A little more
conversation City of London Police calls for a lead forum
Every business knows the importance of open and effective channels of discussion and communication, and nowhere is clear and concise conversation more vital than in the security and policing sectors.
Currently, the City of London Police sits on a number of panels and groups across the Square Mile – such as the very successful City of London Crime Prevention Association (CPA) which brings together more than 300 members, primarily from the financial and business sectors within the City of London and other security communities around London every month, with regular updates on crime prevention-related information and advice.
Now, staff from City Police are looking to consolidate the learning, communication and advice given out at the various business, security, and community meetings across the patch to form a single “lead forum”.
Describing the proposal – still currently in its formative stages – Detective Chief Inspector David Service from the City of London Police explained: “As people may be aware, there are a number of platforms for discussion across the City of London that all deal with different City issues.
“In the past, each ward has had a ‘ward
constable’. Each ward and area used to have a home-beat like they did in other parts of the country, although this is no longer the case.
“We’ve been speaking to lots of people in
the community who have indicated that they need to talk about day-to-day issues and learn a bit more information – about counter terrorism, and more.”
Project Servator working in partnership in the City of London
P
roject Servator is the name for the tactic used by police to help deter a
wide range of criminality, from pickpockets through to terrorism, whilst providing a reassuring presence to the public.
The whole premise is based around unpredictable, intelligence-led visible police deployments and utilises the skills of plain clothes, uniformed officers and specially trained officers.
I am the Security Manager at Paternoster Square in the City of London and my security officers work in partnership with the City of London to tackle all levels of criminality, including hostile reconnaissance.
This tactic has been running across the City of London for several years and the figures speak for themselves. Between February 2014 and October 2016 the returns are 790 total searches, 483 positive stop searches and 443 arrests.
The project is successful because the officers are highly skilled and are supported by the full resources of the City of London Police. This includes police horses, dogs and firearms officers. The security team are also highly skilled and very customer service focussed. They use their communication skills when speaking with all users of the square. It is exactly this response which works to keep the environment free of incident and a pleasure to work or visit. It is very much business as usual for us.
If anyone has concerns or wishes to discuss Project Servator further, please contact the Community Policing team on 020 7601 2452 or email
community@cityoflondon.police.uk
20 © CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – S PRING 2017 www. c i t y s e cur i t yma ga z in e . com
What are you likely to see during a deployment? Firstly, police will arrive unannounced, based on intelligence–led policing. Sometimes the deployments involve a handful of officers and PCSOs, other times lots of officers and resources attend. The police deployments vary on each occasion and have a different look and feel. However, each time the emphasis is on interaction between the police, public and security officers.
The deployments are supported by the CCTV system which covers the entire estate. Police utilise the camera systems and staff to improve the effectiveness of the deployment. Using trained security officers and working together with the police allows us to keep everyone in the area safe. During deployments, my team liaise and patrol together with the police sharing intelligence and learning. I have seen great improvements in the confidence and communication skills of my team over the last year, which is due in part to these patrols and other on-site training opportunities.
When we are working together with the police, it reinforces the message that the City is not an easy target and those intent on criminal activity are not welcome, whilst also allaying any undue concerns of the public. It is nice to hear that our joint partnership is having such a positive effect. Project Servator is currently being rolled out by police forces across this and other countries around the world.
Matthew Hollick Security Manager, Axis Security
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