New ways of working by joint Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and UK Border Agency (UKBA) teams based in every custody suite across London are already making London's streets safer, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley announced today, Friday 9 November. AC Rowley, in charge of Specialist Crime and Operations, said: "As London becomes an increasingly international city we need to make sure that we are as effective at catching or stopping offenders from abroad as we are domestic offenders. That applies equally to if an officer is arresting a burglar or proactively targeting a vio...

The survey, published today, highlights that a key part of the successful model of policing is the specialist role football spotters have in building trust and confidence of football supporters. ACPO lead on football policing ACC Andy Holt said: “Over the past two decades there has been steady progress in reducing football-related violence and disorder, with the model of policing football in the UK being replicated internationally. “The survey published today by the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) highlights that a key part of the successful model of policing is the specialist ro...

Unscrupulous metal thieves who steal from war memorials will soon face tough new penalties, Crime Prevention Minister Jeremy Browne warned today. From next month powers will take effect to stop cash paid for metal and give the police stronger powers to target rogue traders. Days before the nation marks Remembrance Sunday, the minister visited a war memorial site in Erith, Kent, to learn about the devastating impact of metal thieves on the local community. Metal theft Jeremy Browne said: 'These thieves show an utter disregard for the memory of the courageous men and women who pa...

Newly released figures have revealed that thefts from the nation's war memorials have fallen by around two thirds since the launch of an initiative to protect this key piece of the UK's heritage. In Memoriam 2014, a partnership between War Memorials Trust and the SmartWater Foundation, was launched in October 2011, when reports to the Trust of thefts from and of memorials were running at an average of three each week. In total the charity identified sixty cases of theft and vandalism attacks during 2011. However, the latest update from War Memorials Trust shows a huge drop in the number of...

New rules to stop misuse of surveillance powers came into force today as part of the government's continuing programme to safeguard civil liberties. The changes will stop councils using surveillance powers designed to fight crime for monitoring school catchment areas and the contents of residents' recycling bins. Local authorities will have to get approval from a magistrate before using powers to track suspected benefit cheats, rogue traders and those selling alcohol or tobacco to children. And they will only be able to conduct surveillance for crimes which would be given more th...

This year’s SIA conference opened with a speech from Lord Taylor of Holbeach, parliamentary under secretary for criminal information, with responsibility for the SIA. Lord Taylor said that the “Home Office and the SIA are working closely together to deliver a business regulation regime”. His speech was followed by an address from SIA Chairman, Baroness Ruth Henig, who announced that she is to stand down as SIA Chairman in the New Year. Baroness Henig spoke of the “enormous improvements” the SIA has made to its financial performance and in its service to customers since she joined th...

I am very pleased that the SIA invited me to give the opening speech at their annual conference. As you will probably be aware I’m fairly new in post, although I have been interested in issues affecting the sector for some time, so I very much welcomed the chance to get to meet and talk to people who work in the private security industry, as well as take the opportunity to set out to you in a little more detail the Government’s direction of travel for the future regulation of the industry. I am sorry that I shall have to leave at 11 o’clock, to be on the floor of the House of Lords fo...

Following the success of the British Security Industry Association’s Information Destruction Conference and Exhibition earlier this year, the BSIA is pleased to announce that this popular annual event will return next summer, for the fifth successive year. The one-day event will take place on Wednesday 5th June 2013 at this year’s popular location, the National Motorcycle Museum, next to the NEC in Birmingham, and is aimed at key decision makers in organisations that carry out the secure destruction of confidential material. Anthony Pearlgood, chairman of the BSIA’s Information Dest...

The SIA has updated its online Criminal Record Indicator to make the online tool easier to use for new applicants and those renewing their licence. The SIA will always carry out a criminal record check on anyone who applies for a licence. If an applicant has a criminal record, it does not necessarily mean that they will not get a licence. The Criminal Record Indicator was launched in 2004 as an online tool to give individuals an indication on whether they may or may not meet the criminality criteria in order to obtain an SIA licence. Earlier this year; the SIA asked for customer feedb...

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has recently updated one of its guides to access control systems. The guide, ‘A Specifiers Guide to Access Control Systems’, aims to raise awareness to specifiers and potential purchasers about the contributions and benefits that access control systems can give to a premises. Properly designed and installed access control systems are known to be very effective forms of security, allowing for integration with other security systems to enhance the protection of employees, buildings and assets. The earlier versions of the guide had already bee...