Looking back on 2002

January

The first month of the new year bore witness to ‘Policing A New Century’ – Home Secretary David Blunkett’s much-trumpeted White Paper aimed at reforming the police service (a move warmly welcomed by the BSIA). The phrase ‘extended police family’ became common parlance, and private security companies readied themselves for a new age in which they could work alongside the Boys in Blue as professional partners. Over in Brussels, EU mandarins reached agreement on the harmonisation of anti-terrorist legislation across all Member States, although an EU-wide arrest warrant had still to be ratified post-September 11. At the same time as competitor security company the Reliance Security Group posted a 30% increase in profits, Chubb Security Personnel’s national training manager Jane McKenna told SMT that the industry may be guilty of training knowledge at the expense of skill. “We need to look more at people skills. Soft skills. Gone are the days when line managers can bark orders at their staff.”

On a similar note, SITO chief executive Raymond Clarke predicted the Brave New World for security training, encompassing the NTO’s move towards becoming a Sector Skills Council. Come the end of 2002, though, Clarke’s vision had still to be realised...

February

The BSIA appointed a new chairman, with Group 4’s David Dickinson leaving the manned security contractor’s immigration services division to take up residency at Security House from 2 April. At the time, Dickinson told SMT: “I’m really looking forward to learning about all aspects of the BSIA, and playing my part in shaping the future of the industry”. David has since made an excellent impression on the private sector, working closely alongside the Security Industry Authority to further the private sector’s cause. The Corps unveiled details of its Community Wardens programme in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – a significant move very much in line with the political will for an enhanced police ‘family’. Professor Martin Gill of The Scarman Centre outlined some pioneering research into how offenders’ perspectives might be used to frame security managers’ anti-theft strategies in the retail arena. The work would be continued later in the year at Gill’s new Scarman Centre spin-out – namely Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International. SMT’s annual Manned Security Solutions Supplement examined integrated solutions for the end user, ways in which the industry can break free from ‘best price’ tendering and contracting-out the security service.

March

Tom Mullarkey’S appointment as the organisation’s next chief executive was announced by the National Security Inspectorate. Mullarkey was to take over the hot seat in May following the retirement of long-time supremo Dr David Holt. Security managers working in the financial services sector were urged to look closely at the terms of third party recovery contracts, as serious doubts remained concerning the robustness of data networks in the face of continued hacking attempts (not to mention the ongoing threat of terrorist activity). Outgoing BSIA chief executive David Fletcher granted SMT an exclusive interview on his time at the top. Stressing a need for the private sector to work alongside the Boys in Blue in the wake of police reform, Fletcher opined that licensing of security officers will be “the most exciting challenge” ever to face the industry. How true. In his very first interview with the trade journals as the Association’s new chief executive, David Dickinson suggested that his main task would be to work “with as broad a coalition of people as possible” in furthering the private sector’s cause. The BSIA had found the perfect man for the job – an analyst, an arbiter, a strategist and a diplomat. A man who speaks with passion.

April

A major intitiative aimed at raising the quality of manned security contracts – and the working conditions of security officers – was launched by an industry-wide consortium. ‘A Contract of Substance’, exclusively unveiled in SMT, aimed to galvanise end users into paying for a better security service. Officer wages, benefits, working hours and welfare would all come under scrutiny, with The Security Watchdog carrying out site audits to ensure that standard terms and conditions were in fact being met. Sadly, come the end of 2002, the initiative ceased. Due (partly) to a lack of industry support. Two vital appointments were made at the Home Office, as Molly Meacher (chair) and John Saunders (chief executive) were tasked with leading the private security industry into a new and regulated era by way of Security Industry Authority licensing. With something like 300,000 operatives to licence, it will not be an easy task. Picking up on the industry’s latest ‘craze’ for all things digital, our CCTV Solutions Supplement concentrated on ‘video-over-IP’. Storage time. Non-conditional refresh. Audit trails... There’s a plethora of issues with which end users must familiarise themselves and, as ever, Security Management Today provided the very best advice.

May

Trafford guardsafe – the security officer licensing scheme operated on Manchester’s Trafford Park – was energised as the first 20 guards passed the SITO-approved training programme run by Widnes-based contractor Noble Security Services. Later in the year, the initiative would win the industry’s three premier awards – bestowed by SITO, the BSIA (David Cowden presenting Noble partner George Mensah with the BSIA Chairman’s Awards) and SMT (The Trafford Park Security Initiative and Noble won out in the Best Training Initiative at November’s Security Excellence Awards). Security professionals in the banking sector vowed to crack down on plastic card fraudsters, as the Association for Payment Clearing Services unveiled plans to phase out traditional verification methods in favour of bespoke customer PIN numbers that would need to be keyed in at the point of sale. Independent consultant Stewart Kidd’s discourse on how the impact of globalisation and the growth of corporate culture have combined to shape the role of corporate security managers in the UK really galvanised SMT’s readers. Meantime, a pioneering CCTV installation in Cumbria provided something of a blueprint for the town centre installations of tomorrow.

June

Leading security company securitas finally put an end to 18 months of intense merger speculation by announcing that there would be no joining at the hip with Chubb. Back on the scene after some time in the security wilderness, the International Professional Security Association teamed up with the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board to provide ‘product’ certification for all those organisations involved in manned security services. In a major development, BSIA chief executive David Dickinson launched the Association’s Police and Public Services Section. The section is already providing support services to the police and local communities which are distinct from those covered by the Manned Security Section. Closer to home, Legion Security managing director David Evans agreed to join SMT’s Editorial Advisory Board. He also took time out to write an incisive and well-reasoned article on the thorny subject of racial inequality among those employed by private sector security companies. To help managers in their constant quest for information on the latest legislation, we published the first of a two-part article on the Employment Practices Data Protection Code. Ignore its contents at your peril!

July

Not an upbeat month for either the industry or the Government, as Home Secretary David Blunkett was forced to reveal crime figures across England and Wales that showed the biggest rise for more than a decade. No less than 38 of the 43 police forces posted increased crime statistics. On a more positive note, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens officially launched a recruitment campaign to enlist 500 Police Community Support Officers – thereby helping to turn at least one element of the Government White Paper ‘Policing A New Century’ into immediate reality. Lincolnshire Police chief constable and SMT Editorial Advisory Board member Richard Childs used the pages of the journal as a platform for urging the industry to play “its fullest part” in helping to speed up the process of legislation and licensing. “As a service,” said Childs, “we have spent the past 150 years developing a brand that you [the private sector security companies] would die for, and I’m not keen on sharing that brand unless you can show me you’re up to the task”. Emotive and challenging words. As the managing director of one of the UK’s leading security companies, First Security’s Jonathan Levine is confronted by a host of challenges – how to implement the terms and conditions of the Working Time Directive and combat rising insurance premiums among them. Levine offered SMT a fascinating overview of the job. The British Retail Consortium revealed the results of its 9th Annual Retail Crime Survey. Retail theft is still a major problem, with £2.7 billion spent to combat it since 1997.

August

Have we truly learned the lessons of September 11 2001? SMT endeavoured to find out by way of interviews with leading industry gurus – including David Veness (assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan Police) and Eddie Halling (head of security and investigations at the BBC). The overriding message was a simple one... If security managers have not reviewed their procedures for dealing with terrorist incidents, they may find their own (and their company’s) position indefensible in a Court of Law. Touted as the best installation of its kind anywhere in the UK, the £3.2 million CCTV scheme devised by Manchester City Council and NCP was unveiled to the public. Boasting digital cameras that can home-in on suspects from 600 yards away, and produce crystal clear images on giant plasma monitors, it certainly is a state-of-the-art set-up. ‘Partners on patrol’ heralded the first in-depth feature in SMT on the growing band of Community Warden schemes being operated by local councils in conjunction with private security companies. Two examplars in the field – the Legion Security scheme in west Lancashire, and The Corps’ involvement in ‘policing’ the London Borough of Tower Hamlets – were the focus of our attention. “The majority of false alarms are caused by end users. That’s because they adopt a cavalier attitude, and assume that the police will sort their problems out for them. They see police response as their right. It’s not”... Strong words from Paddy Downey, manager of Group 4’s Alarm Receiving Centre in Northern Ireland. Later in the year, the NSI would begin research into the vexed issue of false alarms.

September

In his first interview with the security press since his appointment as chief executive, the NSI’s Tom Mullarkey voiced his desire to make the organisation the “inspectorate of choice” for the Security Industry Authority. “Whoever conceived it, the idea that competition improves quality in the security inspection market is a nonsense,” stressed Mullarkey. “Competition in this arena can only lead to a reduction in quality and a lowering of standards”. Truly a ‘man on a mission’. Nick van der Bijl (security manager at the Southmeads NHS Trust Hospital in Bristol) voiced his displeasure at Richard Childs’ comments on the private sector published in the August edition. “Mr Childs,” said van der Bijl in the Letters pages... “Join the 21st Century, understand the fundamental principles of the security process and look at the police-private sector relationship in Europe. Don’t preach to exprienced security practitioners, and be far more positive in embracing the security industry”. Emotive words that would kick-start a long-running debate in SMT. Mandarins at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development urged network suppliers to build-in security from the outset. The body launched a nine-point plan aimed at tightening up data and information security, suggesting that security management should be based on risk assessments that include “forward-looking responses to emerging threats – and which address prevention, detection and response to incidents, systems recovery, ongoing maintenance and audits”.

October

A landmark month for SMT and its sister title Security Installer, as the magazines’ Reader Enquiry Services go live online – a genuine ‘first’ for both the industry at large and our readers and advertisers. Worryingly, the News Update section suggested that a lack of investment was (and still is) costing British businesses billions of pounds due to resulting breaches of security. The Department of Trade and Industry’s latest survey showed that the average cost of each serious security breach weighs in at a hefty £30,000. The UK’s biggest-ever cash services deal was signed by Securicor and Alliance & Leicester Cash Services. The £200 million agreement over ten years will see Securicor become Alliance’s outsourced services provider. Securicor is now processing no less than £90 billion of cash each year for a range of financial institutions and retail clients. It’s a truism of society that public service functions were once protected from disrespect and anti-social behaviour by a set of unwritten rules. However, the combination of an ever-more demanding society, the effects of drug-associated crime and the withdrawal of police service response from certain public arenas has engendered an increased level of risk. With this in mind, healthcare security specialist Nick van der Bijl called for the appointment of a security ‘guru’ at the Department of Health who could then devise a set of management standards for all. SMT also looked at the true effectiveness of town centre surveillance schemes. Independent consultant David Mackay concluded that they are well worth the money.

November

Just over a year had passed since the atrocities Stateside, so SMT commissioned a detailed survey into airport security both here and on a global scale to measure the strength of Government and industry response. Our findings were less than encouraging... “The European Union’s political machinery has slowly kicked into gear, but any progress is constantly bedevilled by petty squabbles over funding”. A sorry state of affairs. In a move that stunned the private sector, chief executive Raymond Clarke announced that he was to leave SITO after 14 highly successful years at the helm. At the same time, the powers-that-be at both the BSIA and the Joint Security Industry Council revealed that ongoing talks aimed at a possible merger of the two bodies had failed to reach any agreement. The latest ‘crisis’ to hit already hard-pressed security companies is a huge rise in the cost of insurance. As our exclusive report revealed, premiums for employers’ liability policies have risen by up to 1,000%, with those for public liability increasing at almost the same rate. What’s the justification for these massive price hikes? The major contractors are still awaiting an official response from the Association of British Insurers... Our News Special on security at the XVII Commonwealth Games provided firm evidence that the elaborate plans put in place by the Greater Manchester Police and crowd management specialist Showsec had paid huge dividends. An exemplary security strategy meant that the biggest sporting event ever staged on home shores passed by without any major incidents. The close-of-Games report should be required reading...

December

The year ends on a high note or two, with delegates to this year’s SITO National Training Conference claiming that it was the best-ever staged by the industry’s former NTO. Attracting close on 400 delegates, and boasting a speaker list including Molly Meacher, David Dickinson and Richard Childs, it’s easy to see why a collective ‘thumbs up’ has been conveyed to Security House. Indeed, Molly Meacher has used the pages of this month’s edition to explain the future for sector training, and why the plans for S5C have been put on the back burner. Continuing our regular section on Education and Training, SITO’s general manager Stefan Hay outlines STEPS – the Security Training and Education Partnership Strategy – which is aimed at providing the industry’s client base with an holistic and rigorous training programme. There are also some clues here as to how SITO may be changing its focus in the years ahead. In line with security professionals’ increasingly diverse job specifications (ie many of them are now in charge of fire prevention and Health and Safety procedures), we continue our strand of articles pinpointing the main elements of the latter discipline which they need to know. We hope you’re finding these articles of practical use. Let us know... As the year closes, SMT hopes (and expects) that 2003 will be a monumental year for the industry. The Security Industry Authority will be fully-operational come next Spring, and the licensing process will begin. The ultimate goal? To make the security industry a profession. And not before time.