As David Fletcher hands over the reins to David Dickinson following 16 years as chief executive of the BSIA, Security Management Today asked the Association's renowned figurehead to pinpoint the major issues facing both his successor and the industry at large
DAVID DICKINSON, THE BSIA's newly-appointed chief executive, will lead the trade body through "a fairly significant period of change in the industry". That's the firm belief of Association chairman David Cowden, who chose the pages of Security Management Today (SMT) to reveal a number of key issues on the agenda. These include far-reaching changes in the way that guarding companies operate and interact with end users, framing the security industry's future as part of the Government's extended police family and developing an "improved approach" to electronic security.

A six-strong Appointments Board selected Dickinson to take the reins at Security House when David Fletcher retires at the end of this month following 16 years at the helm. Over 70 candidates applied for the post, the shortlisting process involving interviews, candidate presentations and psychometric profiling.

Cowden is a firm believer that Dickinson – previously director and general manager of Group 4 Falck's Immigration Services business – will "hit the ground running".

Reorganisation at the BSIA
Cowden does not believe that Dickinson's past role as marketing director of Group 4 Total Security (the company's manned services division) will make him partisan to the guarding sector.

"In any case," said Cowden, "the Association is looking to reorganise itself internally such that we ensure a more cohesive approach to electronic security, and our dealings with the police service."

Pointing towards the immediate future, Cowden underlined a number of important issues (emanating from the Private Security Industry Act 2001, as well as the Police Reform Bill) that the BSIA intends to address.

For instance, Cowden wants to be heavily involved in examining how the whole contract guarding sector is working, and "try to dramatically improve" matters.

He feels that the BSIA's key role is to "ensure that the end users out there fully understand why there is a need for change."

Research on the contract security market is already well underway, the Association using an independent agency to collect information from its member guarding companies ahead of anticipated changes in the levels of training required, and basic terms and conditions for officers.

"Member companies will have to review their modus operandi. That's the only way they'll be able to reduce staff churn and build on quality issues," suggested Cowden, who is hopeful that the forthcoming licensing will ensure only the right people are recruited for the job.

Making licensing work
As he prepares to step down from his position as chief executive at the BSIA, David Fletcher told SMT that making licensing legislation work will be the "most exciting challenge for the future."

Fletcher said: "Out of that will be borne a raised status for security in general, making sure that better training, management and payment procedures are in place such that customers benefit from an improved service and don't have to rely on price-informed buying."

Of late, Fletcher – a member of SMT's Editorial Advisory Board – has been heavily involved with the Reassurance Advisory Group (which deals with those issues rounding on reform of the police service). To this end, he feels that his successor must tackle "the role to be played by the private security sector within the extended police family" in a way that doesn't cause resentment among the police service.

"Working with the police is exceptionally important to us," stressed Fletcher, "and we must be seen to help them with what is a difficult and demanding role. The recent proposals for police reform represent an exciting breakthrough in allowing us to work together."

Fletcher believes that David Dickinson will also have to help BSIA member companies improve their profitability, and ensure that well-trained staff are available to them.

The development of new security standards must be addressed, while the new chief executive will have to ensure that there is a lack of internal division within the industry.

Fletcher concedes that dialogue with Brussels over European legislation has not been as effective as he would have wished, and notes that the Association's response towards new technology "must not be too prescriptive."

Looking back on the BSIA's successes and failures since he joined the Association in 1986, Fletcher pointed to what he now describes as "the largest security trade association in the world" by any measure, "be it employees, turnover, market sector coverage or breadth of interest."

"There were 70 member companies when I joined," added Fletcher. "Now there are 420 – and that's in spite of losing 150 or so due to takeovers by other member companies. A situation that I'd call incestuous cannibalism."

Changing times for training
As the BSIA prepares to cut its ties with SITO, Fletcher remains proud of the steps taken to set up our industry's NTO back in 1990.

"The BSIA didn't have a training arm back then," said Fletcher. "Today, the security sector is now better than most industries across the UK in terms of its overall training levels. We should be training more people, though."

When SITO becomes part of the Sector Skills Council movement, the organisation will be totally independent of the BSIA. "At that time," added Fletcher, "it's likely we'll be able to employ an in-house training manager. Then we can look to achieve certain objectives – such as the provision of better training facilities for alarm company personnel – by representing their interests to organisations like SITO."

Asked about the perceived degree of influence of guarding companies in shaping BSIA policy, Fletcher retorted: "Over the last 12 months, equal efforts have gone into two of the main developments affecting the industry – the regulation of manned security, and the ACPO systems policy. On the whole, I'd say that the tailored services we provide ensure that both small and large companies can draw real value from their membership of the Association."