Three pub managers without the mandatory SIA licence were found to be unlawfully employing door staff during checks in Scunthorpe on Friday [20 Feb]. 18 licensed premises were visited by the SIA, Humberside Police and North Lincolnshire Council as part of an operation to check that staff at the venues held SIA licences. By law, all door staff must hold a frontline SIA licence and display this while working. If they are employed directly by a venue as staff member, rather than through a contractor, the manager must hold a non-frontline licence. Of the 38 individuals checked, all of the door sta...

In January Bobby Logue raised an important question, asking for the SIA to release the critical independent delivery review, which had led to the departure of the then SIA CEO Mike Wilson [Infologue article: https://www.infologue.com/news/infologue-opinion-sia-needs-to-come-clean-on-independent-delivery-review/]. At a recent IPSA meeting, members brought up the lack of openness of the SIA and requested the International Council to publicise their concerns. The SIA has since released two documents, both written by themselves, a summary of the review [The SIA Delivery Review: Strengthening our C...

The SIA today published the findings and recommendations of the recent Delivery Review of the organisation, and outlined the resulting action plan already in progress. The internal review was commissioned by the Home Office and SIA Board to inform how the SIA is equipped to meet both today’s delivery objectives and the challenges of the future. The independent reviewers acknowledged the SIA’s important contribution to public safety through regulation of the private security industry, while suggesting areas for development. Chief Executive Bernard Herdan said: “Team members have taken pe...

The British Security Industry Association was amongst the attendees at the Home Secretary's summit on burglary reduction yesterday. The summit, entitled 'Real Help for People in Hard Times' was chaired by Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, and was attended by organisations including: ACPO, ABI, Age Concern, NUS and Neighbourhood Watch, aiming to find new innovative ways of preventing burglary.John Bates, BSIA Chief Executive, comments: "The private security industry has played a significant role in bringing down burglary by 55% since 1997* through the installation of intruder alarms, physic...

Night time inspections to ensure Nottingham and Chesterfield’s city centres’ pubs and clubs are being protected by licensed door supervisors showed 98% compliance with the law. In Nottingham, Security Industry Authority investigators and Nottingham Police checked 119 door staff working at 29 city centre venues. There was 97.5% compliance, with only three individuals found working without SIA licences – they will be dealt by the police. In Chesterfield, of the 44 door supervisors at 18 venues inspected by SIA investigators just one was unlicensed, compliance of 98%. Jackie Munn, an SIA He...

The Security Industry Authority is to host a series of road shows explaining new licensing arrangements in Northern Ireland. The briefings, for those working in private security and for buyers of private security services, will be held in Belfast, Coleraine, Londonderry, Fivemiletown and Newry during February and March. Speakers from the SIA, the Northern Ireland Office, private security companies and users of private security will explain and discuss the purpose, process, risks and benefits of licensing. From December 2009 in Northern Ireland an SIA licence will be required for each different...

The current interim Chief Executive of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) Dr Bernard Herdan CB has been appointed as Chief Executive of the new National Fraud Strategic Authority (NFSA), Baroness Scotland, and the Attorney General, announced today. He will take up the post on 1 April 09 succeeding interim chief executive Sandra Quinn, who is presently on secondment from the Financial Services Authority.Dr Herdan will take forward the development of the NFSA, which became operational in October last year, in its crucial work in co-ordinating anti-fraud activities across the public, priva...

John Whitwam, Managing Director of G4S Gurkha Services, part of G4S, the UK’s leading security company, was today commended for foiling a street robbery at a cash point located in the heart of London’s Piccadilly.  The brave intervention resulted in the gang member being jailed for his part in the distraction robbery.While travelling through crowded Piccadilly to a morning business meeting Whitwam noticed three men acting suspiciously, crowding round a cash machine as a man attempted to withdraw money.  The men behaved unusually, whispering and signalling to each other while attempti...

Eight door staff have been reported for working illegally, following checks for SIA licences carried out in pubs and clubs in areas of Scotland on Friday [19 Jan]. SIA investigators and Lothian and Borders Police visited 18 venues in Livingston. Of the 44 door staff checked, 40 were working legally with valid SIA licences. However, four were found to be flouting the law by working without a licence and were reported to the procurator fiscal. In Wishaw and Motherwell, Strathclyde Police and the SIA went to four premises where 16 door staff were checked. Four door staff in Wishaw found working ...

Infologue.com received high interest in our comments in the Infologue.com Annual Review 2008 regarding the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) unwillingness to release the full independent delivery review into the leadership and management. Infologue.com has applied to the SIA for a copy of the review in terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The industry has a right to know what is contained in the independent delivery review. The release of the review coincided with the shock departure of the SIA Chief Executive Mike Wilson by "mutual agreement". It is inconceivable that in this ...