My previous opinion piece isn’t it now time to be honest? prompted a number of telephone calls enquiring as to why most of my comments in Security Management Today appear critical of the very industry I purport to support. It has never been my aim to mindlessly criticise those around me, but rather to ask questions that others seem reluctant to voice.
It’s interesting to note that no-one has ever accused me of either fabricating or misrepresenting facts and/or events. Maybe I’ve hit a few raw nerves? Perhaps the truth is sometimes a little unpalatable?
The question I ask this month is: “Will the police service ever work WITH us?” Before any readers start reaching for the telephone to inform me that the police service already works with us, they should ask themselves this: “Does the police service ever work with us at ‘our’ request and for ‘our mutual benefit’ rather than its own?” Let me highlight two recent instances that will offer some food for thought.
‘No Go’ area for the police
On a Saturday night at one construction site protected by my company’s wireless detection equipment, there was an alarm activation followed by a further alarm from a piece of plant protected by our ‘Locator’ vehicle/plant tracking device. On receipt of the activation alarm, the Control Room staff contacted the client in accordance with their instructions – we would normally send a security officer. The client decided to try and follow the item of plant in an attempt to help the police service.
The equipment had been stolen by a member of our travelling community. When the client arrived on site, an hour-and-a-half passed before the police showed up. When they did materialise, they refused to enter the site as they considered it to be a ‘No Go’ area. They were worried about being shot at and the levels of general violence given the “large group of threatening and intimidating people on site”. Section 4(1) of the Public Order Act 1986 clearly doesn’t apply here.
There’s more… On an adjacent site, my client then identified pieces of equipment belonging to him (aided by the fact that the postcode was welded on to it) only to be told by the travellers that he would not walk off the site should he enter it. By the time the police arrived, the equipment had vanished. While the Boys in Blue moved on to solve their next crime, my client waited and followed a vehicle leaving site with his trailer on tow. After a confusing drive, my client lost the vehicle only to see it then enter the site without its former trailer.
At the time of writing, the chief constable for South Yorkshire – in whose jurisdictional area this incident occurred – has not responded to my communication relating to this incident. We have also taken the matter up with those who manage the Security Industry Theft Scheme. They have similarly failed to respond. Has the Home Office completely given up on us, or is this incident too embarrassing for them such that they seek to dissociate themselves from it?
Absence of any interest
The second incident concerns the theft of a delivery vehicle from a different client’s premises. This vehicle was delivering goods that had been specifically air freighted to the company and, as the sole importer, you could be sure that no-one else would be offering them up for sale. The goods were also specially packaged for a promotion planned in the following month.
Following the theft of the vehicle and all of its stock, my client duly informed the police. They sent a probationer. You can guess the rest. For my part, due to the position of the van – not to mention the speed of the theft – the CCTV images proved inconclusive. While not unusual, this is often a frustration shared by those involved with surveillance. All was not lost, however. The very next day, the exact same items appeared for sale on e-Bay and the seller was offering a collection service.
The interest of the police and the resulting prosecution were marked only by their absence. Anecdotally, I hear from other colleagues within the security sector of similar experiences. Surely this must beg the question: “Are we on our own?”
Of course the police service cannot do everything on its own. It needs assistance. It needs us. Many practitioners within the private security sector are former police officers. We’re used to collecting and presenting evidence. Even those like myself who did not start out in the police service have a great deal of practical experience to offer.
What we seem unable to do at the moment is break down the barrier whereupon the police will then view us as an invaluable tool in helping to secure convictions. I care not for the glory but for the safety and security of my clients and their property. That’s my job.
Taking the police to task
At the moment, there are significant numbers of people who seem to act with impunity. As a security professional I cannot accept that, and my company most certainly does not accept this situation.
As an industry, we must stand up and begin taking the police service to task when necessary and not allow ourselves to be seen as a second or third rate service.
How can we trust the police service when it does not come to our aid and will not work with us unless it suits? How can we respect a body if it has scant or no respect for us?
Some of my clients now talk of vigilantism. While it is only words, my fear is that other people may start to act.
Working together: mutual benefit
The enormity of the task in securing closer working relationships should not be underestimated. Having just read ‘Security Officers and Policing’ by Dr Mark Button, I was particularly struck by Chapter 9, which deals with the cultural characteristics of police officers and security officers. To do nothing, though, means we accept that the public we both serve will continue to be let down in circumstances like those I have highlighted.
Perhaps now is the time to cast aside the fine words and put into place initiatives that will result in the public receiving the correct levels of protection it expects and deserves.
More importantly, it will mean that we will have to work together for our mutual benefit. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we may even begin to trust and respect each other as time passes by!
