RIDS - Company Information

Richard Broom - RIDS Limited

Richard, who grew up and was educated in Oakham, Rutland worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and connected agencies for 17 years before he left to start Hidden Systems Limited in January 1997 and RIDS Limited in 1999. Richard also spent two years with British Telecom. Richard, who was originally a Merchant Navy Radio Officer, served three three-year Foreign and Commonwealth Office postings at British Embassies in Bangkok, Athens and Nicosia. He also spent several months in Ethiopia during the famine crisis in the mid-1980s. Early in the year 2000, Hidden Systems was officially closed an all Hidden Systems covert technical work was transferred to RIDS Limited.

A technical intelligence expert, Richard specialised in counter-terrorist and counter-illegal drug techniques and travelled to many parts of the world working with and training other law enforcement and foreign service agencies in an effort to counter terrorist attacks against British and foreign interests. It was during this period that Richard began developing covert audio and CCTV techniques for use in the battle against terrorists, drug runners and a host of other international criminals.

Although Richard's company was formed primarily to offer defensive covert CCTV and audio surveillance to customers, the company also worked, from the outset, on other CCTV and security systems and is closely involved with computerised CCTV vehicle monitoring systems and Security Systems in the east coast ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Immingham.

RIDS works extensively in UK ports and has project managed and/or installed multi-camera, remote transmission systems equipment in quarries in Leicestershire, engineering works in the Midlands and at tobacco warehouses in Nottinghamshire. RIDS is currently installing CCTV systems for a UK leading pharmaceutical company and has been actively involved in a computer based CCTV system installation project at the new Merrill Lynch headquarters in London. RIDS also carries out small-scale manufacturing projects and has manufactured CCTV transmission systems for Merrill Lynch.

In December 2001, the BBC asked RIDS to install a web camera on the top of the Christmas tree that was placed in Trafalgar Square. RIDS arranged for the images from the CCTV camera to be radioed away to the BBC via a radio repeater in the National Gallery. The images from the camera were available around the world from the BBC web site on the World Wide Web.

RIDS has also installed web cameras at Liverpool Football Club and Leicester City Football Club and, unusually, at a sewage works in Liverpool.

Since 1998 RIDS has worked with a Cardiff-based company, Imigix Limited, Baxall Limited, Axis Limited and with Sony (UK) Limited. These companies supply video and network (LAN/WAN) transmission equipment that can be used in security installations and both systems have video conferencing capabilities - a good example of two technologies combining to provide the customer with greater value for money. The Sony equipment is used to transfer video images across LAN and WAN links.

RIDS TSCM Service

RIDS provides a full Technical Security Countermeasures (TSCM) service - 'sweeping for bugs'. These surveys are carried out in order to detect, neutralise or 'turn' electronic eavesdropping devices. Eavesdropping devices are becoming ever more sophisticated. RIDS employs only the very best search tools in order to detect eavesdropping devices.

In mid 2001 RIDS began installing iris scanning equipment. The iris scanning equipment is used to positively identify staff members entering and leaving a client's premises. RIDS is also able to offer other 'biometric' systems such as facial and fingerprint recognition systems.

RIDS Test and Inspection Service

RIDS has become recognised as test and measurement specialists. RIDS are regularly invited to sites to carry out test and measurements on a variety of systems to ensure satisfactory and safe performance. As part of this service RIDS supplies a fully computerised portable appliance and electrical test service.

Richard is particularly keen to market and develop computerised CCTV systems: systems that allow the transmission of images and data across computer networks, telephone systems and the Internet.

RIDS Vehicle Tracking Systems

RIDS can now sell or hire satellite vehicle tracking systems to clients.

We can track any vehicle or cargo consignment in real time or supply a full daily itinerary of vehicle movements.

• User access to secure web site via pre-defined user name and password. The password will define the level of access the user has.
• Administration application to set customer profiles such as user name, password, vehicles that can be viewed.
• Web based screen displays.
• Select a vehicle function - displays last known position on map and in text output.
• Request a current vehicle position - sends instruction web page displays returned position data as above.
• Simple map layers to zoom into increased map detail.
• Ability to pan maps, display map locations, by a Place Finder search function.
• Ability to add multiple vehicles to display on single map
• Ability to show multiple maps via the same web page / new windows
• Diary and Event Management functions
• Vehicle service scheduling and management
• Text messaging
• Trip replay function to display historical vehicle position data over a specified time period both as a geographical map display and as a text report.
• Management reports detailing position data for vehicle or vehicles for specified time period.
• Capability to download text report data to customers PC for off line use in Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to drill down to additional database information such as map and user defined Points of Interest.
• On-Line Help File with Easy Mode operation with both download and display options.

Telephone Recording Systems

RIDS is now installing multi-line telephone recording systems.

These systems connect directly to either PSTN or ISDN telephone lines and all calls (in and out) are recorded on a computer hard disk drive for replay at a later stage.

The telephone recorders can be connected to digital telephone PABX exchanges. Fax messages can be recorded and printed at a later date.

For more details contact RIDS Limited.

RIDS Training Services

Whilst working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Richard designed and conducted a number of specialised training courses that were purposely designed to help Foreign Office staff and personnel from other law enforcement, security and intelligence services improve their security and counter-terrorist skills.

The courses RIDS offers fall into two categories - technical training courses and general counter-terrorist/intelligence led courses. RIDS conducts all the technical training courses but collaborates with two other UK based companies for the counter-terrorist and intelligence led courses.

The courses can be much modified and combined to suit a client's specific needs.

RIDS Technical Courses

Defensive Covert Technical Operations
How to prepare for, execute and maintain a defensive covert technical operation (law enforcement and government agencies only).

Security Equipment Installation Course
A course aimed at improving the skill level of security equipment installers. Also useful for senior security staff who are involved with the acquisition of security systems.

General Courses

• Counter-terrorist Techniques (military/intelligence training) - protecting commercial and industrial assets (law enforcement and government agencies only).
• Cash in transit and high value cargo security (military/commercial).
• Close Protection Techniques (military) - VIP protection.
• Defensive Driving Techniques (military) - protecting vehicles, personnel and cargo.
• Business Intelligence Course (commercial) - protecting businesses and corporations.

Please contact RIDS Limited for more details relating to training courses.

RIDS Site Cams

RIDS are now supplying 'remote access Site Cams' to clients.

Using network and telecommunications technology, RIDS can arrange for images from Site Cams to be delivered directly to a client's desktop computer anywhere in the world. This system has proved to be very popular with the construction industry.

The RIDS Site Cams have proved to be particularly useful when executives wish to monitor one or several sites in different parts of a country or the world from one or more locations. The installation of site cams (particularly with an incorporated bi-directional audio link) can save huge amounts of money in travelling costs. Some customers 'dial in' to site using laptops and personal digital assistant (PDA) computers whilst they are on the move. Images from the Site Cams can be sent directly to a web site using an Internet connection.

Site Cams can be either fixed or fully functional (pan/tilt/zoom) cameras. It would be possible for an executive sitting in an office or hotel in New York to control Site Cams in London (or vice versa). Incident Alarm inputs to the Site Cam system can cause images to be sent via e-mail or across a network to an executive's desk. Remote sites can be monitored for security or progress purposes. The possibilities are endless.

Structured Data Cabling, Fibre Optics & Radio Telemetry

RIDS installs structured data cabling systems with a view to becoming more involved in computer networking as CCTV and video conferencing systems become more integrated into computer network hierarchies.

RIDS installs, terminates and tests both single and multimode fibre optic cables.

RIDS installs a number of radio telemetry, radio command and control (RS232 RS485 etc), radio LAN and radio CCTV/Audio links for a variety of clients.

Security Consultancy

Richard recently returned from Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria where he has been carrying out a large-scale security consultancy projects with the government of the United Arab Emirates (TECOM, UAE), the Saudi Aramco Oil Company and the MTN (Nigeria) cellular telephone company.

With his depth of knowledge in the field of technical and physical security and his deep interest in video techniques, Richard is well placed to advise customers on security issues and enjoys responding to the challenges presented by the evolving world of CCTV, security and complementary technical services. Richard is particularly interested in developing techniques for using CCTV and video conferencing equipment across computer networks.

RIDS are regularly being invited to join projects as consultants. Because all RIDS staff work 'at the coal face' they are well placed to give advise based on first hand experience.

The specialised TSCM, covert CCTV and audio installation work carried out by RIDS calls for a high degree of specialisation, professionalism and integrity. Richard works very closely with customers to provide bespoke solutions to technical problems that cannot be always be solved by other means or by other companies.