Garry Evanson Chairman Security Institute


Clearly the dreadful events of the last few months have underscored the need for a greater collaboration


and joined-up communication between policing, business and the security sector more generally.


To be fair, the increasing support for CSSC and some new initiatives such as ‘Step Change’ currently under consideration will improve not only the passage of information but also go some way to keeping the heightened security landscape at the forefront of at least security practitioners’ minds. However, what is increasingly evident is that the ‘State’ and the private security sector are yet to find a comfortable and workable shared ownership, operability or mature mechanism to fully coordinate actions to perhaps leverage greater security resources and provide better communication and co- operation especially when dealing with terrorism or inspired attacks.


Can this change? Well yes, in a word! However, there is unlikely to be a quick fix. It is true that Government is showing a willingness to join the dots and we see this in some funding and creation of ‘hub’ and stakeholder vehicles where cascade and information sharing mechanisms are being actively explored. Some of this is likely going to be a long and difficult haul because there are numerous stakeholders and often a difficult base of understanding and engagement, even sometimes a lack of mutual respect for one another, as well as professional snobbery on occasion. These barriers can be overcome but not, it is suggested, quickly – a government stated position overall on the much-needed partnership with private security would certainly kick start the engagement processes.


FOOTNOTE: Alison Wakefield will take over as Chairman of the Security Institute in January 2018.


Jeff Little, OBE Chief Executive Security Expert Online


Albeit Daesh are being defeated on the ground, they will not be defeated in the minds of their core


leadership. The threat will continue, transmogrify and morph. Everyone must improve their situational awareness – both personally and organisationally. Businesses must practise and rehearse their crisis management plans. Training and briefing for staff is essential if they are to have confidence that their safety is the concern of management. Guilty looks from some who,


© CI TY S ECURI TY MAGAZ INE – WINT ER 2017


even now, still do not have a plan. Shame upon you – you leave your staff and clients at risk. CCTV coverage and quality must be reviewed. There is no excuse for inferior quality imagery; HD cameras and recorders are not hugely more expensive, as some people think. Hostile vehicle mitigation must be considered to protect events, queues and crowds whether on a permanent or temporary basis. There are lots of products available. The threat from drones must be taken seriously – they have been used effectively in the Middle East theatre and it is only a matter of time before they appear in Europe. Go back to basics, update your threat and risk analysis, study the advice from the professionals and agencies and do not delay in implementing your plan.


Neill Catton Managing Director CIS Security


A step change is needed and this must be driven by government creating a far wider public appreciation of security being everyone’s


responsibility with public information advertisements on prime-time television, national press articles and social media campaigns. A good example is the Run, Hide, Tell guidance following an incident, but we need to continue and persist with offering advice on how to make yourself safe by reporting suspicious behaviours, checking unattended bags/items, observing irregular activities and taking an interest in our neighbours’ safety from both a personal and a business-to-business perspective. There are local and short-term campaigns: these should be national and ongoing.


The profile and professionalism of the security industry needs to be deemed as an extension of the way that the emergency services are respected by government, the public and by business leaders. Looking at most large crowded spaces, shopping centres, sporting locations, business districts, education and healthcare environments, the private security industry offers a far greater level of resource carrying out very similar observations, incident management and visual deterrence duties that can be found within the emergency services.


Notwithstanding Powers of Arrest, are these duties so different? Are we not, as an industry protecting the nation in our everyday security roles at no cost to the taxpayer?


Consequently, there is a need for government investment to lead on national campaigns for recruitment into the security industry that will appeal to a wide demographic of people who may not have considered security as a career previously. Allow businesses to use the Apprentice Levy to provide a comprehensive training path and develop a structure of


www. c i t y s e cu r i t yma g a z i n e . com


authorised training and recruitment centres that can be linked to existing security businesses. This will reduce costs to business and provide the impetus and capability to bring vital new talent into the sector. Potentially, people who have applied to the police service and not been successful should be given career advice and passed onto security organisations. We need to change the perception of the private security industry to be the first line of defence, and a feasible alternative to joining police or military services.


Adrian Moore Operations Director VSG


Increasingly, the role of private sector security providers has focused on delivering intelligence-led solutions to address the


escalating threat. By blending established security practices with innovative intelligence gathering and analysis methods, security providers are able to focus and deploy resources in a targeted and efficient way based on a comprehensive understanding of the emerging threat picture. We have seen such innovation being supplemented by the recruitment of intelligence analysts from a variety of backgrounds, including the police, military and government agencies, enhancing the ability to critically assess the terror threat from a variety of perspectives and relevant subject-matter expertise.


By building partnerships throughout the private sector, government agencies and across civil society, security providers can act as fusion hubs, helping coordinate effective responses to terrorist incident or threats and facilitating the interaction of multiple information sources at a single point. Based on the military stratagem ‘it takes a network to defeat a network’, private sector security providers are well placed to leverage the strengths and knowledge of a diverse range of clients and partners and play a key role in coordinating a multifaceted response to the terror threat. Such relationships facilitate the spread of knowledge and understanding of the terrorist threat throughout the corporate world, building resilience and developing emergency response protocols for use in major incidents, in addition to those that exist already in the public sector.


In broader terms, developing and refining the growing culture of public and private sector collaboration to allow for increased intelligence sharing and cooperation remains of critical importance to the UK’s security needs.


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