A list with brief explanations of what bodies and organisations are out there, to represent you, the UK security person.
You don’t know me, but … is the start of a telephone call that we all get sometimes, or make ourselves. The caller then seeks to explain why he is ringing and why you should give him the time of day. One way is to give a name of someone both caller and called know; or that they are both members of the same association. In a word, they establish trust. Many in private security, just as in other walks of life, are not in any such body. Of those that are, some are in more than one. As the list below shows, you could take up much of your working life attending all the meetings; and put on weight at the lunches and dinners! In the recession, is membership a luxury – or more necessary than ever? Mark Rowe writes.
Organisations change. Since Ex-Police in Commerce (EPIC) began in 1980, its membership has shifted from a minority to majority self-employed. As with all bodies, only a fraction of members attend any gathering. Is it only the self-employed, the one or two-man bands, who can afford the time off any more? Or are 21st century people less clubbable after work, happier with their blogs and email chat? While eating a full breakfast with EPIC stalwarts who stayed overnight at the Kegworth hotel before their January meeting, it was striking that members enjoyed the company; and shared know-how. At the risk of sounding corny, EPIC people, having learned, often the hard way, how to earn a margin, do want to help newer members making their way in private business. As one remarked, a year or two after you leave ‘the Job’, the mere fact you were once in the police counts for little. It works both ways, of course: if a client asks you to serve a document in Cornwall, and you don’t know someone to do it right away, it may well be you can say yes to the work and pass it to a fellow member later.
David Ryan in a presentation of a proposed new EPIC logo – ‘Integrity assured’ – went through some reasons why anyone belonged to EPIC. It’s for networking; a ‘knowledge bank’ to draw on; a way to market your business. David unveiled the logo including a police-like helmet for the dot on the i of EPIC. The idea: you can add it to your business card, or website.
This prompted a debate about where the association was going or should go. Complicating the issue for EPIC is that it defines itself in terms of a police force that members have left. One member described the police ‘brand’ as ‘damaged’, and even queried if EPIC should keep the Ex-Police part of its name. But as others countered, that would not leave much of their name! As the talk see-sawed, it became plain that groups change at their peril, if that makes members unhappy. Equally, a group stays the same at its peril, if it stagnates. Opinions on David Ryan’s logo varied. Yet any group has to have some banner, and though EPIC men have various backgrounds – from forensics to firearms training – they have enough in common to band together.
A list with brief explanations of what bodies and organisations are out there, to represent you, the UK security person.
For security managers
The Security Institute has its tenth birthday in April. It’s something of a changing of the guard at TSI as chairman Bill Wyllie steps down, having seen through the merger with the International Institute of Security. The institute commendably seeks to go beyond London – its office opened last year is near Nuneaton. It has a knack of, besides doing the serious business of lobbying, and validating members, putting on enjoyable social events, such as the summer cruise on the Thames paddleboat Dixie Queen. Visit www.security-institute.org.
ASIS – the full name it seldom uses is American Society for Industrial Security – is US-based but has worldwide chapters, including the UK (www.asis.org.uk). It runs the Certified Protection Professional qualification; and a similar one for physical security. So while there is overlap between TSI and ASIS membership (as with many other bodies), ASIS draws corporate, international security people, current UK chairman Barrie Millett of insurers GE being a good example.
The Institute of Security Management (www.instituteofsecuritymanagement.co.uk) is chaired by James Hazlett.
Sector-specific bodies
Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO, www.aucso.org.uk) covers the UK and Republic of Ireland. It holds its annual conference in the Easter vacation, this April at the University of York, host member being Ken Batten.
The AUCSO executive committee (acting chairman is former senior police man Mike McCormack, now of UEA, University of East Anglia) includes one member representing each region who arrange their own termly (half or whole day) meetings to discuss local issues and meet representatives from local police or others. Regional contacts are: London and South East Region, Bob Hunt at Queen Mary, University of London; south west, Andrew Simpson at the University of Gloucestershire; Midlands, Ian Higgins at the University of Wolverhampton; northern, Steve Exley at Leeds University; Eire and Northern Ireland, Ray Wheatley, Dublin City University; Scotland, Adam Conn, University of Edinburgh; and Wales, David Mann, University of Glamorgan.
The National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS, www.nahs.org.uk) is continuing its Career Foundation Training for Security Personnel from Healthcare Establishments. The three day courses run at the Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith, London, and Southmead Hospital, north Bristol. Although the course is aimed at staff required to undertake security duties, the NAHS reports that managers with responsibility for security, but no experience in this field, have found the training particularly beneficial. This is all separate from the Security Management Service (SMS), part of the National Health Service. NAHS chairman is veteran NHS security man Nick van der Bijl, Security Manager, Somerset Partnership NHS and Social Care Trust. The NAHS, too, has regional contacts.
The Institute of Hotel Security Management (IHSM, www.hotelsecuritymanagement.org) is for those providing security, risk management, fire, and health and safety within the hotel industry. Members when cleared can access a database of offenders and their photographs known to target hotels. Chairman Bill Fairweather adds that the institute seeks to offer advice on fraud and security to non-specialists, such as hotel managers; for example on cash and key handling controls. “We are working with the Metropolitan Police on Project Sterling regarding best practices in the hotel industry against fraud; and Project Griffin and Project Argus in respect of counter-terrorism.”
The institute meets monthly. The beauty of email between trusted members in a specific sector facing the same sort of threats – indeed, the same criminals – is that hotel and catering people responsible for security can get mutual support. Bill makes a particular point that provincial hotels, hit by travelling criminals, can use the institute.
The Institute of Hotel Security Management (IHSM) has run since 1987, the amalgamation of the Association of Hotel Security Managers and the Guild of Hotel Security Managers.
Investigators
Commonly associations seek to represent members’ concerns and desire for professonalism, typically to law enforcers and law-makers. An example are the bodies for private investigators (PIs) and the Security Industry Authority, which was set up under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to license, among others, PIs, though deadlines to progress this sector’s badging have been repeatedly missed.
The Association of British Investigators (ABI, www.theabi.org.uk) offers an online directory of UK and overseas private detectives. Besides its annual general meeting in Manchester in April, it runs regional branch meetings; and a quarterly journal, edited by Blackpool-based Eric Shelmerdine, who recently took over from Peter Heims.
The Institute of Professional Investigators (IPI, www.ipi.org.uk) website similarly offers advice if you are thinking of becoming – or hiring – a PI. Institute principal is Nicola Amsel, of trademark and other intellectual property rights investigators Amsel & Co. She has appeared on Radio 5 Live; and had a letter printed last year in The Observer, seeking to put right the outdated public view of PIs as ‘gumshoes’.
As the name suggests, the World Association of Detectives (WAD, www.nad.net) has an international flavour: its officers are based in Russia, the United States, Pakistan and Malaysia. Its 2009 conference is in Rio De Janeiro in September.
Birmingham’s Hyatt Regency Hotel was the venue for the fifth WAPI annual banquet (World Association of Professional Investigators, www.wapi.com) in October 2008.
The International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) has a UK branch (www.iaati.org.uk), made up of law enforcers, motor vehicle manufacturers, car insurers and PIs. Its next vehicle crime conference runs at Stoneleigh Exhibition Centre near Coventry on May 20 and 21.
The UK-PIN (Professional Investigators Network, www.ukpin.com) has a useful list of acronyms on its website of several other UK and international bodies out there for the investigator.
For former coppers
The National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO, www.narpo.org) covers all ranks and dates from 1919.
As the name suggests, Ex-Police In Industry and Commerce (EPIC, www.epic-uk.com) is open to former officers who have a police pension. They aren’t necessarily investigators or offering other security services; members offer training; chauffeur hire, even. You can search their online directory by region.
For CCTV users
The Public CCTV Managers Association meets quarterly around the UK. A word of praise for the PCMA website www.pcma.org.uk, recently redesigned by Karl Weeks, CCTV ops man at Kings Lynn.
The CCTV User Group meets twice a year, again, commendably around the regions. Next conference: April 20 to 22, Manchester. Visit www.cctvusergroup.com
Trade bodies
The British Security Industry Association has sections from access control to guarding and systems. Visit www.bsia.co.uk
The Fire and Security Association (FSA), for companies that design, install, commission, maintain and monitor electronic fire and security systems, is a specialist division of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). Visit www.fireandsecurityassociation.co.uk
IPSA. the International Professional Security Association (www.ipsa.org.uk) as featured in the January issue, marked its 50th jubilee with a reception at the House of Lords. Visit www.ipsa.org.uk
For consultants
The Association of Security Consultants has a flavour of former police people – new chairman Roy Sutherland is ex-Met – but having said that, previous chair Colin Braziel’s background is RAF Security (Provost) branch. It runs regular ‘business club’ meetings in central London, an annual lunch, and conference, Consec, each November. You can view a directory of members at www.securityconsultants.org.uk
For dog handlers
NASDU – The National Association of Security Dog Users (www.nasdu.co.uk)
NTIPDU – National Training Inspectorate for Professional Dog Users (www.ntipdu.org).
