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                                                                      Exhibit 99

                                                                   PRESS RELEASE
                                                                OCTOBER 30, 1997

                    THE O'GARA COMPANY ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT
                    IN PRINCIPAL TO ACQUIRE TWO COMPANIES


        FAIRFIELD, Ohio.  October 30, 1997. The O'Gara Company (Nasdaq-NNM:
OGAR) today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary O'Gara Security
International, Inc. (OSI) has entered into a letter of intent to acquire all of
the capital stock of Imea, a Russian company, and substantially all of the
assets of Acorn Communications Group, Inc. (Acorn), a Massachusetts company,
for $3.1 million consisting of $2.5 million in common stock of The O'Gara
Company, $0.5 million in cash at closing, and 0.1 million payable over six
months commencing January 1, 1998.  The transactions, subject to completion of
due diligence and execution of definitive agreements, are expected to close
early in December.

        Imea and Acorn are engaged in the business of selling cash-in-transit
(CIT) vehicles and other commercial bank equipment such as safes, money
counters, and counterfeit detectors throughout Russia.  Imea recently began
producing (armoring) its own CIT vehicle based on a Russian patent which allows
the conversion of a Ford F-150 chassis into a CIT vehicle.  Imea operates from
two locations in Moscow, including a manufacturing and service facility. 
Acorn, with an office in Newton, MA, conducts most of its business through its
representative office in Moscow.

        Michael Dubinsky, founder and controlling shareholder of both
companies, will enter into employment and non-competition contracts with OSI. 
An important consideration for OSI in making this acquisition was securing
experienced senior management for its growing Russian business.  In the
aggregate, Imea and Acorn had sales of approximately $8.0 million in 1996 and
are profitable.

        Commenting on the transaction, Bill T. O'Gara, Chief Executive Officer
of The O'Gara Company, stated, "We are very excited about this transaction.  It
provides us with the management experience lacking in our Russian OSI office
since the untimely passing of Steve Vasko in June.  Additionally, the
transaction provides us with an increased product base, a manufacturing
facility and trained technicians as well as access to customer lists that
should prove beneficial to our security systems integration business."

        The O'Gara Company is a worldwide integrated security company with
three business lines: security hardware products, security systems integration,
and security services.  The Security Hardware Products Group markets all of the
Company's armoring products, including ballistic and blast protected armoring
systems for military and commercial vehicles, aircraft and missile components. 
The Security Systems Integration Group offers planning, design, and hardware
and software integration services which are customized to meet specific
satellite

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communications or site protection needs of customers.  The Security Services
Group offers security-related services such as advanced driver training,
background clearances, business intelligence, country-risk assessments,
forensic auditing, force protection consulting and private security agent
training.

     With headquarters in Fairfield, Ohio, USA, near Cincinnati, The O'Gara
Company has manufacturing facilities in Fairfield, Ohio; Sao Paulo, Brazil;
Lamballe, France; Torino, Italy; Mexico City, Mexico; Subic Bay, The
Philippines; and St. Petersburg, Russia.  The company has additional offices in
Los Angeles, California; Washington, D.C.; Salisbury, England; Paris, France;
Nairobi, Kenya; Deer Park, New York; Moscow, Russia; and Geneva, Switzerland.

CONTACT: Bill T. O'Gara, Chief Executive Officer, The O'Gara Company, 
(513) 874-2112