Interviews

Views on new government

by Mark Rowe

Comments on what a majority Tory Government will mean for security in its widest senses, from cyber to policing.

James Kelly, Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), says: “Political engagement and public affairs have long been at the heart of the BSIA’s activity, and we have worked hard over the last 15 years to forge strong working relationships with the previous Labour and Coalition Governments.

“The continuation of this relationship is vital for the security of the nation, and as such this Conservative government will need to be fully briefed of the importance of the private security industry in combating crime and terrorism.

“The BSIA will be working hard over the coming weeks to build on new relationships forged within recent months and will be engaging with key figures in the new political landscape to reinforce the industry’s message and to ensure that our ongoing relationship with Government remain unaffected.

“Key issues we’ll be taking forward to the new Government include commitment to lighter-touch regulation, with a transition to business licensing, continue to minimise ticketing on cash-in-transit vehicles, recognising the value of police and private partnerships, increase export funding to ensure the UK remains a global leader and expanding the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice to include privately-owned systems.”

Raj Samani, EMEA CTO at Intel Security and the former CISO at a large government department, has offered his views on what a majority Conservative government will mean for the cyber security and tech industry. He has singled out “Cyber Specials” – volunteers from outside law enforcement with the skills to tackle cybercrime, as mentioned at last month’s Counter Terror Expo by Andy Archibald, deputy director of the National Cyber Crime Unit at the National Crime Agency (NCA), and featured in the June 2015 print issue of Professional Security magazine.

“Retraining police officers to be more cyber savvy is an absolute necessity. Cybercrime needs to be treated with the same level of severity as physical criminality. It’s a sinister and malicious crime that needs to be proactively pursued and addressed.

“Relying on volunteers and training the police force is one element – but this needs to extend to better public and private sector partnerships if we are to truly tackle cybercrime head on. The recent collaboration between Intel Security, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the Dutch authorities, the US FBI, and other private sector partners to take down criminal infrastructure supporting a ‘polymorphic’ botnet called Beebone is one example of collaboration in action. But if we are to seek out and target threats in real-time, closer ties between the public and private sector is key.

“It’s also important to remember that perpetrators may be attacking from beyond these shores – it’s a global crime, which requires a global solution. Consequently, the new government needs to consider how it can better work with international governments to defeat cybercrime.”

And from the rank and file police body the Police Federation, Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has warned the new government that policing is ‘on its knees’ and cannot take any more cuts. According to the federation, since 2010, the police service has lost 17,000 officers and a further 17,000 police staff, equivalent to nine entire police forces.

Mr White said: ‘The first job of any government is to protect its citizens. The government’s funding cuts since 2010 have put the ability of the police service to do this in severe jeopardy. I urge that the new government recognise one thing – policing is on its knees and simply cannot take any more cuts. Cuts have consequences. The political parties all hid from that fact during the election campaign but there is only so long they can go on with their fingers in their ears pretending the country isn’t about to be engulfed by an unprecedented crisis in policing. They only need to look at the recent rise in crime figures, showing an increase in violent and sexual crime, to see that.

‘The public deserves a fully functioning police service that is capable of protecting the public. Cutting the number of police officers available is a surefire way of fundamentally damaging forces’ ability to do that job.

‘We have lost 17,000 officers and 17,000 staff numbers – put another way, that means we have lost the equivalent of nine entire forces. Despite the massive efforts of officers to shore the service up, the thin blue line is on the verge of being extinguished altogether with the consequent danger to the public we serve. And not only that but those officers trying their best to hold the service together have not been rewarded for their efforts; instead, they have had their pay and conditions savaged by the government. This simply cannot go on.’

Official crime statistics released last month for the year ending December 2014 showed a two per cent increase in police recorded crime rates across England and Wales – including a 21 per cent increase in violent crime and 32 per cent increase in sexual crime. The Crime Survey of England and Wales, which uses statistics gathered from interviews with the public about their experience of crime, showed a seven per cent fall in crime-related incidents. The Coalition Government however from Home Secretary Theresa May down made a point that recorded crime has fallen by 16pc, while police numbers are down.

Mr White said: ‘The official crime statistics have now started to rise – proving what we have been saying for years, that cutting officers will ultimately damage the public. The government is letting victims down – officers are doing their level best but there simply aren’t enough of them to go round. Policing is much more than just crime stats – counter-terrorism; work to tackle child sexual exploitation; managing sex offenders in the community; policing of football matches; policing drunks in town centres on Friday and Saturday nights is not measured. Would the public ever forgive the next government should the service find itself unable to fulfil these basic duties because they don’t have the money to do so?

‘Officers will do whatever they can and more to ensure the public are protected but if the service has to endure more cuts this will soon become impossible. It is vital that the government takes these warnings seriously.’

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