Protecting Today’s Most Critical People and Places

What We Do

Public Safety

What We Do

For over two decades, Cooke & Associates, Inc. (CAI) has been a trusted partner to public safety agencies, the federal government, defense companies, and critical sites across the globe. With decades of cumulative security, investigative, law enforcement, and risk mitigation experience, CAI understands the risks facing today’s society and the value add of a successful protective services program.

Public Safety

What We Do

For over two decades, Cooke & Associates, Inc. (CAI) has been a trusted partner to public safety agencies, the federal government, defense companies, and critical sites across the globe. With decades of cumulative security, investigative, law enforcement, and risk mitigation experience, CAI understands the risks facing today’s society and the value add of a successful protective services program.

Our staff is comprised of active or retired law enforcement, fire, and military professionals who have extensive experience partnering with a range of agencies and defense sites to manage access and keep sites or incidents secure. Through strategic partnerships with local state and federal agencies, CAI provides essential support services and direct response teams.

Instead of the traditional whistle and flashlight, “warm body” in a security uniform, CAI personnel are professionals who understand the operational nuances of critical sites and incidents. Our team has extensive domestic and international experience and offers security solutions that enable our clients to focus on their objectives in a worry-free environment. CAI personnel have experience with basic and advanced security, incident command procedures, first aid, and law enforcement practices.

All CAI Protective Services Officers are smart, proactive and well trained, unobtrusive, and part of the landscape while at the same time forming an integral part of day-to-day operations. With a core foundation of tactical hard skills and a layer of responsive, customer service soft skills, our Protective Services Officers bring a commanding and reassuring presence that allows clients the freedom to concentrate on being productive and successful.

Our history of collaboration with government agencies has made our team well versed in today’s complex risks and allows them to augment law enforcement, secure critical sites, provide monitoring services and act as a crime deterrent. Our experience bridges the gap between private sector security and public agencies, supplementing core functions such as patrol, access control, and securing personnel. Our seasoned professionals are also adept in addressing more complex risks such as protests, natural and man-made disasters, wildfire base camps, point of origin scenes, and workplace violence/active shooter response.

Our staff is comprised of active or retired law enforcement, fire, and military professionals who have extensive experience partnering with a range of agencies and defense sites to manage access and keep sites or incidents secure. Through strategic partnerships with local state and federal agencies, CAI provides essential support services and direct response teams.

Instead of the traditional whistle and flashlight, “warm body” in a security uniform, CAI personnel are professionals who understand the operational nuances of critical sites and incidents. Our team has extensive domestic and international experience and offers security solutions that enable our clients to focus on their objectives in a worry-free environment. CAI personnel have experience with basic and advanced security, incident command procedures, first aid, and law enforcement practices.

All CAI Protective Services Officers are smart, proactive and well trained, unobtrusive, and part of the landscape while at the same time forming an integral part of day-to-day operations. With a core foundation of tactical hard skills and a layer of responsive, customer service soft skills, our Protective Services Officers bring a commanding and reassuring presence that allows clients the freedom to concentrate on being productive and successful.

Our history of collaboration with government agencies has made our team well versed in today’s complex risks and allows them to augment law enforcement, secure critical sites, provide monitoring services and act as a crime deterrent. Our experience bridges the gap between private sector security and public agencies, supplementing core functions such as patrol, access control, and securing personnel. Our seasoned professionals are also adept in addressing more complex risks such as protests, natural and man-made disasters, wildfire base camps, point of origin scenes, and workplace violence/active shooter response.

Services

What We Do

Our Services

Public Safety Backgrounds

A complete background investigation is the very heart of the pre-employment selection process. When hiring public safety personnel who require the highest level of trust, it’s imperative that a thorough, unbiased investigation be conducted—to reduce future personnel problems and potential negative exposure.

At CAI, we’ve developed an industry-leading background process based on decades of law enforcement experience. For over 20 years, we have conducted thousands of backgrounds for law enforcement, fire service, first responder civilian employees, and local municipalities.

Each of our POST-trained investigators have had public safety careers as well as experience conducting backgrounds while in uniform. Our investigators are intimately acquainted with the needs of public service agencies, as well as the unique hiring challenges facing those agencies that need to recruit the most qualified personnel to serve their communities. To ensure that we remain compliant with the most current regulations and deliver the most accurate background, our investigators participate in continual training.

At CAI, our background investigations not only meet POST requirements but are tailored to the specific needs of each individual agency. This is accomplished through pre-investigation meetings with each agency to identify both desirable and unacceptable applicant attributes. The investigation is conducted with these standards in mind.

In Custody

The hospitalization of suspects poses a significant challenge to law enforcement agencies. Many departments face the difficulty of balancing 24/7 monitoring of an injured suspect, minimizing the impact of this overtime on the department budget, all while trying to maintain the requisite staffing levels on the street. With staffing levels dwindling, the reallocation of officers to stand guard in a hospital redirects the officers’ street time, decreases public safety and adds financial strain to already limited department budgets.

Our staff of experienced, law enforcement professionals will help departments monitor hospitalized suspects, reduce associated overtime costs, and create the opportunity for a more efficient allocation of resources. This reallocation of resources will allow for the deployment of officers back to the street where their expertise is needed to protect the community.

Disaster Support Services

In today’s ever-changing environment, the size and complexity of disasters and critical incident command posts, fire camps, and crime scenes have grown substantially. In the last five years, the average ICP has increased in size to several hundred acres, with multiple locations, thousands of pieces of equipment and personnel, and support staff exceeding 3,000 people. Within these “small cities” are valuable pieces of equipment and sensitive financial and employee information. Often, an ICP/Base Camp will utilize a public venue or shared space with public access. As a result, ensuring the safety and security of personnel and equipment at these sites poses a significant challenge to public safety agencies.

CAI supports nationwide locations such as:
  • Fire Camps, ICPs and Heliports
  • Natural Disasters
  • Crime Scenes
  • Critical Incidents
We work with:
  • Hired Equipment Managers
  • Arson, Robbery & Homicide Investigators
  • Local State and Federal Disaster Relief Agencies

Critical Site Security

For over two decades, CAI has been a leader in critical site protection for local, state, and federal agencies as well as multinational corporations. Unlike the typical observe-and-report security guards, our highly skilled Protective Services Officers are trained to be a tactical proactive deterrent with the ultimate goal of defeating an adversary seeking to comprise a critical site.

CAI Protective Services Officers safeguard employees, facilities, assets, and technology for locations such as:
  • Defense Manufacturing Sites
  • Critical Infrastructure
  • Solar Farms
  • Aerospace Companies
  • Gas and Oil Fields
  • High-Value Construction Sites

Patrol Support & Crime Deterrence

Through strategic partnerships with municipalities, Cooke & Associates, Inc. provides local law enforcement and emergency response forces with essential support services and direct response teams. Our history of collaboration with public safety agencies has made our team well versed in today’s complex risks and allows them to augment law enforcement, secure business, shopping and residential districts, provide monitoring services, and act as a crime deterrent.

Our highly trained staff comprised of active or retired law enforcement, fire, and military professionals, offers a unique partnership and unmatched experience. Our extensive experience bridges the gap between private sector security and public agencies, and in addition to core functions such as patrol, access control, and securing personnel, our seasoned professionals are adept in addressing more complex risks such as protests, securing point of origin scenes, workplace violence and active shooter incidents.

Public Safety Background
01
In Custody
02
Disaster Support Services
03
Critical Site Security
04
Patrol Support & Crime Deterrence
05
Difference

Limitless

CAI Difference

Team

Our Team

Who We Are

Harry Arruda

CEO

Over the past three decades, Harry has served foreign presidents, political figures, internationally recognized corporations and their brands, sports figures, celebrities, and other prominent and at-risk members of the community. He has worked in the corporate security, investigations, and executive protection arena serving in various roles such as Global Security Director for an international Life Sciences company, and Regional Security Manager for The Americas, Europe, and the Middle East for a globally recognized financial organization. In addition, he has served as a liaison between Fortune 500 corporations and various government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Food and Drug Administration, and OSHA.

Throughout his career, Harry has received highly specialized training from both government and private agencies. He is a graduate of Wharton University’s Security Executive Program, both the Department of Justice and R.L. Oatman & Associates’ Dignitary Protection programs, as well as formal law enforcement training from various Federal, state, and local agencies. Harry has been a guest speaker for various organizations and interview by various global media outlets. Harry is an internationally recognized Certified Business Continuity Professional.

Chief Brian Brady (Ret.)

Executive Director

Retired Chief Brian Brady is Cooke & Associates, Inc.’s Executive Director in charge of Public Safety Backgrounds where he leads the background department to provide public safety partners with the most detailed, P.O.S.T. compliant backgrounds. He is an accomplished law enforcement and security professional with over 30 years of experience serving the law enforcement communities of both California and New Mexico. In 1982, he joined the Novato Police Department as Captain of both the Operations and Services and Administration Divisions. Brian was then appointed Chief of Police, where he was responsible for leading a department of 100+ employees and delivering police services to over 55,000 residents.

Committed to the principles of community policing, Brian assisted in the development of the city’s first Police Advisory and Review Board and the Multi-Cultural Oversight Committee. In 2004, U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey recognized Chief Brady’s work at the Capitol in Washington; “Brian Brady’s inclusive vision for police work promotes the best in our communities.”

Capt. Robert Durr (Ret.)

Operations Manager

Robert Durr is Cooke & Associates, Inc.’s Manager of Operations where he coordinates and manages all aspects of CAI’s Protective Services and Public Safety Support.  Prior to joining CAI, Robert spent over 3 decades in law enforcement with the Santa Clara County Sherriff’s Office eventually retiring at the rank of Captain. He obtained an Associate of Arts Degree from West Valley College and completed his Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) training at Evergreen College. In his professional capacity, he has undergone extensive training in a variety of areas and has extensive practical work experience with local, state, and Federal agencies.

Robert is fluent in Arabic and his diverse skillset includes such areas as intelligence operations, surveillance, counterterrorism, dignitary protection, and tactical/defensive driving. Robert is highly motivated, driven and takes a hands-on approach when developing and streamlining strategic operations. He prides himself on adaptability, creative problem solving, attention to detail, communication, analytical skills, and successful outcomes. Robert is an active member of several professional organizations which allows him to remain attuned with current and future developments in the field. He excels in leadership positions and brings passion, knowledge, and a depth of experience often unmatched in the industry.

Mark Ligouri

Director of Operations

Mark Ligouri is Cooke & Associates, Inc.’s Director of Operations where he coordinates and manages all protective assignments. Mark is a seasoned law enforcement professional who holds over 29 years of experience with one of California’s largest police departments and has 35 years of professional security industry experience. During his tenure in law enforcement, he’s worked as an investigator, training officer, and large-scale event coordinator.

Additionally, he served 15 years as a Regional Security Manager where he worked with high-profile executives and many internationally recognized brands in Silicon Valley. Mark has managed protection details for three former U.S. Presidents and several United Nations’ events. Mark’s vast experience working in every aspect of law enforcement and protection has helped him develop a deep understanding of the security industry and how it can be applied in corporate and public environments without being intrusive and overbearing.

Ann Begun

Background Administrator & Office Manager

Ann Begun is CAI’s Background Administrator, Office Manager, and the glue that keeps our operations on track. Ann received her Juris Doctor Degree from UC Berkeley School of Law and has an extensive legal background spanning over 30 years. Because of Ann’s strong attention to detail and meticulous organizational skills, many firms have relied on her to work with government agencies, manage regulatory-compliant document control systems, oversee process and control procedures for various types of operations and support regulatory audits as a Subject Matter Expert.

Since 2019, Ann has been the driving force behind our Public Safety Background Program allowing us to be the best in the industry. Combining her California POST Background Investigator Certification and her day-to-day interactions with applicants and public safety agencies, Ann’s expertise in backgrounds has allowed us to monitor trends and continually evolve our program to be an industry leader.

Harry Arruda
01
Chief Brian Brady
02
Captain Robert Durr
03
Mark Ligouri
05
Ann Begun
06
Testimonials

Testimonials

Our Client’s Words

Several years ago, I was a law enforcement reference for a Police Officer Recruit Applicant. During my interview with the CAI Background Investigator, I was impressed with their line of questioning and obvious goal of ensuring the applicant was the right fit for the department they applied for. A few years later when I was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to Personnel and Training Sergeant, I had the opportunity to use Cooke & Associates Background Services for an upcoming academy. To date, I continue to use them whenever possible and have recommended them to several other agencies who have been just as impressed as our agency.

T. Roche, Captain

During the worst fire season in California history, we utilize CAI’s Disaster Support Services up and down the state. I cannot praise this company enough for their level of professional service. They are much more than your standard security company.

D. David Battalion Chief

As policing has evolved in recent years, department resources have become extremely limited. Because of our experience with Cooke & Associates conducting public safety backgrounds, we knew they employed retired LEOs. Due to staffing issues in early 2018 we turned to them to conduct overwatch of an injured homicide suspect. Their team showed up within a few hours of the initial request and conducted 24×7 overwatch of the suspect for several weeks. Because of this, we were able to keep officers on the street and not tie up resources. Since then, they have become a trusted partner for our agency.

T. Valdez, Lieutenant

Some 18+ years ago as newly appointed Security Manager for a multinational defense systems manufacture, I utilized a contract security provider for our Executive Protection needs. The agent assigned to our CEO at that time was now Cooke & Associates CEO Harry Arruda.

In 2020, we turned to the men and women of Cooke & Associates, Inc. to keep several of our base camps and heliports safe and secure. Their response time was fast, and their staff and resources helped us in some of the most remote areas in our state. They did an incredible job, and their team of experienced professionals understand public safety and exceeded our expectations.

M. Jacobs, Western Region Hired Equipment Supervisor

Impactful Relationships

Affiliations

Cooke & Associates is actively engaged in a number of industry groups and professional associations, allowing us to remain ahead of emerging threats, technologies, and industry best practice.

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Careers

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It takes exceptional people with diverse skills and backgrounds to provide security services to our global clients. We are always looking for passionate industry professionals whose core values align with our mission to join our team.

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