The achievement of the officers was recognised at a ceremony held in Bristol on February 11, where Superintendent Julian Moss presented the security officers with their awards.
Supt. Moss is the Lead for Citizen Focus Policing for the Bristol District, and he not only confirmed the officers’ accreditation, but also praised their commitment to maintaining a safe, comfortable and secure environment at The Mall Bristol.
He said: “Policing is too important to be left to the police alone. Through accreditation, and as our partner, VSG has a big part to play in driving down crime and disorder in the heart of Bristol.”
Special powers
As a result of gaining CSAS accreditation, which followed a period of intensive training and evaluation by the police, the VSG security officers now have enhanced powers to assist them in their work within The Mall.
These powers include the ability to confiscate alcohol and tobacco and to issue fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour, as well as the right to require persons suspected of committing an offence to provide their names and addresses.
In addition, the accreditation of the officers means that the police are now free to share intelligence in more detail with the security team at The Mall Bristol, which is an important aid to crime control and prevention.
“We’re absolutely delighted with the success of the VSG security officers in gaining CSAS accreditation,” said Keith Randall, operations manager of The Mall Bristol.
“We applaud the hard work they’ve put in to make their accreditation possible. The VSG team is already playing the key role in helping us to ensure that shoppers and employees at The Mall Bristol always enjoy a safe, comfortable environment, and we are convinced that the CSAS accreditation will give the team members the powers they need to be even more effective.”
Also pleased
“We too are very pleased with the achievements of our officers at The Mall Bristol,” said VSG chairman Bill Muskin.
“We pride ourselves on always delivering the highest possible standard of service for our clients, and the CSAS accreditation of officers is an important aid in helping us to do this. The accreditation also recognises the commitment, performance and quality of our staff.”
Community Safety Accreditation Schemes were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002, which enabled Chief Constables to accredit employees of organisations that contribute to community safety.
The schemes make it possible for Chief Constables to give accredited persons limited powers to carry out certain functions that are normally reserved for police officers.
