Four security officers employed at The Mall Bristol by VSG, the contract guarding firm, have received the accolade of accreditation in line with the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) run by Avon and Somerset Police.
At a ceremony in Bristol early on February 11, Supt Julian Moss presented the security officers with their awards. Supt Moss is the Lead for Citizen Focus Policing for the Bristol District and he not only confirmed the officers’ accreditation, but also praised their commitment to maintaining a safe, comfortable and secure environment at The Mall Bristol.
He said: "Policing is too important to be left to the police alone. Through accreditation, and as our partner, VSG has a big part to play in driving down crime and disorder in the heart of Bristol."
As a result of gaining CSAS accreditation, which followed a training and evaluation by the police, the VSG security officers now have enhanced powers to assist them in their work within The Mall. These powers include the ability to confiscate alcohol and tobacco and to issue fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour, as well as the right to require persons suspected of committing an offence to provide their names and addresses.
In addition, the accreditation of the officers means that the police are now free to share intelligence in more detail with the security team at The Mall Bristol, which is an important aid to crime control and prevention.
"We’re absolutely delighted with the success of the VSG security officers in gaining CSAS accreditation," said Keith Randall, Operations Manager of The Mall Bristol, "and we applaud the hard work they’ve put in to make their accreditation possible. The VSG team is already playing the key role in helping us to ensure that shoppers and employees at The Mall Bristol always enjoy a safe, comfortable environment," he added, "and we are convinced that the CSAS accreditation will give the team members the powers they need to be even more effective."
"We too are very pleased with the achievements of our officers at The Mall Bristol," said VSG’s Chairman, Bill Muskin. "We pride ourselves on always delivering the highest possible standard of service for our clients, and the CSAS accreditation of officers is an important aid in helping us to do this. The accreditation also recognises the commitment, performance and quality of our staff."
About Community Safety Accreditation
The schemes were introduced by the Police Reform Act 2002, which enabled Chief Constables to accredit employees of organisations that contribute to community safety. The schemes make it possible for Chief Constables to give accredited persons limited powers to carry out certain functions that are normally reserved for police officers.
Photograph shows: Keith Randall (centre), Operations Manager for The Mall, Bristol flanked by VSG’s four security officers who have just received the accolade of accreditation in line with the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) operated by the Chief Constable of the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
