ARIEL BENJAMIN MANNES

Ariel Benjamin Mannes, MA, CPP, CESP is a Philadelphia-based expert in investigations, homeland security, exam integrity and public safety. His work and team building initiatives have impacted private, nonprofit, law enforcement and public sectors for over two decades. As a consultant, Mannes brings a combination of education and experience to his clients and offers objective assessments of risks, threats, and exposures to liability. He also offers planning and training services for clients to secure their physical and intellectual assets.

Mannes grew up in-between New York City and Los Angeles. Seeing the crime in his communities, he was drawn to do something for his community. He found his calling at an early age, knowing by age sixteen that he wanted to be in law enforcement. At seventeen, he had early acceptance to New York’s John Jay College of criminal justice and at age eighteen, he became a Special Police Officer with the City of Long Beach, NY.

While attending college, Ariel Benjamin Mannes became an Auxiliary Police Officer with the NYPD. In 1997, he was hired as a Federal Police Officer by the US Federal Protective Service (FPS). He served on the New York Terrorist Trials Operations Command, a joint venture set up by the US Marshals Service, NYPD, Bureau of Prisons and FBI in response to the 1993 World Trade Center, Khobar Towers, Olympic Park and twin embassy bombings. For two and a half years, he served on special security details throughout the trials of several terrorists, to include “Blind Sheik” Omar Abdel Rachman and the first indictments of Usama (or Osama) bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders.

In the Summer of 1999, Ariel Benjamin Mannes joined the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; and was subsequently assigned to the high-crime Sixth District Substation in the Anacostia section of Southeast Washington and for the nationally-recognized Civil Disturbance Unit on regular large scale details like the Y2K preparedness efforts, annual major protests of the World Bank & International Monetary Fund meetings, Presidential protection and other special events. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, he was once again called to serve in a homeland security capacity, being detailed to the District’s Joint Operations Command Center; where he served on and following the 9/11 attacks as well as on the DC-area sniper task force of 2002 and other intelligence-led policing assignments. He was also certified as the Department’s Master Instructor in the Community Antiterrorism Training Institute’s CAT Eyes Program, and later became the program’s National Training Coordinator and Threat Assessment lead where he trained other CAT Eyes instructors in Boston, DC, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia; as well as conducting threat assessments, training and security planning for the Coach USA surface transportation networks serving tour buses, commuter coach and NJ Transit municipal bus operations throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

In 2004, during his tenure in Washington D.C., Ariel Benjamin Mannes was assigned as an Intelligence Analyst for the Highway Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) in a joint partnership between the American Trucking Associations and US Department of Homeland Security. In this capacity, he worked at the Transportation Security Operations Center (TSOC), which traces security incidents occurring on all modes of transportation in the United States. The following year, Ariel Benjamin Mannes was recruited to the rank of Inspector in the position of a Surface Transportation Security Specialist for the Transportation Security Administration, assigned to one of the nation’s first Rail Security Inspection teams. In this role, he personally monitored classified homeland security intelligence and conducted inspections for the MARC/Maryland Commuter Rail System, Baltimore Subway/Light Rail, Washington-Area METRO, AMTRAK Northeast Corridor, Virginia Railway Express and Norfolk Southern Rail Lines throughout D.C., Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. In addition, he served in Emergency Management capacities during hurricanes Katrina & Rita.

In 2006 and 2007, immediately following the resolution of an issue with DC Government, Mannes served as a senior consultant for an Israeli-American homeland security technology firm, working on large-scale emergency management & homeland security projects for public safety agencies in Columbus, OH, Los Angeles, and the Greater Philadelphia area. It was in this position that he fell in love with Philadelphia, and sought employment to relocate there. It was then that Ariel Benjamin Mannes was reinstated to service with the Metropolitan Police Department which enabled him to begin his transition into civilian life.

From 2008 to 2017, he served as the Director of the Office of Investigations with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He oversaw public safety, emergency management, exam integrity and investigative initiatives for North America’s largest medical specialty board, with over 225,000 physician stakeholders practicing worldwide, multiple corporate vendors and over 200 internal employees. While at ABIM, he established policies and led procedures concerning theft, fraud, and cheating as it relates to the board certification process. Ariel Benjamin Mannes’ work in exam integrity investigations has earned him recognition as one of a handful of subject matter experts in exam integrity investigations worldwide.

Ariel Benjamin Mannes now serves as both a consultant and subject matter expert in operations and management. As a TWIC-cleared consultant, Mannes assists clients and organizations in establishing the best way to secure their physical and intellectual assets. He has consulted with the American Board of Medical Specialties, Association of Test Publishers, Caveon Test Security/Institute for Exam Security, Paradigm Testing and SERAPH, to name a few.

Mannes has developed assessments, plans and policies for political candidates, faith-based communities, property managers, hotels and business professionals, as well as numerous testing organizations, state education departments, school districts, venue managers and a college. In addition, he has contributed to his community by speaking professionally about public safety, homeland security, intellectual property protection and public integrity.

Ariel Benjamin Mannes is a member of the Peirce College criminal justice Studies Advisory Board and has also worked with the news and creative media, talk radio, screenwriters and producers in film and television, as well as being published in papers such as: The Hill, Arizona Republic, Buffalo News, the Daily Caller, Philadelphia Daily News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Washington Times and Security Magazine.

He enjoys keeping current with local, national and international journals, taking classes and monitoring media coverage. His contacts around the world have helped him gain perspective on the ever-changing landscape of protecting our physical and intellectual assets.

Mannes is currently employed as a Chief Compliance Officer for a diversified financial firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida; where he employs his education and experience in a way that helps his organization avoid costly loss.

Mr. Mannes is also proud to annouce that Rep Lou Barletta has asked him to join his Public Safety Advisory board.  As Mr. Barletta attempts to craft his common sense public safety platform for his PA gubernatorial run, he will rely on A. Benjamin Mannes’ experience and research to develop a comprehensive and thoughtful plan of action to help with problems like rising gun violence in Philadelphia.

Ariel Benjamin Mannes holds a Master of Arts Degree in organizational leadership and a Bachelor of Science Degree in criminal justice (both Summa cum Laude). He studied Krav Maga and is a member of a classic car club. He is also a Free & Accepted Mason and a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife.