The Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) is ‘entering a really exciting time’, a Security Institute webinar heard on Wednesday.
It was chaired by the Institute chief Rick Mounfield, who introduced Simon Newman of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI), the police-owned company which runs CSAS, and who made that concluding remark; Supt Patrick Holdaway of the National Business Crime Centre, who spoke of a recently-formed national working group, that’s looking to drive on uptake of CSAS; Becki Bordest-Nott, CSAS manager for Devon and Cornwall Police (whose 22 CSAS schemes in its force areas make it a premier region for the scheme); and Darren Hession, of Axien Security, the Plymouth-based door and guarding security contractor that provides the city’s 20-year-old business group, Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC) with PARC Rangers, who have CSAS accreditation and some limited powers under the Police Reform Act 2002, which set up CSAS.
Simon Newman spoke of a lot of, and growing, interest in CSAS, and how it can be extended; and feedback is positive from private security firms that are CSAS-accredited, and police whose forces work alongside such Rangers or similarly-titled officers, he said. CSAS also reduces demand on front-line policing (such as, traffic marshals outside football matches or other major events; see also the March print edition of Professional Security magazine, page 42).
PCPI carries out the due diligence on those applying for CSAS. Simon Newman said that PCPI has recently been looking at the vetting of CSAS-accredited persons; so far done by each police force. As he added, if you’re a national private security firm that works across a number of police force areas to perform CSAS, the vetting service from each police force can be inconsistent. Hence PCPI is looking at a ‘national vetting solution’, ‘for a more consistent approach across the country’.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games could be an occasion that sees prominent use of CSAS officers, the webinar heard. A sign that the CSAS logo might be seen more is that PCPI is working with the few forces that have no CSAS schemes at all, ‘to share the benefits and get them on board’, Simon Newman said. Hospitals might be one field for more CSAS, the webinar heard; as is possibly the night-time economy (taxi marshals?).
Becki Bordest-Nott, who’s been managing CSAS for five years, spoke of ‘very much a problem solving approach’ to CSAS, in partnership, for example through information sharing.
The webinar addressed the admitted police scepticism about CSAS – that non-police might be taking budget and powers that police might feel rightfully belong solely to them. In answer to that, PARC is funded by the city centre businesses; CSAS officers use any of their powers as a last resort; Becki described herself as not CSAS-precious, but CSAS-protective; ‘I am very clear on where the role of police starts and stops’.
About Devon and Cornwall
Devon and Cornwall has some 22 CSAS schemes, five involving private security; interestingly, some 19 schemes are pending, and going through vetting and officer training, whether a sign of pent-up demand held back during the covid pandemic; or more generally business bodies seeing the value in CSAS in their locality, to deliver community reassurance, besides response to on the ground issues such as lost children, vulnerable adults, medical emergencies or directing the homeless to help – in the case of PARC, police on receiving a call about Plymouth city centre enquiring if Rangers are in attendance or are able to assist – that is, Rangers as a first responder.
More in the April print edition of Professional Security magazine.
Background
CSAS arose from the Police Reform Act 2002. You get training, an ID and badge, you’re vetted by the police, and you may have police-like powers – not of arrest, but (for example) to direct traffic or give out fines for littering; whatever helps with your CSAS role. CSAS also has a railway equivalent, RSAS. Visit https://www.policecsas.com/. PARC is among case studies on the PCPI website. Others include on-street work similar to PARC’s by Eboracum Security in York; event stewarding; and traffic management.
Professional Security magazine has in recent years featured various on-street patrolling by hired private security, whether with CSAS accreditation or not, typically employed by local government or business improvement districts (BIDs). PARC featured in the February edition of the magazine for its re-accreditation as a business crime partnership via PCPI.
For other background on CSAS visit the CSAS part of the Devon and Cornwall Police website; which includes a list of its schemes, including Plymouth University; and Penryn Campus outside Falmouth, a part of the University of Exeter; besides councils.
Picture; Plymouth, by Mark Rowe.
