Honour security guards

Last year I had the privilege of being invited to join the judging panel and a most interesting experi-ence it was. Examining submissions, discussing the merits of each and then reaching a collective decision as to who should be the outright winners. Some of the imagination used in security technology was absolutely fascinating, although we must remember that the human presence is cleverer and somewhat less predictable than hardware.

Some of the ideas adopted by manned security companies were also very interesting. What I didn't expect were no submissions at all from those contractors who claim to be leaders in the field. Most seem to recognise and reward their own officers at company ceremonies, but perhaps those winners should then compete at the Excellence Awards in a new category entitled Best Security Officer of the Year?

Imagine the pride of the officer who wins … after all it is these members of the team who are constantly in the front line and should be recognised by the security industry.

I also wondered whether or not there should be a separate category for police-driven security initiatives? After all, constabularies have consider-able financial, social and people resources which many security companies do not enjoy, and are at something of an advantage as a result. Worth thinking about.

The 2003 Security Excellence Awards evening was, of itself, a memorable event … necessarily formal but at the same time great fun and brilliantly organised. It was a real pleasure to see the winners take their place on the podium in the knowledge that their product, service or individual qualities had been recognised as a major contributor to security in UK plc.

That said, it was a little disappointing to note that the evening was sponsored primarily by the technology developers. Maybe the Security Industry Authority (SIA) should be a sponsor this time round? And what about one of the major guarding companies?

How about the Joint Security industry Authority sponsoring the 'Best Security Manager of the Year' category.? After all, this is an organisation that claims to be representative of practitioners in the corporate environment.

The Security Excellence Awards are the industry's most prestigious event. If the great and good wish to meet with those at the sharp end of the private security sector then the Awards evening is a must-attend event. It must be supported by everyone right across the industry. I challenge those who claim to be at the forefront of developing the industry and its evolution to actively support the 2004 event.