Les Nicolles Prison on Guernsey is using a new system designed to stop drones smuggling drugs, weapons and other contraband over perimeter walls.
Four collaborating British companies styling themselves as The Perimeter Security Centre of Excellence (PSCoE) installed the perimeter protection, including the new “Sky Fence”. Now PSCoE (stand Z35) is exhibiting at the official UK Government invite-only security exhibition, Security & Policing 2018, which runs from March 6 to 8 at Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in Hampshire.
The 30-year-old event is for UK suppliers to showcase equipment, training and support, to police, Government departments and agencies from the UK and overseas.
Binns Fencing, as a fencing contractor for the Ministry of Justice, led the Guernsey project for the conglomerate, which the companies say offers the efficiencies of a single line of communication and management of security perimeters.
Eclipse Digital Solutions created Sky Fence with fellow British company Drone Defence and offers what it terms turnkey security design to installation.
Eclipse’s Joe Vasso said: “Our proposition is all about seamless integration to offer the most cost-effective high-end security for perimeters – whether that be along a border, around a prison, airport or the Olympic Games, or even airborne above ground, on roofs and the like. The beauty of our conglomerate is that our relationships have been formed over years and we’re all friends, so the trust is absolute and we care about each other.”
The other two firms are Harper Chalice, an intrusion detection company providing PIDs (Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems), electric fencing and RADAR detection; and ISM, which offers integrated security systems, PSIM (physical security information management) software and intercom systems.
The four believe the UK Government could make savings by adopting its proposed model for delivering perimeter security and PIDs procurement and delivery. PSCoE point to cost savings on PIDs cable installation and contract and project management costs – as with Les Nicolles, where the State of Guernsey that runs the prison saved £1.3m.
State Deputy Mary Lowe said: “The committee decided, following discussions with key staff, that it was possible to continue housing Category B prisoners at Les Nicolles without the installation, at significant expense, of a second fence.
“While the second fence is advised under UK guidelines for Category B prisons, the committee is comfortable that the current technological upgrade offers security that enables Guernsey to continue housing Category B prisoners.
“Sending such prisoners off island to serve their sentence comes at a significant cost of approximately £50,000 per year each. The committee decided that these upgrades, which will cost £1.3m less than a second fence, offered a Guernsey-appropriate solution.”
Binns MD Adam Binns said: “We have devised this model in consultation with the Government, main contractors and suppliers, to deliver best value and a greater potential to innovate with a single point of contact throughout procurement, delivery and installation. The model will give them trusted advice on design, manufacturing and installation from exclusively British companies with British products from electronic systems of CCTV, detection, video management and access control to physical security fencing, gates and hostile vehicle mitigation.”
