Partnership initiative

winner: TM Security and Partners

In late 2001, crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour problems were plaguing Southern Co-operative’s stores in the Portsmouth area. As a direct response, the company joined forces with TM Security, Hampshire Constabulary and Portsmouth City Council to implement a crime reduction initiative. TM Security’s approach was to make use of Portsmouth City Council’s CCTV Control Room, connecting on-site Co-op cameras such that it would be possible to verify an alarm incident using both the Co-op’s own cameras in combination with the street CCTV scheme already installed by the Council. In combination with constant radio contacts, this has resulted in a reduction of stock losses and the issuing of the UK’s first Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO).

“This project is an example of the move away from traditional client-contractor relationships to an ethic that involves the police in a genuine partnership approach”
– JUDGES’ COMMENT

Runners-Up

Capes UK/Network Rail
Capes UK Security Services and Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) entered into a partnership for the provision of an enforcement and security management regime at major stations throughout the UK. Capes officers would provide a friendly, customer-serving presence and deter any illegal activity on the concourses. Network Rail holds regular team discussions on each individual site, where all officers are invited to discuss events that have occurred.

City Risk Management/Asda
City Risk Management partners Asda Stores, looking after all CCTV installations, Electronic Article Surveillance, electric fencing and some of the company’s guarding contracts. At the heart of the original Asda proposal for partnership was the desire for the Asda loss prevention team to be freed from the need to constantly manage underperforming suppliers, thus allowing a real focus on the loss prevention plan itself. This has been achieved. The client is now enjoying one contact for all of its security issues, while the service provider enjoys an agreed price for the job that doesn’t change at the drop of a hat. For Asda, first fix rates had improved from 73% to 96% by the end of the first year, while response rates to system failures within the first eight hours after failure are up to 55% from 36%. A marvellous result.

Panasonic (UK)/Zoom CCTV
In 2003, Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre’s management team completed an upgrade of its on-site CCTV system. The brief was to address the objective of ‘securing surveillance coverage of all areas accessible by customers, staff or contractors’. Zoom CCTV and Panasonic were awarded the contract post-tender. Working to tight deadlines, Panasonic pre-built the matrix and hard disk recorders on site while Zoom undertook the cabling and installation for all Panasonic cameras and monitors. As a result of the installation, statistics produced by the local Security Advisory Group suggest that city centre crime between February 2003 and April 2004 was down by 2.2% and retail crime by 3.3%.

Co-op/Nottingham RDC
Nottingham RDC services 350 Co-op food stores and houses ambient goods for delivery (including cigarettes, tobacco and spirits). There was a history of crime at the Regional Distribution Centres, so the organisations teamed up with ADT, Reliance Security Services and Telindus to initiate ‘Project Mighty Quinn’. Full access control guidelines are now in place.

Whitehall Security/Martell
Whitehall Security Services has provided security to the Aintree Grand National for the past 13 years, most recently including the main VIP areas, the Sefton Rooms and Martell’s own suites. Drunkenness, fighting, pickpocketing and, of course, the terrorist threat are always high on the security agenda.