The City Security Council (CSC) has announced its latest development for partnership work in London.
Last month with the City of London Police (CoLP) it launched a joint communications platform called CityINTEL. It allows real time incident information to flow between the CoLP Joint Command Control Room (JCCR) and CSC members, guarding contractors based in the City of London. The cloud-based platform, something aired by previous CSC chair Neill Catton in an interview published in the February 2021 print edition of Professional Security, will be managed by CoLP JCCR controllers. It’s been tested over some months, by CSC members adding security info about the buildings they operate in.
Pictured from left, courtesy of the City Security Council: Sophie Malone, Commercial Director, Zinc Systems; Ashley Fernandes of the CSC; City of London Police Commissioner Angela McLaren; Graham Bassett, CSC Vice Chair and Gary Brailsford-Hart, Director of Information CoLP.
JCCR controllers get details of the most appropriate people to send incident info to, as it occurs. Info can be targeted to a building, by geo-fenced areas; and used to broadcast more generally about an incident. CSC members can send communications back to the JCCR via the platform about an incident, whether a crime or demo. The Corporation of London, the local government body for the Square Mile, is also a signed in partner to the platform; with the expectation that other City bodies may join.
Ashley Fernandes, Executive Director – Corporate Security at guarding firm ICTS UK took over from Neil Catton as chair of the CSC in January. Ashley said: “Allowing the two-way sharing of information between the police and our security officers on the ground will not only help us react and support the emergency services in times of need but will ensure our responses are coordinated and robust. The platform won’t add an unnecessary layer of communications because it has a specific use, such as advising on counter terrorism threats or protests occurring as well as allowing us to inform the police immediately of any issues taking place within the City of London.”
The official launch saw City of London Police Commissioner Angela McLaren push the button to send the first comms to CSC members. She said; “Working closely with our communities and security partners across the City is an important way for us to gather intelligence, and share information to enable faster crime prevention and detection. We are constantly striving to find new and innovative ways to improve our processes, and the introduction of CityINTEL gives us an opportunity to engage with our contacts on the ground more efficiently. This new tool sends a distinct message to those with criminal intent within the Square Mile. We have a multitude of partners ready to act as our eyes and ears and report any instances of wrongdoing, or suspicious activity. If you are looking to operate in the City of London, you will be caught.”
Powering the software is developer Zinc Systems’ core product Synapse, an incident management platform, branded ‘CityINTEL’ for this project. The platform is integrated with a supporting mobile smartphone application that allows CSC security personnel to alert the CoLP control room of live incidents as well as letting the police push targeted messages to specific locations and stakeholders included on the platform.
Sophie Malone, Commercial Director of Zinc said: “Our mission is to help organisations protect what matters. CityINTEL will deliver a safer City, through an innovative approach to the management of incidents and sharing of intelligence. Using its powerful analytics the platform will provide all the tools that the CoLP JCCR need to gather, communicate and analyse data quickly, as well as deliver two-way communication with Security teams; helping all to be more prepared, take instant control and respond more effectively in events.”
About the City Security Council
It’s a community interest company that represents mainly London-based security guarding companies; their aim; better incident responses by security contractors in the City of London. Visit www.citysecuritycouncil.co.uk.
More on communications in the May print edition of Professional Security magazine.
