Established in 2005, AEJ Management is a facilities management firm covering retail, shopping, trade, leisure and business parks; it has 53 parks in its portfolio.
When AEJ won a major contract with a specialist property company and park owner, the contract stipulated that AEJ must use 24 hour remote CCTV monitoring, so Kevin Jarvis, AEJ’s managing director, began a search to find a third party. Jarvis says: “We carried out an exhaustive investigation into this sector and discovered Corps Security’s Corps Monitoring Centre (CMC). We contacted its director, Bill MacGregor, and after holding talks with him found that the CMC could meet and even exceed our requirements. It was also clear that our two businesses shared a common outlook by combining traditional values with a modern approach.”
The CMC, based in Glasgow, provides third party alarm receiving and CCTV monitoring services. It has National Security Inspectorate (NSI) Gold accreditation along with BS 8418 and ISO 9001:2008 certifications. MacGregor says: “Our £1.5m facility exemplifies Corps Security’s commitment to innovation and forward thinking. As one of the most advanced CCTV monitoring facilities in the UK it contains only the highest specification equipment, which we constantly upgrade to maintain its cutting edge status.”
AEJ now has a dedicated desk in the CMC, managed by Corps operatives – an arrangement that has contributed to AEJ being presented with the British Parking Association’s Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme award at every place it manages. Jarvis says: “Park Mark is an initiative of the Association of Chief Police Officers and is aimed at reducing both crime and the fear of crime in parking facilities. It is only awarded to those that have met the strict requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the police and is very much the gold standard within our industry.” Jarvis adds: “As a result of 24 hour monitoring during the civil disorder witnessed in the summer, we were able to quickly asses and supply the correct manpower and equipment assets required for a retail site we manage in Tottenham Hale. This not only minimised damage and looting, but we were also able to support the police in the collection of evidence.”
Now, before taking over any new park, AEJ asks Bill MacGregor and his team at Corps to audit the site to check that cameras are positioned correctly, are unobstructed by trees and foliage, and ensure that they cover any high-risk areas. AEJ can then report back to the landlord and carry out any necessary remedial work.
Achieving the Mark means that AEJ has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything it can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime. As well as remote CCTV monitoring, other measures include making sure that the environment is adequately lit and a voice address system to directly warn intruders has been installed. Not only does this help deter criminal activity, it can also have a positive impact on the insurance premiums that landlords have to pay.
AEJ has seen some impressive results since it began working with the CMC and crime rates on the parks in its portfolio have dropped between 15 to 20 per cent.
The two organisations have also developed a thorough reporting procedure whereby each week a detailed report is provided for each site that lists any suspect activity and the corrective action taken. MacGregor adds: “This allows us to recommend any action to be taken which could prevent similar occurrences and gives AEJ a benchmark to work to.”
Kevin Jarvis adds: ‘Working with an organisation that shares our commitment to integrity, professionalism, reliability and continual improvement is a pleasure. The fact that we have achieved The Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme award across all the locations that we manage speaks for itself and I look forward to developing our relationship well into the future.’
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