With the licensing deadline of 20 march almost upon us, BSIA members are preparing for one of the biggest changes the industry has ever witnessed. Regulation of the security guarding sector has certainly created many challenges over the past 12 months, but the Association's members have fully embraced the changes sought by the Regulator.

At the time of writing, around 80%-90% of the BSIA's member security companies' employees have obtained their licences from - or at the very least submitted applications to - the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Inevitably, many of those applications have been caught in the backlog that both the BSIA and the SIA warned could occur. However, the SIA has employed additional resources to process applications as fast as they can.

BSIA members are also poised to be among the first companies fast-tracked into the Approved Contractor Scheme. In truth, this means that - in addition to the many other advantages that BSIA membership brings - those member organisations that are Approved Contractors will be able to deploy a small percentage of their workforce post-training, before these operatives have obtained their full licence. With this in mind, BSIA members are in a healthy position for their transition into a fully-regulated industry at the end of March.

Opportunities for the future

Although the industry has faced many challenges in respect of regulation, it is important not to forget the myriad benefits and increased opportunities afforded by licensing. Weeding out the ‘rogue' operators will, without doubt, improve the image of this vital industry, but there's a plethora of additional benefits.

BSIA chief executive David Dickinson told SMT: "A trained and professional workforce is a huge selling point for the industry, as is the fact that all employees have undergone a criminal records check. By coupling these benefits with Approved Contractor status and BSIA membership, security guarding companies are now in an excellent position to build long-term relationships with existing and future clients."

The BSIA is well aware that there is still work to be done in relation to regulation. Security consultancies will be facing this challenge from the end of 2006, while the Association's members in Scotland are likely to be licensed early on in 2007. The BSIA will continue to do everything it can to assist its members throughout the licensing process. The Association is also fully committed to continue its lobbying of the Government in a bid to ensure that in-house security team members are also covered by Parliamentary regulation.

The industry should be proud of the great strides it has already taken, and look forward to a bright and profitable future. Meanwhile, its client base can now expect to enjoy the benefits of working with a motivated, trained and accountable guarding sector that delivers quality solutions on a consistent basis.

BSIA and Merseyside Police promote CIT Best Practice

The event served as an ideal opportunity to share Best Practice and establish an Action Plan for all parties to take forward when trying to combat the rise in CIT attacks. The workshop was attended by members of the police service, CIT companies, retailers, financial institutions, local authority representatives and equipment manufacturers targeting the sector.

Commenting on the event, chief superintendent Paul Forrester – one of the KeyNote speakers – said:

“Merseyside Police is seeking to build on its recent successes, and thus bring about a huge reduction in the volume of Cash-in-Transit robberies across the county. The workshop represented an ideal medium for us to share Best Practice techniques with our partner agencies and the business community.”

BSIA chief executive David Dickinson added:

“Over the past 12 months Merseyside Police has been extremely proactive in tackling Cash-in-Transit robbery. However, on a national basis the number of attacks increased during 2005. This is a worrying trend. Cash-in-Transit robbery is a human crime that can cause great trauma to both couriers and members of the public, who are often present during attacks. It is imperative that all parties play

Source

SMT