matters: “The federal government has reforming the legal framework for the security industry on the agenda for this legislative period to further reinforce this focus”. Friedrich P. Kötter specifically welcomed this goal: “The planned security law is extremely important for the industry. Hurdles to entering the market in Germany, especially, are lower than in almost any other country in Europe. Because of this, we need more regulation to increase quality across the board in our industry over the long term. This is also beneficial for new tasks and intelligent cooperation between the state and private industry”.
The variety of topics was rounded out by a speech from Brigadier General Michael Baumann, Vice President of the Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst - BND), on the international security situation. This is of key relevance, in particular, to Germany as a nation of exporters.

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