The importance of working partnerships between the police service and the private sector were highlighted by Sir John Stevens at The Security Institute's Annual Dinner
In his first official engagement as Patron of The Security Institute (TSI), Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens emphasised the current and future importance of effective partnerships between the police service and the private sector – and the overriding need for security practitioners to take a pro-active role in how these develop.

Speaking at TSI's Third Annual Dinner, held at the Regent's Park Marriott Hotel, Sir John highlighted the changes that had taken place in the police force during the past 42 years and suggested that, while the police service had once been sceptical about working with the security sector, there was no place for such attitudes in the "challenging and complex environment" in which security and law enforcement practitioners now operate.

"I truly believe that working together is the way forward," commented Sir John. "For the security profession there's now a major opportunity. The challenge the industry faces is to deliver a professional, well-managed and well-regulated service that's obviously capable of operating in an environment where public expectations are exceedingly high, and where there's now an increasing emphasis on openness and accountability."

Sir John added that TSI is central to the process, mainly because of the important role it has to play in setting professional standards, encouraging training, facilitating the development of a properly regulated career path and "enthusing professionals as they progress along that path."

Sir John Stevens' theme was continued by TSI's annual general meeting guest speaker Richard Childs (the former chief constable of Lincolnshire Police who was recently appointed managing director of ACPO Crime Prevention Initiatives and also acts as a consultant to the Security Industry Authority). Childs feels it's inevitable that the private security sector would expand further into roles that had traditionally been seen as the responsibility of the police "because it's unrealistic to expect the police to satisfy all public and commercial expectations with respect to service levels."

Childs added: "The tendency to assume that the police service should make all of the decisions about the scope of this activity and how it's organised should be resisted. The security sector must play an active part in deciding which of the existing gaps it might wish to fill. The industry must look at the kinds of activities it would be practical and financially viable for it to undertake in the real world."

Source

SMT