The community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS) is due to be re-launched at the end of March. That’s part of moves towards more, and more consistent, ‘integrated policing’, whereby everyone stands to gain – society, commercial security providers, and the police. That emerged from a webinar under the S12 umbrella this morning.
That’s the group of guarding company chiefs that meets with Home Office minister Dan Jarvis, the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority and others, to progress the sector. One ‘workstream’ is ‘integrated policing’; hence the webinar, chaired by S12 chair Paul Evans, the chief of Carlisle Support Services, pictured (courtesy of Carlisle) and also hearing from Jenny Gilmour, the senior South Wales Police woman who’s national lead about private security; and Nathan Davidson of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (CPI), the police company that among other things looks after CSAS.
Not the least interesting learning from the webinar was the evident partnership work between Paul Evans and Jenny Gilmour (who meet regularly). Also, that as Jenny (who described herself on the webinar as ‘in listening mode’) put it, echoing what she told the NAHS healthcare conference at the University of Warwick, as featured in the January 2026 edition of Professional Security Magazine; ‘this is a bit of a moment in time’, when all sides are ready to take forward CSAS. Because thereby society can be better protected; police can use their warranted officers for more serious (arrestable) offences; and trained, vetted security officers can be given police-like powers to attend to lower level nuisances, such as littering, dog fouling, anti-social behaviour, and riding of bicycles on pavements.
The webinar heard how police through CPI, while holding to the ‘sovereignty’ of chief constables in their own force area, propose to make it easier for CSAS to happen, for instance by the publication of national standards (so that police forces don’t ‘do their own thing’) and a national database so that CPI knows such basics as how many CSAS-approved companies are in England and Wales (CSAS doesn’t cover Scotland and Northern Ireland) and how many trained, vetted CSAS officers. Talking of vetting and training, police propose to remove some of the bugbears of CSAS for guard firms looking to offer such niche services; so far, a firm has to apply to each chief constable, to do CSAS work in their force area, and to get officers vetted by each force, even though multiple applications to neighbouring forces means more cost and time. Proposed instead is accreditation and vetting to apply nationally, once gained.
Background about CSAS
It dates from the Police Reform Act 2002. As that implies, it’s been around for about 20 years; yet take-up has been patchy; Essex, and Devon and Cornwall, are two force areas to embrace CSAS more than most. For case studies of local government, retail and rail use of CSAS, visit https://www.policecsas.com/case-studies/. CSAS officers may direct traffic, or confiscate alcohol in public, or issue fines; depending on a chief constable, and local scheme requirements.
About the S12
After discussions began in summer 2024, a first round-table of guarding chiefs and the authorities (notably the police, SIA and Home Office) followed in December 2024. S12 launched in autumn 2025 with a first of quarterly meetings between Home Office minister Dan Jarvis, and guarding chiefs. At the webinar S12 chair Paul Evans described ‘signification traction’ so far. It’s set up 15 ‘workstreams’ and as each is connected with others, S12 is looking to ‘harmonise’ them. As a sign organisers want the group to last, it’s formed as a community interest company (CIC). Visit https://securityleaders.co.uk/.
Peter Harrison, deputy chair of the S12, is due to give an update about the group’s work so far to the UK OSPAs thought leadership summit at the Royal Lancaster London, on Thursday, February 19, the afternoon before the evening OSPAs awards dinner.
More in the March 2026 edition of Professional Security Magazine.
