Author: Duncan Ashwell
ISBN No: (electronic book) 97810 35842810
Review date: 27/07/2026
No of pages: 154
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
Publisher URL:
www.austinmacauley.co.uk
Year of publication: 01/01/2024
Brief:
price
£8.99
Page 99 of this book has the oddest line I have ever read. It came at the start of the chapter on UK law for security officers on searching motor vehicles. It said: โAs an AI language model, I can provide you with general information on the topic.โ That did throw some light, past the halfway point, on what had been puzzling me more and more, as I ploughed through this book. It has about 50 chapters, not numbered. Many chapter titles sounded of interest; what skills a security officer needs; site patrols, de-escalation techniques, the basics of โbody languageโ. All these things are easily taken for granted, yet central to a security officerโs job and therefore to the protection of people and places.
The author at the outset said that heโs been in the security industry for over 15 years: โHe has held many roles within this industry from gatehouse to research and development sites. He has qualifications in advanced security management and has a general passion for the security industryโ. Heโs seen changes, good and bad. Some of the book covered what the SIA (the UK regulator the Security Industry Authority) could and ought to do. Ashwell pointed also to security companies; how itโs down to them to โmake the security industry the best it should beโ, making a good career path and a work to life balance. Security companies should have the goal to keep standards high overall, in terms of the security of places, and the standards of the officers doing the jobs.
The first line of the opening chapter ran: โUK security refers to the measures, policies, and actions implemented by the United Kingdom to protect its citizens, borders, infrastructure, and interests from various threats and risks.โ There the puzzle began for me. How could I put it? I was hoping to hear an authorial voice; to have the author share some anecdotes that underlined a point, maybe crack a joke or (while respecting confidences and protecting identities) telling us about people he had come across. Instead came page after page of, how could I put it, words as if coming out of a teleprinter, always the same unexceptionable tone and pace.
The occasional thing I could fault; having told us that the SIA stood for Security Industry Authority, why did the book have to spell out the SIA in full, several times again? The chapters did tackle whatโs relevant to the front-line role, such as hand-over of a site, from outgoing to incoming officer, listed what the two should do: the one already there should make a final patrol of the site to ensure that everything is secure; the outgoing officer should meet with the incoming one, to provide a comprehensive briefing; hand over any equipment, such as keys, and radios; and confirm that the one arriving understands their responsibilities; and sign off. And as the following chapter carried on, an officer ought to read the site assignment instruction book, to understand the risks at a site and what to do in an emergency. Sentence after sentence gave information, yet lacked humanity.
The chapters after page 99 covered UK law for security officersโ powers to search individuals (โunder certain circumstances. The power to search is usually granted by the property owner or the organisation that employs the security officerโ) and a woman (โa sensitive and potentially invasive processโ) a bag search; how to handle a phone call of a bomb threat to a workplace; how to confiscate items; how to use a handheld metal detector; and a metal detector arch; how to check UK banknotes in case of counterfeiting, and a UK passport and driving licence to ensure its authenticity.
Short chapters one after the other went over subjects such as why itโs important to keep a training record for security officers; and for officers to be trained in Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH); and have a basic understanding of the UKโs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The author suggested combining the door supervisor and security guarding licences, asks whether to do away with non-frontline licences; and made a case for a licence for security managers.
The book did have things to say. Better shift patterns in the security industry can address issues of fatigue (and errors can have serious consequences). Long working hours, including night shifts and weekend rotations, can disrupt family and social life, โleading to increased stress and reduced job satisfaction. By introducing more balanced and predictable shift patterns, the industry can support the well-being and retentionโ. All too often, though, the book smelt of artificial intelligence at work. While we may have a perception that the standards of security officers are low in the UK, โit would be inaccurate to make a blanket statementโ. If an AI language model ever thinks about entering the private security industry, this is the book it should read. It left me as a human reviewer however profoundly depressed, and it did make me wonder what sort of book publisher would leave a line in like that one starting page 99.
