On Tuesday 9 January 2018 at Workington Magistrates’ Court, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) successfully defended an appeal against the suspension of a licence from a security officer charged with indecent exposure.
The licence holder, who cannot be named because the case is still to be heard at the Carlisle Crown Court, was suspended in November 2017 having been charged for indecent exposure. He allegedly exposed himself to a group of children (aged 1, 4 and 8) at a public swimming pool.
The police informed the SIA of the security officer’s alleged behaviour, following which his SIA licence was suspended. The suspension will be reviewed following the outcome at the Crown Court.
SIA solicitor Neil Diamond told the Court that:“As a regulator, the SIA places paramount importance on public safety. The SIA was given a legal power to temporarily suspend licences for precisely these types of circumstances. It would present an unacceptable level of risk for someone awaiting trial for such a serious offence to continue in a position of trust and responsibility in the interim.”
Dismissing the security officer’s appeal, the magistrates found that the SIA had acted in accordance with its own guidelines, and that the decision to suspend was appropriate. The magistrates further found that there could be a threat to public safety if the licence did not remain suspended, and were satisfied that suspension was in the public interest.
The security officer was ordered to make a contribution to the SIA’s legal costs of £200.
Lisa Targowska, SIA Deputy Director Legal, said: “We will always rigorously defend appeals of this nature, particularly where there is any potential risk to the public. Security operatives are in a position of trust, and so we will not hesitate to use our powers of suspension where it is in the public interest to do so.”