SSAIB, the UK and Irish security, fire and telecare certification body, has presented certificates to Enfield Council’s Public Safety Centre. In an official ceremony at the site in north London, SSAIB’s Chief Executive Alex Carmichael and Chairman Geoff Tate were joined by Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter for a presentation to Councillor Yasemin Brett, Enfield’s Cabinet Member for Community Organisations and Culture, accompanied by Centre Manager Alan Gardner.
Enfield Public Safety Centre gained the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s certificate of compliance, relating to Enfield’s public space CCTV, having been audited and complying with the 12 guiding principles of the Surveillance Code of Practice (in accordance with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012). Enfield is the first borough to be certificated against this in London. The council received its monitoring centre certificate BS5979, plus CCTV management and operation in accordance with BS7958 and BS 7958 Annex B for traffic enforcement.
A further certification covers the provision of lone worker devices in accordance with BS8484. The Centre provides safety monitoring for around 400 lone workers, including social services employees, security officers and housing staff carrying out vital work in the community at sites including libraries, schools and hospitals.
All of the various certification processes have been audited by SSAIB, and SSAIB Chief Executive Alex Carmichael praises the work completed by Alan Gardner and team: “The Enfield Public Safety Centre has become, with council political backing, a centre of excellence, which is an important example in the current climate of budget cuts. It demonstrates how compliance can both reassure the public and draw in partners for future technological innovative collaboration that helps drive up standards and increases the quality of safety and security in the Enfield area.”
And Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter said: “The whole issue of public space surveillance is going to come under scrutiny and this certification is an outward sign of inward success that you can demonstrate to your community that you take their safety very seriously. It also shows that you view surveillance cameras as being there to support the community – not spy on them.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Brett complimented Alan Gardner’s management of the Enfield operation, pointing out that: “In these days of austerity, CCTV has proven an effective and efficient way of assisting the police and other community safety partners in tackling crime.”
Pictured left to right inside the Public Safety Centre are Yasemin Brett, Tony Porter and Alan Gardner.
The Enfield Public Safety Centre now monitors over 300 public safety surveillance cameras in addition to intruder alarm systems and lone worker services to many council civic buildings, depots and other sites, and hopes to expand this to include schools, hospitals, other public buildings, and social landlord sites both within Enfield and further afield. The EPSC is also home to a separate, leased control room operated for Barnet Council, its neighbouring borough, while Govia Thameslink Railway operates from a third separate control room housed within the Centre, monitoring station cameras and help points across about 70 rail routes. Enfield Council is now marketing its monitoring facilities to prospective clients, now that they have been audited and accredited by SSAIB.
About SSAIB
Founded in 1994 and based in Tyne & Wear, SSAIB is a certification body for organisations providing electronic security systems, guarding security services, fire protection, alarm and telecare services systems in the UK and Republic of Ireland. In addition to its product schemes, SSAIB offers management systems certification schemes, including ISO 9001 quality management systems certification and ISO 14001 environmental management systems certification. Over 1700 companies are now on SSAIB’s register. Visit www.ssaib.org.
