A Secured by Design (SBD) ATLAS national training conference and exhibition brought together nearly 200 Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs) and hundreds of security products from more than 50 SBD member companies.
SBD is the flagship of a range of crime prevention ventures that come under the banner of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) which runs other arms such as a training academy for police officers and others. With every police force in the UK represented – 43 in England and Wales plus Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), SBD believes there were more DOCOs at this event than there are in the rest of the world.
The SBD ATLAS event heard addresses by Martin Hewitt QPM, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and Chair of the PCPI Board; and NPCC Lead on Crime Prevention Stephen Watson QPM, who is also on the PCPI Board. They referred to the growing importance of the role of DOCOs in the new Government’s crime and policing agenda.
Six workshops covered how to negotiate and influence architects, developers and local authority planners; updates on police designing out crime standards and SBD’s RIBA Continued Professional Development presentation; and how DOCOs can market themselves and their work.
The first full day of proceedings culminated in an awards night with certificates presented by Stephen Watson and Helen Ball, Assistant Commissioner (Professionalism), Metropolitan Police. SBD Development Award winners were Rick Napier, of Devon and Cornwall Police; Shireen Fisher and Nicola Geddis, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; Christine Keen, of the Metropolitan Police, and Lee Warwick, of the Metropolitan Police. Runners-up in these awards were: Trace Rokahr, Pat Simcox, Leslie Gipps, Kevin Hook, Rob Palin, Christine Keen, Marc Dias and David Lancaster. Other awards included:
DOCO of the Year: Leslie Gipps, Metropolitan Police
SBD National Building Approval: Stuart Ward, of Police Scotland
Bob Knights Scholarship: Trace Rokahr, of Humberside Constabulary
Lifetime Achievement Awards: Gerry Brophy, of Hertfordshire Constabulary and Mark Dowse, of Secured by Design
Some DOCOs and PCPI staff received a commendation: Matt Coe, Martin Hubbard, David Lucy, Heather Gurden, Mark Silvester, Mike Harvey, Stuart Ward, and Amanda Mulholland.
Representatives of more than 50 SBD member companies were showing their products, which have achieved SBD’s Police Preferred Specification standard to help keep buildings, vehicles, people and communities safe. This standard ensures products like doors, windows and locks are sufficiently robust to withstand an attack from opportunist burglars.
In his closing address SBD Chief Executive Officer, Guy Ferguson, pictured, said the ATLAS events provide a wonderful opportunity to share best practice across police forces and for member companies to engage with DOCOs. “I really like the feel of these events. I think it’s where Team DOCO comes together. I hope you take from this, and I am sure you have, the opportunity to link with colleagues across the UK, learn from each other, and help each other.
“There has been some fantastic work in the last year as highlighted in our awards. I want you to go about trumpeting your triumphs by telling us who is doing things that are really good. So don’t be shy because we want to know what they are and present them to the wider world.”
