Behind The Uniform: The Colleagues Keeping the UK and Ireland Safe

A football stadium on matchday. The early shift at a supermarket. A concert crowd at a city venue. Children arriving for the school day. Different places, same purpose.

Across the UK and Ireland, OCS security colleagues work around the clock to help keep people safe. Some protect major events and public spaces. Others respond to alarms in the middle of the night, support vulnerable visitors, monitor critical infrastructure or help prevent crime in retail environments.

For International Security Officers Day, we’re shining a light on 8 colleagues whose stories offer a glimpse into the dedication, professionalism and care that security teams bring to their roles every day.

Meet Our Colleagues

Moazzam Ayaz, Security Duty Manager, Birmingham ICC

Moazzam’s journey into security began while studying for a degree in Human Resources and Management. What started as a part-time role with the NEC Group soon became a career. Over the years, he progressed from a casual security role to a campus protection officer position before stepping into his current role as Security Duty Manager at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC), where he has spent the last five years leading a close-knit team responsible for helping keep one of the city’s busiest venues safe and secure.

The ICC welcomes thousands of visitors each week through conferences, events, restaurants and public walkways. Alongside managing the daily security operation and supporting major events, Moazzam believes great security begins with excellent customer service, helping people feel welcome, supported and assured from the moment they arrive. Whether assisting visitors with accessibility needs or responding to incidents, he and his team pride themselves on being approachable and professional.

Living with significant hearing loss has given Moazzam first-hand experience of hidden disabilities. It has strengthened his awareness of the importance of treating every individual with patience, consideration and respect.

Doris Frimpong – Mobile Security Officer, Sutton Civic Centre

For more than seven years, Doris Frimpong has spent her evenings and nights helping to keep Sutton’s public buildings safe. As a Mobile Security Officer, she patrols a vast range of sites, from schools, libraries and NHS facilities to civic buildings and council properties, responding to alarm activations and acting as a keyholder during emergency incidents.

Working largely alone, Doris never knows what the next call will bring. One moment she could be securing a school for the weekend; the next, she could be responding to an intruder alarm, supporting emergency services at a fire incident, or dealing with reports of antisocial behaviour. It is a role which demands quick thinking, confidence and resilience. On one occasion, after responding to an alarm activation at a library, she found herself monitoring suspected intruders while waiting for police to arrive, helping prevent them from escaping before officers reached the scene.

Despite the challenges, Doris is known for her calm and approachable manner. Equipped with a well-worn notebook filled with years of wisdom, she has become a trusted source of knowledge for colleagues and customers alike. Whether speaking with school pupils or site managers, she believes building relationships is often the most effective security tool of all.

At 53, Doris continues to take on one of the most demanding frontline security roles in the business, proving that experience, professionalism and people skills are just as important as technology or equipment. Her dedication, attention to detail and willingness to step forward have earned the respect of colleagues across the contract.

Craig Lynch – Security Site Supervisor, Glasgow Sheriff Court

Craig has spent almost two decades working within the Scottish court system, building extensive frontline experience before stepping into his current role as Security Site Supervisor just over a year ago. Leading a team of 17 colleagues, many of whom have devoted decades of service to the courts, he is responsible for maintaining security, managing operations and working closely with court staff and on-site police to help keep everyone safe.

Based at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Craig and his team search every visitor entering the building, identify prohibited items and respond to a wide range of situations each day. They also help create a reassuring environment for people attending court, particularly vulnerable witnesses, and regularly receive positive feedback for the support they provide during what can be a difficult experience.

Away from his day-to-day duties, Craig is completing a First Line Management apprenticeship through OCS and plays a key role in carrying out security audits across more than 50 court sites throughout Scotland. He is passionate about developing his skills, supporting colleagues and encouraging others to take advantage of apprenticeship opportunities.

Joanne Lowe – Operations Support Manager, Crime Prevention

Joanne’s route into security was far from conventional. A former bar manager who led large teams at festivals across the UK, she entered the security industry four years ago after gaining her SIA licence. Since then, she has built experience across both events and retail security, supervised teams at major events including Glastonbury, completed a Level 3 Leadership qualification and recently secured a promotion to Operations Support Manager within OCS.

Today, Joanne supports crime prevention teams across 99 Morrisons stores spanning Northern England and Yorkshire. Acting as an essential link between frontline officers, management teams and customers, she helps ensure colleagues have the training, welfare support and information they need to succeed. She is passionate about developing others, advocates for her teams and believes strong support helps colleagues deliver the best outcomes for customers every day.

Caroline Lea – Security Officer, Everton FC

From welcoming visitors on stadium tours to protecting one of the most high-profile training grounds in English football, Caroline Lea plays a key role in helping keep Everton FC‘s people and places safe. Having joined OCS on a casual contract ahead of the opening of Hill Dickinson Stadium, she quickly became a valued member of the security team and now works across both the new matchday venue and Finch Farm, the club’s training ground.

On matchdays, Caroline is part of the frontline operation responsible for safely managing thousands of supporters entering the stadium. That means carrying out searches, scanning for prohibited items and helping fans navigate a brand-new venue. At the training ground, the focus shifts to access control: monitoring CCTV and ensuring only authorised personnel can enter a site that houses players, coaching staff, and club operations.

The role brings different challenges each day. Matchdays involve large crowds and heightened emotions, while the training ground requires constant vigilance to protect players and maintain privacy. Caroline knows that, for many supporters, security officers are the first people they meet, making every interaction an opportunity to create a positive first impression.

Before moving into security, Caroline spent 20 years in retail, developing a strong customer service background that she now brings to every shift. Whether speaking to lifelong Everton supporters, young fans or visitors touring the stadium for the first time, she believes helping people feel welcome is an important part of good security.

Leewayne Shumba – Security Officer, OCS Ireland

Leewayne plays an important role in helping keep operations moving safely at JMC, one of Ireland’s leading wholesale and distribution businesses. Based at the gatehouse, he manages the flow of vehicles entering and leaving the busy site, records vehicle details and helps ensure operations run safely and efficiently. As the main security presence on site, he supports colleagues, drivers and visitors throughout the day, helping maintain a safe and secure environment.

Leewayne joined Top Security, now proudly OCS, in 2002 as a mobile patrol driver before moving into site-based security roles. He has spent the last 15 years at JMC, building more than two decades of experience in the security industry. Originally from Zimbabwe, he moved to Ireland in 2001 and quickly found a career that suited his strengths. He enjoys the pace of the role, values the relationships he has built with colleagues and customers, and takes pride in helping keep the operation running smoothly.

The acquisition of Top Security by OCS has marked a new phase in Leewayne’s career. Learning more about the wider business and the opportunities available has given him confidence for the future as he continues supporting customers every day.

Thiago De Santana Silva – Security Guard, OCS Ireland

As a Security Guard at Sport Ireland Campus, Thiago helps keep one of Ireland’s busiest sporting venues safe and welcoming for athletes, visitors and colleagues.

Originally from Brazil, Thiago moved to Europe in 2019 and joined OCS in September 2023 after working in hospitality and construction, drawn to a career in security and the opportunity to protect people.

Sport Ireland Campus spans more than 10 buildings and hosts major sporting events, including Irish rugby training and national gymnastics competitions. Thiago patrols the site, secures buildings, manages access and supports emergency services when needed, helping them reach the right location quickly.

The most rewarding part of the role is helping people. Many visitors are unfamiliar with the campus, and Thiago enjoys providing reassurance and guidance. He approaches every situation with composure and respect, believing clear communication, staying alert and responding quickly are essential to helping people feel safe.

Shelley Chisholm – Retail Security Officer, Manned Guarding

Shelley brings more than two decades of security experience to her role supporting a retail supermarket in Inverness, but her approach was shaped long before she entered the industry. A former nurse, she moved into security and quickly discovered that many of the skills she developed in healthcare, including empathy, communication and staying calm under pressure, were just as valuable on the frontline.

Today, Shelley helps protect colleagues, customers and the wider community, dealing with everything from theft to antisocial behaviour. Preventing crime is an important part of her role, but she also focuses on building trust, showing compassion and helping people through difficult situations. Rather than seeing only the incident in front of her, Shelley looks for the person behind it, believing that understanding someone’s circumstances often leads to better outcomes.

That approach has had a lasting impact. Over the years, Shelley has built relationships with people who repeatedly came into contact with security, helping them make positive changes in their lives.

Her career has taken her across almost every corner of the industry, from football stadiums, festivals and film sets to offshore rigs and pubs. Today, she combines that breadth of experience with modern technology, using digital crime reporting systems to share intelligence with neighbouring stores and the police, helping teams respond more quickly to repeat offenders while maintaining a people-first approach.

Despite the challenges that come with frontline security, Shelley remains passionate about changing perceptions of the profession. She hopes more people, particularly women, will see security as a career built on communication, judgement and compassion as well as enforcement.

The People Behind the Uniform

Ask any of these eight colleagues what security means, and none of them will start with enforcement. They talk about people. Feeling welcome, feeling heard, feeling safe enough to enjoy the match, get through a difficult day in court, or simply do the weekly shop.

That is the version of security OCS colleagues deliver every day, on thousands of sites the public will never think twice about. Skilled, watchful, and human.

Today, on International Security Officers Day, we say thank you.