What, then, is the SIA doing to help create the extended police family? In line with its stated goal of involving the industry at every step prior to implementation, the Authority has just issued a consultation document (a copy of which Drane has given to Security Management Today) which sets out its own philosophy underpinning the family, while canvassing the opinions of many organisations as to what they think the future direction of that family ought to be.

Consultees include the Government (via the Home Office), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, police authorities, the police service (in the guise of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Superintendent’s Association and the Police Federation), local authorities, the security industry (including the BSIA, JSIC and The Security Institute) and the buyers of security.

Among the latter group are members of the British Retail Consortium, the Bankers’ Association, the Association of British Insurers, the Food and Wines Security Association and the Federation of Small Businesses.

Making an impact on crime and disorder

And the SIA’s underpinning philosophy is? “Increasing the number and background of those who can impact on crime, disorder and social disharmony,” opines Drane. “As I’ve said, it’s not a model that is specifically about everybody becoming a police officer, or organisations being turned into mini police forces. It is about formally increasing the numbers of people and organisations who could share the same or at least similar visions about society, and how it should behave and work in collaboration and partnership with the traditional organisations of the state to present a united and co-ordinated front with the aim of enhancing social well-being.”

Peoples’ perception of crime isn’t that it’s tailing off. That is precisely why the reassurance agenda simply has to take centre stage. It’s all about members of the public feeling safer. This is both a Government objective and a social objective

By his own admission, with this document Drane and the SIA have “put up a straw man to be shot at” and challenged. Those challenges will come, but collating the opinions from all parties and bringing together Best Practice from separate initiatives such as Project Griffin will mean that a cohesive strategy acceptable to the majority can then be devised and adopted.

Each of the 43 forces across England and Wales often interpret the ‘rules’ in a different way, of course (the ACPO Security Systems Policy being a good case in point). Will that be the same with any blueprint produced for the extended police family?

“One of the keys to good problem solving is that solutions are not always transferable,” Drane responds with no small amount of conviction. “First, you have to analyse the problem. The solution will depend on the problem, and the problem will be defined at the local level. ”

Source

SMT

Postscript

Security Management Today would like to thank Andy Drane for his assistance during the preparation of this article