Intelligence agency trains retail staff

Safety course teaches managers how to identify suspicious behaviour as a means to prevent terror attacks like this week’s tragic Kenyan mall attack

Around 700 shop managers in Copenhagen and Aarhus have been trained by the domestic intelligence agency PET to help identify potential terrorists.

According to Jyllands-Posten newspaper, the programme was offered in collaboration with Trygfonden, a charity that promotes public safety.

The goal of the classes was to prevent attacks similar to the one which claimed the lives of at least 60 people at a Nairobi mall this weekend.

READ MORE: Danish woman dodges Kenyan terror

“People need to take responsibility when things happen around them,” Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, a terrorism expert and the head of PET's department of preventative security, told Jyllands-Posten. “We teach people what to look out for when situations deviate from normal. For example if people are taking photographs of infrastructure or emergency exits. There is normally a good explanation so the next step is to find out why the people are taking the photographs.”

Dalgaard-Nielsen said the purpose of the training was to improve security, not scare employees.

READ MORE: 40 Danes trained by al-Shabaab

The classes also gave shop managers instruction on how to make emergency plans so that their staff knows how to behave in the event of an attack.

“If shots are fired, they need to know who should make a phone call and who should speak to the rest of the staff and customers. If there is a bomb, we know that many people get injured by flying glass and that can be prevented by installing security film on the windows,” Dalgaard-Nielsen said.




  • Employment in the green industry is growing

    Employment in the green industry is growing

    According to data from Statistics Denmark, employment in the green industry grew by an average of nearly 6% in one year. In some sub-sectors, this growth reached between 10% and 20%. These numbers make the green sector one of the fastest-growing in terms of employment in Denmark.

  • For the first time, Danish won’t be used in Folketing parliamentary work

    For the first time, Danish won’t be used in Folketing parliamentary work

    Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, a member of the Greenlandic party Siumut and a member of Parliament, said that she would use only her mother tongue during the Folketing’s question time sessions. As a result, Parliament decided to trial simultaneous interpretation.

  • Grand political drama continues over Chinese vessel in Kattegat

    Grand political drama continues over Chinese vessel in Kattegat

    In these hours, the involved countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and China, have been in continuous talks, about the possibility of investigating the ship, perhaps by boarding. 

  • Not without my ryebread

    Not without my ryebread

    If you want to learn more about the Danes, it’s a good idea to look at what they eat – and how they eat. A large study on Danish food culture points to rye bread for lunch and dinner, and hygge is associated with eating together. Even though fewer Danes do exactly that

  • An international living in Denmark is the world’s best teacher

    An international living in Denmark is the world’s best teacher

    The British Peter Tunna, an international working as a teacher at the North Zealand International School, won the ICA Teacher Awards. He is the first person from Denmark to achieve this. “You need to make an effort to integrate into Danish society and culture—you can’t just expect it to come to you or happen automatically,” he says.

  • How is Denmark addressing violence against women

    How is Denmark addressing violence against women

    According to a report from the Ministry of Justice, partner killing is the second most common type of murder, and women are victims in 83% of the cases, all of them killed by men. Regarding the gender gap, women earn, on average, 12.4% less than men. While Denmark is one of the safest places for women in the world, the issues are far from being solved.


  • Employment in the green industry is growing

    Employment in the green industry is growing

    According to data from Statistics Denmark, employment in the green industry grew by an average of nearly 6% in one year. In some sub-sectors, this growth reached between 10% and 20%. These numbers make the green sector one of the fastest-growing in terms of employment in Denmark.

  • The intuition trap: leading Danes in cross-cultural teams

    The intuition trap: leading Danes in cross-cultural teams

    Signe Biering, an executive coach trained in psychology with a background in diplomacy, explains how over-reliance on intuition in decision-making can hinder cross-cultural collaboration. She highlights Denmark’s cultural tendency to trust gut feelings and authenticity but warns of its risks in diverse teams. Biering advocates for leaders to challenge instincts, embrace differences, and balance intuition with analytical thinking to foster trust, collaboration, and growth.

  • “Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

    “Talents, start using AI tools now,” says Siri and Change.org founder

    In an exclusive interview with The Copenhagen Post, the founder of Siri and Change.org, and currently VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, gives young talents advice on how to deal with the job market changed by artificial intelligence.