RiskUKDecember2017

The Changing Face of Security Services: Compliance and Regulation
rare occasions, we may well give witnesses
updates on the progression of a case with
which they’re directly involved.
In addition, we receive such high volumes of
information that it would be an inefficient use
of resources to respond to every report of
suspicious or concerning behaviour. For
example, between May and October this year,
we received 2,246 reports. From them, we
created 306 intelligence cases. This resulted in
126 compliance cases and 180 interventions by
our partnerships and interventions teams.
We value and assess everything that’s sent to
us. Most of the information we receive is very
useful, and the fact that we cannot give
updates doesn’t mean that we’re not acting on
the detail you send us.
Enforcement approach
We have a range of options for non-compliance.
Our approach is intelligence-led and based on
risk. This means that we use intelligence to
prioritise our activities and resources to deal
with the most severe cases of non-compliance.
If the law is broken, we seek compliance.
However, we have the will and the capability to
prosecute offenders. Those who display a
blatant contempt for regulation – and, in doing
so, undermine the safeguards and assurances
that regulation provides – will be prosecuted.
Furthermore, our compliance and
investigation activity isn’t limited to matters
under the Private Security Industry Act 2001.
We can also legally consider offending which
affects the provision of security industry
services. This can include offending relating to
malpractice, fraud, identity irregularities,
organised crime or theft.
Information and intelligence plays a key role
in encouraging compliance. It puts us in the
right place and at the right time such that we
can catch anyone who ignores the law and SIA
licensing conditions.
A good example of this is the prosecution of
Stuart Reeves of Lock It Down Security Services
Limited and Joseph Mitchell of Alpha Secure
Group Ltd. They were found guilty of supplying
an unlicensed security operative in February
2017. During this investigation, we were sent
information that suggested Alpha Secure Group
Ltd was a phoenix entity arising from Lock It
Down Security Services Limited. In other words,
Lock It Down Security Services Limited had
gone into liquidation, but had been
reconstituted under the same management as
Alpha Secure Group Ltd.
Further information sent to us revealed that
security operatives were being paid as though
they were self-employed, or were not paid on
“The quality of the information sent to us is crucial.
Information that includes the names of people, places and
behaviour of concern gives us the detail we need to act”
several occasions. All of this information meant
that we could question Reeves and Mitchell
further and inspect their business premises.
When more irregularities were found, we
prosecuted them.
Role of intelligence
The intelligence we receive plays a vital role in
successful prosecutions. We want the private
security industry to know how important the
information it sends to us really is. It’s for this
very reason that, when we prosecute
businesses or individuals, we publish
information about this on the News and
Updates Section of our website. We want the
private security industry and its constituent
members to know that we’re working diligently
in order to regulate more effectively.
We have frequently described on-the-ground,
front line private security operatives as the
“eyes and ears” of the industry. They’re often
the best-placed people to share intelligence, as
they can recognise behaviour that’s suspicious
and/or illegal. We absolutely welcome
information from all sources, and we would
stress that we’re interested in more than
obvious criminal behaviour. Information on
other suspicious behaviour can also help us to
build an effective intelligence case.
The impact of intelligence cannot be
underestimated. We conduct our own checks
across the UK to assess compliance. We work
with partners to share information and
intelligence, and we act upon the information
sent to us in order to drive our compliance and
enforcement activity.
We’ve endeavoured to make it as easy as
possible for people to send us information.
Anyone can report a crime or concern via our
corporate website or by calling Crimestoppers
on 0800 555 111. We want members of the
private security industry and the general public
to know that, if they see something suspicious,
they should contact us and report it.
The information you give to us is invaluable.
Your involvement underpins and strengthens
our regulatory enforcement activity, which in
turn improves the standards and reputation of
the private security industry.
Chasing rogue operators out of the industry
ultimately leads to better working conditions
for individual operatives and increased levels of
public safety. Keep talking to us.
Mark Burtonwood:
Deputy Director (Operations)
at the Security Industry
Authority
*To find out more about the
SIA’s enforcement approach
visit the website
https://www.sia.
homeoffice.gov.uk/Pages/
enforcement.aspx
**For further information on
the impact of enforcement,
read these Case Studies
https://www.sia.homeoffice.
gov.uk/Pages/enforcementintelligence.aspx
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