The Wider Security Family’s at play

The fact of the matter is that members of the police service have never liked the security industry, with serving officers persisting in a campaign of sniping while at the same time ignoring deficiencies, criminality and untrustworthiness prevalent among their own ranks.

The media – and by that I mean the national newspapers and television programmes – is equally to blame for its constant portrayal of security managers as dimwits and security officers as being both lazy and incompetent in comparison with the police service, and yet the latter’s ‘casualty rate’ is probably higher. Hardly surprising, one might suggest, in a country where freedom of the press is frequently used to insult and insinuate.

The security industry is brimming with talent and expertise, is expert in a wide range of law enforcement issues and its operatives frequently placed in situations of high risk which the police service has long abandoned (usually as a result of clients refusing to buy its services). Although a naturally close ally of the police service, security is either badly deployed or totally disregarded by almost every chief constable. Except, that is, when they are looking for a job at retirement age.

I do not agree with John’s assertion that the public perception of security officers is one of “bored, reluctant people”. Members of the public regularly meet security officers during the day at retail centres, hospitals, sports events and at airports. If the officers on duty are bored then it may be because they are successful in their endeavours. It may be the responsibility of the client or line manager for not ensuring that officers have completed their quota of tasks for the day. Lions directed by donkeys, perhaps?

For its part, the Security Industry Authority is not an ally of the security industry. As an organisation it lacks credibility, is disorganised and poorly managed. I would suggest the main reason for this is the fact that those at senior levels have little or no experience of security as a discipline, while others have brought in their own agenda from the police service.

The very fact that private and public sector practitioners are not represented within the senior echelons of the SIA is indicative of this, as highlighted by your excellent Four Issues, One Voice Campaign strand (SMT, April 2006, pp34-36).

Should we not have an enhanced ‘security family’, with the police service supporting that community rather than the opposite?

Nick van der Bijl BEM, Security Manager North Bristol NHS Trust