On 24 February 2009, twelve of the team were presented with certificates, identity cards and cards displaying their accredited status by Chief Superintendent Julia Wortley of Hertfordshire Constabulary, who was joined by the University’s Depute Vice Chancellor, Terry Neville.

Ms Wortley said: “We warmly welcome our colleagues from Reliance Security into the ‘extended police family’.  This further advances the close working partnership which already exists in Hatfield between police, the University of Hertfordshire and Reliance Security and will complement the work carried out by police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in and around the University Community.”  

Ian Colpitts, the Force’s Community Safety Accreditation Scheme project officer, added: “This is the largest number of people we have accredited.  The university is a very important site within Hertfordshire with a large campus encompassing multi-national students from diverse backgrounds and includes both educational and residential premises.”  

Before being awarded their new powers the Reliance Security employees were vetted and received appropriate training. They will carry identity cards and display a nationally recognised identification badge that will identify them to the public as well as giving information about their roles and the powers they have. Hertfordshire’s Community Safety Accreditation Scheme was launched in 2004 as part of a wide range of initiatives to improve community safety across the county and promote closer partnership working with security companies and local authority employees involved in community safety and crime reduction.