• home
• contact

During his eight enjoyable years with the force serving at Torquay, Plymouth (Charles Cross), Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, John received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for the number of arrests he made and crimes he detected, was the runner up for the annual Ada Murran cup for community policing and a St John Ambulance Brigade’s meritorious first aid award for saving the life of an extremely fit and violent man who had slashed his wrists.

Wishing to fulfill an ambition to operate his own local security business John left the police in 1987 to form Securewest.

With a concept of providing nothing short of a professional security service employing former police, armed forces and prison officers who had left their respective service with exemplary references, his UK operation quickly expanded into to being one of the largest owner/managed independent security companies in the UK with many prestigious clients.

In the mid nineties the standards set by John were recognised when he was honoured to be invited to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons (Parliament) after which he was regularly consulted on industry regulation issues by the (UK) Home Office and the (UK) Association of Chief police Officers (ACPO).

This very successful company was sold at its peak in 2000.

So when did the international operations commence?

In 1988 four United States Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships visited Torbay (South West England) and Securewest was awarded the contract to provide security, the start of a very long and close association with MSC.

In 1995 these ships were re deployed on a permanent basis from the USA to Europe and the renamed Securewest International provided permanent security riding teams. This service expanded to other similar ships in Guam and Saipan in the Pacific in 1996, which also saw the start of the company’s successful land based operations on the islands, further expanding to the United Arab Emirates.

Realising a need for quality and reliable manpower and with the downsizing of the (British) Brigade of Gurkhas with the hand back of Hong Kong in 1997 John opened a Gurkha recruiting centre in Kathmandu the capital of Nepal the same year.

These brave and loyal men have been a huge asset to Securewest International’s expansion in to, what is now one of the world’s largest specialist maritime security companies which provides a full range of security services, to many well known maritime companies, supported by its offices in the UK, USA, Singapore, Saipan and Nepal.

One of John’s greatest challenges was to successfully provide, an additional 150 Gurkha and former British Armed forces personnel within a very short period to over 20 MSC vessels worldwide after ‘9/11’.

John considers it a great privilege to serve MSC and the United States, he has been publicly recognised for his services to it at important events in Washington, at one the Joint Chief of Staff was present.

Now semi-retired from the business, John is a Trustee and Chairman of the Public Relations and Fundraising Committee with the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, Chairman of the Slapton Sands Memorial Tank, a memorial to the Second World War tragedy off the coast of Devon, involving almost 1,000 American servicemen who lost their lives and the primary sponsor of St Mary’s School in the Indian Himalayan foothills north of Darjeeling.

John’s personal interests (that he can write about here!) include travel, often to off the beaten track places such as Afghanistan, Mustang in the Himalayas, French Polynesia to mention just a few, wine both for enjoyment and investment, current and international affairs, Winston Churchill, politics, India, USA, policing, terrorism, observing life and old British black and white films to mention just a few.

Some highlights in his life.

A private audience with the Dalai Lama, having the friendship of the great actor Sir John Mills, meeting Margaret Thatcher over lunch, visiting Afghanistan with the highly respected reporter and presenter of News at Ten, Sandy Gall, who is also a friend, and for four years having Police Horse 142 Jupiter from the Metropolitan Police for his well deserved retirement.

For more information please visit www.johncasson.com