IPSA marked its 60th birthday as a UK-based association for private security with a lunch in Birmingham. Professional Security magazine MD Roy Cooper was there.
We learned from IPSA chair Jane Farrell that the association – open for membership to individuals and companies – began in 1958 as the Industrial Police Association. It later changed its named to the Industrial Police and Security Association, and then to the current International Professional Security Association, each change reflecting change in members and the security world.
Before lunch we had three speakers, that ranged over the past, present and future. We also heard from Andy Massey, commercial director of the software company Innovise, the sponsor of the event.
In that order they were, first, Dr David Churchill of the University of Leeds. As featured in the March print issue of Professional Security, he’s the author of a book on crime prevention and physical security of people and property in Britain in the 19th century, and is looking to do another taking the story into the 20th century and towards the present.
Mick Creedon, who recently retired as chief constable of Derbyshire for ten years after a 37-year police career, offered a sometimes light-hearted personal angle on policing from the era of ‘Life on Mars’ (that’s the BBC drama series set in the 1970s, not actual life on Mars) to the present, and ranged over so much change, from how police do their job and investigate crime, to how the criminals try to do their crimes, and what the public expects of the police.
Last but not least Prof Martin Gill of the consultancy Perpetuity gave an overview of where the security industry has come from in the last 60 years, and how far we have come. He offered some pointers to how far we still have to go if we are to stay up with fast-developing and smart criminals, especially in terms of cyber-crime, let alone better them. All were good presentations, on a good day.
Pictured; left to right, IPSA chair Jane Farrell, Prof Martin Gill, Dr David Churchill and Mick Creedon.
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