SIA Promote safer Security at Brighton’s student haunts

Tonight, Friday 30 November, the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) South East Partnerships and Interventions team and Sussex Police will be calling at Brighton’s top student pubs and clubs. They will share best-practice guidance on safer physical intervention for door supervisors as a reminder of how to keep their clients and themselves safe.

The aims of the event are to promote the importance of safer restraint and reduce any possible violence during the festive season.

The initiative marks the launch of a campaign in Brighton to improve students’ safety during the Christmas party season. The SIA team will share a poster and leaflets on Safer Physical Intervention for Door Supervisors with three top student pubs. It features guidance and illustrations of best practice for safer restraint. This is intended as a quick reminder for Door Supervision licence holders and relates to the training they received in physical intervention.

Kevin Young, the SIA’s Regional Investigations Manager, South Region, says that the initiative is a positive way to promote safer working practices at venues that are likely to encounter violence.

“We want students and young people to have a great night out and go home this Christmas unharmed. It also ensures the safety of the licensed door supervisors who work at these venues, the majority of whom do a very good job in challenging circumstances.”

The initiative is supported by Sussex Police (Brighton) and the University of Brighton.

In addition, the campaign seeks to persuade businesses and door supervisors in Brighton’s night time economy to report incidents to the police so that the SIA can get an accurate picture of the level of violence that takes place against students and door supervisors. Incidents can be reported anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the SIA website.

To download a copy of the poster here visit SIA’s website. Pubs and clubs are encouraged to download the poster and share it with door supervisors and promote the campaign: #SaferStudents #Saferrestraint #PartySafe #SIALocal.

The Office for National Statistics in their paper “The nature of violent crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2017” published 08 February 2018, reveals that victims of assault are usually male (2.1% compared with 1.3% of women) and they account for a larger proportion of victims of violence with injury (53% compared with women at 47%) aged between 16 – 24. This survey indicates that incidents of “violent crime”, including violence with injury (wounding, assault with minor injury) and violence without injury, increases when alcohol is involved.