Jeff Gravenhorst (CEO ISS) & Nick Buckles (CEO G4S) G4S plc, the international security solutions group, today announces the acquisition of ISS A/S for an enterprise value of approximately £5.2 billion. G4S also announces a 7 for 6 rights issue at 122p to raise approximately £2 billion. The Acquisition has a compelling strategic and financial rationale and will: Create a global leader in integrated security and facilities services combining G4S's 2010 revenue of £7,397 million and ISS's 2010 revenue of £8,522 million Accelerate delivery of G4S’s strategy to provide i...

A security director has been ordered to pay almost £25,000 after being found guilty of working unlicensed and failing to provide the Security Industry Authority with information. Celestine Okogwu, 52, had his licence revoked by the SIA, but continued to work as director of Dartford-based Absolute Guards UK Limited, supplying security guards to a site in Northolt. SIA investigators contacted Okogwu asking him to provide details of the company. When no response was received an investigation was launched, during which he failed to attend an interview and failed to provide material to document ...

The Home Secretary held an international forum yesterday to discuss gangs and gangs violence Yesterday’s event formed part of the cross-government work being led by the Home Secretary on tackling gangs and gang violence. The Home Secretary has been talking to police forces up and down the country to hear about their experiences and successes in tackling gangs as well as to local agencies, charities, youth organisations and others involved in front line work to tackle youth violence. The forum provided an international perspective. Held at the Home Office, the event included police repre...

Interpol and Europol have extended their close collaboration against transnational organized crime after the leaders of the two international police agencies agreed on Tuesday to establish a secure communication line between both organizations and endorsed a collaborative operational action plan in key security areas. Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble and Europol Director Rob Wainwright, the communication line will link up the secure networks of both agencies to facilitate and simplify the exchange of operational and strategic crime infor...

At 1435hrs on 10th October, Air Traffic Control at Biggin Hill International Airport raised the alarm that a Dornier 328 Jet with 25 passengers and crew on board was heading towards Biggin Hill from Ibiza with reported undercarriage problems…. That set the stage for a full scale mock emergency exercise designed to hone the emergency services response in the immediate wake of an air disaster. Codenamed 'Jubilee 2011', the exercise - run in real time - was based on the aircraft reaching the airfield and landing, before the undercarriage collapses resulting in significant damage to the aircr...

SMT Online Web Exclusive At Conference, ACS quality assurance manager Jody Parker and assistant director Andrew Shephard spoke of the need for change and the future of the hallmark. Brian Sims and Bobby Logue report. Now quality assurance manager for the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), Jody Parker – who led the first breakout session of the ‘Commitment To Regulation’ Conference in Sheffield – joined the Regulator eight years ago. After a time, Parker moved to the Credibility Team (to keep an eye on any abuses of the ACS marque) and then, t...

SMT Online – Infologue.com Web Exclusive The SIA’s ‘Commitment To Regulation’ Conference featured pivotal presentations by Hazel Russell and Steve McCormick, who added “layers of detail” to what we already know about the future for regulation. Brian Sims and Bobby Logue listened intently. As the Regulator’s director of transition, Hazel Russell stood before Conference to outline ‘A New Regulatory Regime for the Private Security Industry’ – but not before Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone had addressed us all via pre-recorded video. The minister talked of ...

Thirty-seven organisations joined forces today to launch ‘Fighting Fraud Together’, a new strategy that aims to reduce fraud - a crime estimated to cost the UK £38 billion every year. It is the first time that government, industry, voluntary groups and law enforcement agencies have joined together on such a large scale to sign a joint commitment to tackle fraud. All thirty-seven partners that have signed up to Fighting Fraud Together will contribute to and be accountable for its success. Fighting Fraud Together and its accompanying action plan place strong emphasis on preventing fraud ...

The second Security Industry Authority conference of the year was opened and chaired by Dave Humphries, Director of Compliance, Intelligence and Communication, who welcomed delegates to the Sheffield venue. He stressed the importance of industry input as the SIA develops plans for the future of regulation for the private security industry. The audience then heard from SIA Chairman Baroness Ruth Henig, whose keynote speech outlined the achievements of the SIA far - such as compliance and enforcement activity and excluding unfit individuals from the industry, and the success of the ACS scheme -...

The work retailers do to tackle crime and create safe communities is being spelt out on a new website ahead of the introduction of locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). The Tackling Retail Crime Together site, run by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) will be launched this Thursday (13 October) at the BRC's Annual Retail Crime Conference. It uses case studies to show how retailers are working to prevent crime, reduce re-offending and support local policing. The BRC says the introduction of elected PCCs in November 2012 will pos...