Welcoming the new Cavalry

It has long been said that an ill-wind blows no good. If any good can come out of such a diabolical act of violent madness as that which occurred on September 11 2001, it is that nations worldwide will now take security seriously. It should become a realm of economic expansion, unlike many other sectors in recent times which have suffered marked downturns as a direct consequence of the World Trade Centre outrage.

End users looking to engage security companies' services should no longer do so purely on the basis of price as the lowest common denominator. It should be realised that there's a very important and demanding job to be done.

Quality does not come at the lowest price. Demonstrably high standards of training, discipline, appearance and attitude in security personnel are probably more important now than at any time in this industry's past.

Recruitment: a major problem
As a former police officer now in public life, I'm finding that retired officers and members of the public continually write to me voicing their concerns about a lack of 'Bobbies on the Beat', poor response to burglary and other types of 'mischief' or, in some cases, no response at all.

However, it's not always the fault of the police. There are simply not enough of them. Recruiting is difficult at times of low unemployment, and when housing in many areas is becoming increasingly expensive. The number of officers leaving the police service early is another problem.

So what's wrong with extending the police family? There's nothing new about the concept of 'auxiliaries'. Special Constables have been around for many years, as have traffic wardens. As with many other organisations, the police service has to move with the times. The public has been looking elsewhere for its law and order needs for some time now. Look at stewarding at football matches and in other sports. Look at the uniformed security patrols provided by some local authorities.

Such bodies all work in partnership with police forces throughout the country and, interestingly, there's no legislation to prevent local authorities from responding to their Council Tax payers' demands and setting up uniformed security patrols.

This type of activity is happening, and the demand for it is increasing. In fact, the police service is now outnumbered.

What the Police Reform Act sets out to do is to bring all of that activity within the 'police family' and under direct police control. What a sensible idea! Chief constables can directly employ Police Community Support Officers if they desire. Or they can simply accredit other organisations (perhaps statutorily-regulated private security companies) by giving them a 'Kite Mark' registering of approval.

With proper skills and training, I suppose there’s no reason why a Police Community Support Officer shouldn’t be able to detain an offender for 30 minutes to allow for the arrival of a ‘proper’ police constable

The advantage of this is that the police can – for the first time – control skills, training and standards. Those they directly employ will also be accountable through the new Independent Police Complaints Commission. The objective is to provide the public at large with the security they clearly demand – not as a substitute for the police, but as the 'eyes and ears', perhaps even an additional 'arm' of the policing family in the UK.

A case for greater power?
Hopefully, the new legislation will enhance the reputation and standing of British police officers, who already command a great deal of respect worldwide. Certainly, for the Government and interested parties to sit back and do nothing given the present dearth of policing numbers would be to allow the proud traditions of the service to deteriorate still further. Does anybody deny that the 43 police forces across England and Wales are up against it, and need some help?

The only reservation I have regarding the new Police Reform Act is whether or not the all-new Police Community Support Officers need specific powers. It's a truism not often understood that the police in fact possess precious few additional powers to the public under common law.

There are, of course, a multitude of new statutory powers which the police have been granted. My doubts are around whether to complicate the new 'support officers' with specific powers, which may cause them difficulties with the task at hand. After all, the present local authority uniform patrols operate very well without any additional powers.

On the other hand, I remember prior to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984 when I went right to the wire – legally – to ascertain the identity of offenders when there was no specific power of arrest. Those days are long gone. We now live in a litigious society where there's a strong compensation culture and an emphasis on Human Rights (encouraged by lawyers fighting for business in the market).

With proper skills and training, I suppose there's no reason why a Police Community Support Officer shouldn't be able to detain an offender for 30 minutes to allow for the arrival of a 'proper' police constable.

In a sense, the granting of powers and the creation of offences of 'assault' and 'making off' after an incident provide some degree of insurance and protection.

Neither a rival, nor a burden
If you talk to those police officers working in areas where additional security schemes already operate, they don't see them as rivals or a burden to the police service role. Indeed, they're viewed as valuable support.

At a time when the police service is stretched as never before, the value of good quality security personnel should be both recognised and rewarded.