A reminder that the Home Office consultation for a new ‘regulatory regime’ for the private security industry has a January 15 deadline.
The UK Crowd Management Association (UKCMA) reports that it has always supported the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in its aims to improve standards and public confidence in the private security sector. Briefly, the Coalition proposes to transfer responsibility to a new ‘regime’, where the industry will play a greater role.
The UKCMA will meet on January 8 to agree the association’s formal response. While there are some good points to the proposals there is still significant uncertainty in several areas, says UKCMA Chairman, Mark Harding. He has listed:
– The financial burden to businesses is being severely under-estimated, with small businesses and individuals bearing a disproportionate cost.
– Individuals entering the business may have an unclear, restrictive route to attain a license
– In the absence of an independent central body, who will own and manage all of the license data, could this create a data privacy problem?
– There is an underlying assumption that the industry has matured sufficiently since the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to take on self regulatory responsibility, the industry faces a real danger of becoming fractured under an unelected regime.
– A body run by unelected private heads of business is likely to favour commercial interests and biases rather than the needs of the wider industry.
– The public confidence built over the last decade in the private security sector could soon be diminished in a sector awarding its own licenses.
– The likely make up of the new overarching authority will be dominated by the static guarding sector rather than event specialists, which would be a very regressive step for the live events sector.
He adds: “It is imperative that we respond as an association and we encourage all companies and individuals to respond and raise any concerns.”
To take part in the consultation visit the SIA website at http://www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/future-regulation.aspx and the Home Office website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/private-security-regulation/
