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Police Welcome Conviction Over Unlicensed Door Staff

Sunday, January 16, 2011 Comments Off by Fred Milner

Police have secured a conviction for two people in relation to providing unlicensed door supervisors at a Penzance nightclub.

On Thursday 13 January 2011 Christopher Nicholas, who runs a company called Maximum Security, pleaded guilty to providing unlicensed door staff to Matts Bar, Penzance, during the summer of 2009.

At West Cornwall Magistrates Court, in November 2010, Mr Nicholas’ partner and employee Samantha Elson Jones had already pleaded guilty to working as a door supervisor at the club while unlicensed.

The magistrate gave Mr Nicholas a twelve month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £1,000 towards costs. They gave Ms Elson Jones a community order and ordered her to work 60 hours unpaid.

Sgt Marc Sayers, of the Penzance Neighbourhood Policing team said:

“This case is a good example of partnership working between Devon and Cornwall Police and the Security Industry Authority to tackle one of the challenges facing the night time economy in Penzance. There are obvious risks involved with the use of unlicensed door staff, which is why the legislation is in place.”

SIA Head of Investigation Paul Cartlidge said:

“Christopher Nicholas showed a lack of care to the venue’s customers when he supplied unlicensed door staff who were not legally entitled to work so I am pleased with the outcome of this case. It is important that individuals working the doors and those supplying them comply with the law and we will continue to work with the police to ensure public safety is being maintained.”

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BSIA advises homeowners to protect their properties this winter

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 Comments Off by Fred Milner

As the days are getting shorter and the cold starts settling in, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is reminding homeowners of the importance of ensuring that their homes and possessions are protected this winter.

Past events have proven that the risk of falling victim of crimes such as burglary increases during the cold season, as long hours of darkness make properties more vulnerable. However, simple and cost effective preventative measures can dramatically reduce the threat of houses being broken into.

“Winter is the busiest time of the year for burglars,” says James Kelly, Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association. “For this reason homeowners should be particularly careful, and may consider improving their home security. Protecting your home and possessions needn’t be complicated or expensive and even the simplest of measures can considerably reduce the risk of break-ins. Most burglars are opportunists and will just try doors and gates to see if they are locked. Therefore straightforward actions like making sure that doors and gates are properly locked can defeat them”.

“There are plenty of security measures available on the market to help you secure your home, such as locks for windows and doors, bells or monitored intruder alarms, CCTV, property marking systems and/or security lighting. Before choosing which solution is right for you, however, you should consider how the burglar could gain entry to your property, and seek expert advice where necessary. What is imperative, regardless of which method you choose to adopt, is that you should select quality security solutions, provided by a professional company that complies with appropriate standards”.

The BSIA website provides details of member companies that comply with relevant British and European Standards. Search for a member at www.bsia.co.uk

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The future of the Security Industry Authority (SIA)

Friday, October 22, 2010 Comments Off by Fred Milner


“Bonfire of the Quangos’

At 9.35 am Thursday 14 October 2010, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) fell under the Coalition Government’s axe as part of the much-debated Austerity 2010 public spending cuts.

As expected, Francis Maude – Minister for the Cabinet Office – summarised plans to substantially reform a large number of public bodies across Government (a reform dubbed by many to be the ‘Bonfire of the Quangos’, and more of which anon).

Next to the SIA’s inclusion on the official Government ‘hit list’, the wording reads: ‘No longer an NDPB: phased transition to new regulatory regime’.

In plain English rather than political jargon, this means our sector’s Regulator is soon to be no more (at least as far as its present form and functions as a Non-Departmental Public Body or ‘quango’ are concerned).

Here’s what the Home Office statement says in full…

“The Government is committed to making substantial reforms to its public bodies, increasing accountability and reducing their number and cost.

“As part of the Public Bodies Review, the SIA was considered against the Cabinet Office’s tests of retention. We concluded there was no evidence that the functions of the SIA needed to be performed by a public body, and that it did not meet the three tests of performing a technical function, impartiality and establishing facts transparently.

“The private security industry has matured in the six years since SIA regulation began in England and Wales. We believe the time is now right to make a phased transition to a new regulatory regime.

“Ministers from the Scotland and Northern Ireland Governments have been consulted. They want to ensure that regulation of the private security industry continues in their countries.

“How this will work is a policy decision for the devolved administrations to make. We will work with them to ensure that transitional arrangements continue to operate until such time that a new regulatory regime is in place.

“Until the new regulatory regime is in place, the current law will continue to apply. It will remain mandatory for any person undertaking licensable activities to hold and display a valid SIA licence, and it will remain a criminal offence to work without a licence.

“The SIA and other agencies will continue to enforce these offences.”

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