A new report released today, The Security Industry in perspective, is one of the most extensive surveys of views on the private security sector. The study is an important crystallisation of opinions that have long been held about the sector. The findings are based on three surveys of the industry’s key stakeholders; corporate security managers who buy security (the buyers), directors & management of security companies (the suppliers), and security operatives, especially in the guarding sector. If this report is taken seriously, as it should be by the industry, it could act as a catal...

News outlets need to be held to account for their coverage of the English riots, a new report has argued. Media and the Riots: A Call for Action, published today on the first anniversary of the riots, is the first report to examine the impact of the mainstream print and broadcast media’s reporting on the communities most affected. The report, written by Dr Leah Bassel of the University of Leicester’s Department of Sociology, reflects the views of those who attended the Media and the Riots conference held by the Citizen Journalism Educational Trust and citizen journalism ...

A Lancashire bar owner has been prosecuted by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for failing to register his premises’ use of CCTV equipment. Mohammed Ali Enayet, owner of The Lime Lounge in Cleveleys, failed to notify with the ICO despite operating CCTV equipment that was regularly collecting the images of people visiting his restaurant. The bar owner also ignored three letters from the ICO informing him he needed to register and failed to attend an earlier hearing. Mr Enayet was fined £100 and ordered to pay £250 prosecution costs by Blackpool Magistrates yesterday. He will a...

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Training Providers section has released some useful tips to help companies and individuals wishing to identify the most reputable and professional security training providers. “The development of the security industry continues to create a wealth of new and exciting career opportunities, and job seekers are having to prove that they possess the skill sets and underpinning knowledge required to operate successfully in this fast-moving arena” said Paul Tennent, Chairman of the BSIA’s Training Providers section. “At the same time, securit...

Members of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) have welcomed the announcement of a EU-wide industrial policy for the security industry, issued yesterday (Monday 30th July) by the European Commission. The policy aims to increase harmonisation between EU member countries, reducing the severe fragmentation that currently exists in the European security marketplace and removing trade barriers that restrict the ability of UK security equipment manufacturers to expand their product offering to other countries within the EU. Testing and certification is just one area that will be pos...

On Friday the London 2012 Olympic Games started with a fantastic Opening Ceremony, marking the culmination of the 70 day Olympic Torch Relay and the beginning of nearly seven weeks of sporting and cultural celebration. That the Olympic Torch Relay was such a great success from start to finish is in no small part down to the hard work and planning of every officer and police staff member involved in the various policing operations up and down the country. I would like to express my gratitude to every officer and staff member who has played a role in its delivery. The National Olympi...

In 2011, 144 crew members fell victim to attack, with many sustaining minor and serious injury, sustaining long-term physical and psychological effects from shootings, stabbings, pistol whippings and severe beatings, all whilst carrying out the day-to-day requirements of their job. Transporting around £500 billion every year – the equivalent to £1.4 billion every day – the UK's cash-in-transit industry performs an essential public service, keeping cash moving around the country, supporting banks, retailers and businesses by facilitating millions of transactions every day. James Kelly,...

A major overhaul of family migration will help stop foreign criminals hiding behind human rights laws to dodge deportation and ensure only migrants who can pay their way are allowed to come to the UK. From next month, only those earning at least £18,600 will be able to bring in a spouse or partner from outside Europe. Applicants lacking the financial support or language skills they need to play a full part in British life - without becoming a burden on the taxpayer - will be refused entry. The home secretary has today also announced decisive action to protect the public from foreign offend...

As part of its commitment towards promoting high standards in the sector, members of the Close Protection section of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) recently launched their own Code of Ethics. The document aims at safeguarding the interests of end users of close protection services, by providing clear guidelines on the way business processes are followed by all BSIA CP Section member companies. It covers areas such as the way members agree to handle the marketing and advertising of services, the quality of the service, written terms and conditions of supply, compliance with a...

Dianne Tranmer has been appointed Director of Transition at the Security Industry Authority and will lead work on the transition to the new regulatory regime. Dianne joined the SIA in 2003 as Assistant Director of Compliance and Investigation. Since then she has worked across the organisation, fulfilling roles such as Acting Director of Operations and Deputy Director of Transition, and has been responsible for implementation of the compliance strategy, the corporate services review and progressing the transition. Dianne has been in the director role on an interim basis since February 2012, fo...