In the main installers, big and small, just want to get on the with the business of earning a living by doing a good job, and perhaps I have been guilty of going on a bit too much about wider issues like the “surveillance society” debate and increasing databases culture.
We all make our living, however, on the back of this industry’s credibility, so I really make no excuses for highlighting wider issues that affect it.
Mixed feelings
For instance how do you feel when you read about the UK’s performance in an international privacy rating? As the heading on our website says UK is Europes worst in privacy league
Although it was, no doubt, designed to illustrate that we are a nation of snoopers and the snooped upon, I don’t see why the industry could not turn this around. We could just as easily say “UK security is best in Europe”.
Being branded an endemic surveillance society could just as easily be interpreted as “Security of citizens is paramount”.
You could hold two different views depending on whether you have your business hat or your citizen’s hat on. How many people in security feel their personal views are split like this?
How do you feel when you read that hidden CCTV is being installed at rubbish tips ? This can be seen as a perfectly legitimate way to stop builders misusing our rubbish tips and a good job done by installers, or an example of “CCTV overkill”, as the civil libertarians claim.
Any issue can be spun on its head. No doubt even our unenviable reputation as the biggest binge drinkers could be interpreted as “UK party people bring bonanza for brewers”, or the appalling teenage pregnancy rate could be interpreted as “UK mums guarantee they’ll see grandchildren grow up”.
But for the sake of the security industry we should make sure we acknowledge public opinions and don’t see security from just a business point of view.
Curtain call
As predictable as no snow at Christmas is the annual advice about how householders can protect those new prezzies.
I had a long list of do’s and don’ts sent from BusinessWatch giving me advice such as “Close your curtains once you put the lights on so people can’t see in” and, if your going away for the festive period, leave a bathroom light on. “It’s the one light in the house that could explain why you’re not answering the door.”
I personally don’t think this would deter any but the most knuckle-scraping chav looking for his drugs money. How many people sit in the bathroom over the holiday?
This kind of advice is repeated so regularly it must be a giveaway to any self respecting intruder who concludes “bathroom light on for three days equals empty house”.
There’s also the warning: “If possible, leave a car on the drive or offer the space to neighbours’ visitors.” No disrespect to next door but I think I’d rather buy a spare car.
Sorry to seem churlish about this well-intentioned advice, but the best option for householders is, of course, to get a professionally fitted alarm system … or even the whole monitored alarm and response service provided by The BusinessWatch Group itself, recently named Small Business of the Year in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph Business Awards.
Hangin’ judge moment
All these types of warnings increasingly point to a reversal of blame for crime. If you don’t carry out the 20 point advice plan, you’re made to feel you’re to blame for it. It’s as if the nasty little toad who robbed you just happened to come along like any other natural disaster that has no control over its actions.
No, it was your fault your car was stolen because you left it unlocked when you went to pay for petrol. It was your fault you were mugged because you cut across the park after dark.
This “blame sharing” culture is, of course, a gift to the insurance industry, but is a sad reflection on how responsibility for personal behaviour is being downgraded.
This attitude that everyone is a victim is nowhere demonstrated more clearly than on the Home Office web site where cutting street robbery is described as “Targeting young people at risk of offending”.
For every minute of police time and paltry compensation dished out to the real victim there’s a wealth of attention and financial investment lavished on the criminal.
Security training
Kids still love to play ‘shops’ but that old stocking filler, the kiddie till is old hat these days. Now even four year olds expect fully working mini EPOS systems with lifelike credit cards and EAS warning beeps if you leave the ‘shop’ without paying. Great for future security guard training and early security awareness as one tot stops the other leaving the premises with goods they ‘forgot’ to pay for, just like mummy.
Next Christmas expect to see the Little Installer Kit, just right for the modern child who wants to play cops and robbers but is not allowed outside. Including fully functional teddy bear-shaped PIRS, wireless control panel (takes 20 AA batteries not included) and ‘fun colour’ strobe sounder guaranteed to drive parents mad. All the little “cops” have to do is ring up with a crime reference number.
Happy New Year, see you next time