Security Management Today (SMT) and Infologue.com – the specialist web site dedicated to the security guarding sector – have joined forces in launching four editorial campaign strands for 2006. Brian Sims and Bobby Logue explain why the licensing of in-house operatives, equal representation (on the SIA Board), fair charging within the Approved Contractor Scheme and the cutting of regulatory red tape must be addressed.

Illustrations by James Sanders

Not for one moment has the Security Industry Authority (SIA) – or any other security sector professional body or practitioner, for that matter – ever suggested that the implementation of regulation would be easy. Indeed, the difficulty of introducing this demanding legislation to such a diverse and complex industry cannot be overstated.  On its official launch in April 2003, the Regulator entered unchartered waters. To produce a regulation blueprint that satisfied everyone was, of course, never a realistic goal. However, with the industry’s endorsement and support the SIA set out its stall to introduce regulation and licensing as a catalyst that would stimulate productive (and long overdue) change. In turn, this would enable the industry to raise standards and become more competitive. Security Management Today (SMT) and Infologue.com believe that the SIA has never strayed from its firm beliefs. Progress to date has been considerable, and much has been achieved. Ultimately, the Regulator has done its utmost to help this industry of ours greatly improve itself. Regulation of the private security industry will indeed become fully effective, but probably not for around six months following the 20 March deadline day.

That will not stop the Regulator enforcing its deadline – the cut-off date having been set in stone by the Home Office – and prosecuting those companies who deliberately flout the law. This is as it should be, otherwise what was the incentive to licence for those companies who met the criteria in time? ‘Four Issues, One Voice’ During 2006, SMT and Infologue.com are joining forces to introduce four editorial campaigns relating to the activities of the SIA. The campaigns are running under the banner of ‘Four Issues, One Voice’. We are 100% supportive of the Regulator and its tremendous efforts to date, but at the same time there are areas which – in hindsight – are in need of immediate re-examination. The campaigns we have devised are designed to challenge the thinking of the Regulator and the Home Office on issues we believe are – potentially – unfair, or might otherwise be tackled in a somewhat more robust fashion. The four issues are:

Issue 1: Licensing of in-house officers

Issue 2: Equal representation on the SIA Board

Issue 3: Fair charging

Issue 4: Cutting red tape

Four Issues, One Voice: developing the campaign... lobbying the Home Office and the SIA

SMT and Infologue.com’s ‘Four Issues, One Voice’ campaign is designed to encourage security industry organisations and individuals to demonstrate their support by ‘signing up’ to what we have to say. By offering your views, we can influence the Regulator and the Home Office (in the shape of John Saunders and Paul Goggins) to consider change and a re-evaluation of regulatory output where we feel this is the right course of action.

SMT and Infologue.com also hope to stimulate debate on our campaign issues, both within the pages of the journal and on both of our web sites (at www.smtdirect.co.uk and www.infologue.com), which will then help to create a better understanding of the immediate and future needs of our industry.

Industry organisations, security companies and practitioners who are in support of one (or indeed all) of our campaigns are invited to register their backing by contacting SMT’s Editor Brian Sims (telephone: 020 7921 8286, e-mail: bsims@cmpinformation.com) or Bobby Logue, Editor of Infologue.com (telephone: 0845 1304008, e-mail: bobby@interconnective.co.uk)

Four Issues, One Voice: developing the campaign... lobbying the Home Office and the SIA

SMT and Infologue.com’s ‘Four Issues, One Voice’ campaign is designed to encourage security industry organisations and individuals to demonstrate their support by ‘signing up’ to what we have to say. By offering your views, we can influence the Regulator and the Home Office (in the shape of John Saunders and Paul Goggins) to consider change and a re-evaluation of regulatory output where we feel this is the right course of action.

SMT and Infologue.com also hope to stimulate debate on our campaign issues, both within the pages of the journal and on both of our web sites (at www.smtdirect.co.uk and www.infologue.com), which will then help to create a better understanding of the immediate and future needs of our industry.

Industry organisations, security companies and practitioners who are in support of one (or indeed all) of our campaigns are invited to register their backing by contacting SMT’s Editor Brian Sims (telephone: 020 7921 8286, e-mail: bsims@cmpinformation.com) or Bobby Logue, Editor of Infologue.com (telephone: 0845 1304008, e-mail: bobby@interconnective.co.uk)