The high street bookmaker William Hill has become the first company in the betting sector to have its security management to gain the Secured Environments accreditation for ten of its premises in Westminster, central London.
That recognises that the betting chain is following six key principles to maximise the safety of staff and customers. The six are a commitment by an organisation and its leadership to create a secure environment; an understanding of the security risks that it faces; the development of an effective response to reduce the risks to the organisation; a management plan to achieve its aims and objectives; the effective implementation of the security and crime prevention measures; and the monitoring and evaluation of the security and crime prevention measures.
While licensing conditions dictate that a responsible approach is taken to prevent gambling from being a source of crime and disorder in an area, the accreditation recognises that William Hill has gone beyond that and shown effective and comprehensive management measures to protect workforce and customers from crime. Perpetuity Research runs the scheme for PCPI (Police Crime Prevention Initiatives).
Prof Martin Gill, Managing Director of Perpetuity Research, said: “Many businesses face challenges in balancing customer service with the need to follow security procedures to minimise their risks and betting offices present a very apt example of the importance of engaging staff on both fronts. We are pleased to see the importance placed upon this by William Hill to safeguard staff, customers and the business.”
Gerard Davies, Head of Retail Security at William Hill added: “William Hill is delighted to achieve Secured Environments certification. The ten shops included in the assessment are amongst the most challenging across our estate and to have successfully achieved certification is testament to the business’ commitment to crime prevention and, in particular, the safety and welfare of our colleagues, our customers and the communities in which we operate. It is great that the excellence William Hill strives for in relation to security matters, at all levels, has been recognised in this manner and it is an achievement of which we are extremely proud.”
And Guy Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer at Police Crime Prevention Initiatives said: “It is crucial for businesses to recognise and respond to the crime and security risks they face as good security is valued by both employees and customers. It also supports the overall crime prevention efforts in an area. Secured Environments provides that framework for managing security and ensuring it is effective and that staff at all levels are involved. Secured Environments provides that framework for managing security and ensuring it is effective and that staff at all levels are involved.”
About the scheme
Other accredited places include hospitals, universities and shopping centres. Visit https://www.securedenvironments.com/.
