The CEO of the Security Industry Authority (SIA), Bill Butler, has called on the security industry to “value people better” in a presentation to the Global Security Summit.
Mr Butler’s comments came when he was asked about the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.
He gave an example of how people on the lowest wages at the Olympics were bussed to venues and then sent away with nothing to do. While the majority of the mishaps of the Olympic security operation were down to the organisation of G4S, he said that there are similar stories across the industry.
He described “people being left out in the middle of the night with poor equipment on the lowest wages.”
He went on to say that “this is why nearly 60% of people in this industry do not renew their [SIA] licence.”
Earlier this year, a media storm erupted over the treatment of security workers who were reportedly forced to sleep under a bridge ahead of providing security services for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Olympic Security experience
The SIA CEO encouraged the industry to learn from the Olympic security operation, which LOCOG’s head of security described as having a 92% satisfaction rating earlier at the Global Security Summit.
Mr Butler asked “Why was that a good experience?
“Why did it feel that different? And how can we repeat that? Because if we can repeat that, we can sell it and people will pay for it.”
Preposterous and disproportionate
Speaking about the new regulatory regime for the SIA, the CEO further outlined the phased transition to a new regulatory regime – which has yet to begin despite the UK Public Bodies review recommending the transition back in October 2010.
He said: “We want proportionate interventions. This does not mean more powers.
“We can only do what the Act allows us.
“Currently if you are not wearing your [SIA] badge when you should be, this is a criminal offence. This is preposterous and disproportionate.”
He added that he wants to see businesses taking responsibility for licensing individuals, and that for individual registration’s there should be a ‘digital first’ approach – something that is already happening, he said.
Read more from the Global Security Summit at www.info4security.com/globalsecuritysummit.