Last month Una Riley told us of Stefan Hay leaving the security profession; we now have the departure of Jeff Little, CEO of the National Security Inspectorate (NSI). However, Jeff will be staying within the wider world of security; just not in the UK.
I recently caught up with him in London and over a most enjoyable lunch I asked him, how had you enjoyed your time within the UK security profession? Jeff smiled and replied: “Hugely. I have made lots of new friends and many new acquaintances. It is a super industry but it needs more coherence and more unity. The industry has taken some body blows in terms of reputation and public confidence over the past 18 months and that lost ground now needs to be reclaimed. There are some personal tensions which hopefully will disappear naturally with time. But the sector needs more proactive media engagement if it is to win back the hearts and minds battle-space.” We went on to discuss this area further which led us to the more positive areas in which the industry is moving forward and Jeff said: “I applauded the work being done by the Security Institute to increase professionalism, particularly by Mike Bluestone and now by Emma Shaw. Her recent article in the FT [Financial Times, of January 2] was first rate. But alliances and coalitions of the various currently separate entities will be important if we are to gain more traction. There are too many small single subject interest groups and some consolidation is needed. I thought that the efforts to form an All Party Parliamentary Group to seek political recognition were much needed and should be revisited despite recent setbacks.”
We spoke about the difficulty in this area and I explained how the original attempt to create the parliamentary group had withered. Again we talked about what had gone before and Jeff said: “Mainly it is all about people. There are some bright young minds now emergent who must be encouraged and nurtured. I do believe the industry should make more efforts externally to recognise the efforts of its workers perhaps via the national honours and awards system where it has had little exposure to date.” Changing the subject altogether I asked, where will he be going? What will he be doing? Jeff laid down his knife and fork and said: “I am joining a small consultancy group focused on overseas business. I do think UK’s reputation and experience is well respected overseas and we should build upon that foundation to export more services. Our CT [counter-terror] experience in particular after the long years of the IRA threat is extensive. I also believe our standards and quality processes are great assets and I applaud the partnerships now established by Skills for Security to export training into the Middle East [see page 71]. I will certainly promote national capabilities overseas where practicable. I also hope to be involved in some facilities management work as I believe outsourcing will continue to grow particularly in developing nations.” In my opinion Jeff will be a great ambassador for British business abroad but I wanted to ask what did you think he has achieved as CEO of the NSI since the last time we spoke. Jeff replied: “I hope that NSI has changed in the past three years. I think it is now a more transparent, open and approachable organisation which is more minded toward change and new ways of doing its business. I believe that standards are the glue which help hold the industry together. Third party certification should be seen as the principal risk reduction tool for companies of all sizes and shapes. I think NSI has some real opportunities ahead.” We talked at length about the NSI and the structure and the fact that the organisations are the approved body and not the individuals. However, it is difficult to separate the perception of the individuals concerned not buying in to the fact that they are NSI approved. Jeff said: “Although the NSI has ‘approved companies’ and not members per se, I feel that NSI ‘members’ do believe that they have joined an elite and that is no bad thing. But we need to create more of a community of top quality companies within the industry and recognise the threats and opportunities ahead. The world is becoming a much more dangerous place as population growth continues and competition for scarce resources becomes more apparent. NSI has a key part to play and can now punch above its apparent weight to have its ‘members’ voices heard. Standards have achieved a lot already. Crime and fire have fallen massively and high standards are responsible. As has the false alarm rate. But more can be done and will have to be done in the age of austerity when fire and police resources will continue to be put under enormous fiscal pressure. The technology is available. It needs the will to deliver. We must be careful not to carry on creating new standards just for the sake of it. That risks devaluing their relevance. The key is to keep the current crop of standards up to date and maintain pace with the new technology.”
We briefly discussed the rapid pace of technology but I asked, what changes has he seen within the industry? Jeff reflected for a moment and said: “I note many alarm companies moving into fire alarms as well as security. Home management systems and remote building management systems are now abounding and will become more prevalent enabled by ever more capable tablets and smart phone software. The boundary between the guarding sector and the electronic sector has become increasingly blurred as remote surveillance capabilities improve – the holistic security company using the most appropriate security solution has to be the answer.”
By now we have managed to finish our main course and having ordered dessert my next question was, how did he see the future for the security industry? Jeff mused and then replied: “There are huge opportunities ahead. But we need to be more threat driven and learn some lessons from defence. There needs to be a proper, co-ordinated vision of the future security environment and a viable R and D programme to counter the threats. The production industry needs to be directed towards producing technologies to counter them. New technologies such as improving facial recognition and remotely piloted aircraft have a part to play and will shortly come of age. I also think that alarm receiving centres have a more proactive role to play in the future security solution environment and can make a major contribution to overall resilience. However, with the plethora of separate organisations that exist currently, the need to pull together and join up to form some kind of grand alliance and share thoughts, experiences and costs. Also there should be an overall drive to create a security solution and create a more intelligent and informed customer base. Overall a much more holistic approach is required.” By now we were at coffee stage and after a most delicious lunch I asked Jeff his thoughts and reflections on the industry. Taking a quick sip of his coffee he said: “Some plaudits first … for the Women in Security Award. Having been a founder judge I am sure it will go from strength to strength. For the ‘100 in 100’ campaign which always exceeds its targets. For the companies who can see the opportunities and benefits of high technology systems and what they can now offer. One personal campaign is to improve the quality of CCTV imagery. Many installed systems produce poor quality images and create a false sense of security. The new HD equipment is not that much more expensive. The industry is now winning the battle not to be seen as a grudge purchase as the threat spectrum becomes more hostile. But we all need to offer higher quality output and drive margins up rather than competing ourselves downwards to win the business and cutting the expectations of the end user. Too many procurement decisions are made on the basis of price rather than the efficacy of the solution. The insurance industry has a real role to play here and with crime rates now rising in some area, coupled with a reduction in police numbers, perhaps this will provide the stimulus for closer engagement. Only the industry itself can do that by showing what can be achieved for just a little more investment. The losses which can be prevented, and are currently written off, particularly in the retail sector, could be saved by relatively small investments in quality technology.”
I agreed that poor procurement practice does not just drive down the cost; it also drives down quality. By now we had finished lunch and it was time to leave. I, like many others will miss Jeff and his exuberant personality and professionalism. However, he will be transferring not only his skills but a little bit of NSI to his next appointment overseas.
