| In what is understood to be a Scottish first, senior figures from the Government-appointed Security Industry Authority will outline how measures which have already been rolled out in England Wales will be implemented north of the border — almost certainly as soon as 12 to 15 months time.
The new registration legislation could see pubs, clubs and other premises that employ unregistered security staff being penalised by their local authority.
The private security industry suffers from something of an image problem. Although there are many reputable firms, there are many that are not.
Many reputable companies have welcomed the moves to implement the registration legislation in Scotland, seeing it as a way of introducing a level playing field across the industry.
About 100 or so delegates from the public sector, security companies, night clubs, pubs, and bars in Aberdeen, Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perthshire, have expressed an interest in hearing details of the new legislation at the briefing at the Apex Hotel in Dundee on August 15.
They will hear from, amongst others, SIA deputy chief executive Andy Drake and the authority’s newly-appointed project manager for Scotland Paul Jackman-Graham, who will oversee implementation of the new legislation.
In 2001, the Private Security Industry Act was introduced in England and Wales and this has seen widespread licensing measures introduced in both. Last year, as part of the Serious and Organised Crime Act, the Scottish Parliament decided a similar registration exercise should be carried out in Scotland.
The legislation will mean door security companies and their staff, building site security companies and others will all have to be licensed.
Companies, pubs, clubs and others who subsequently do not employ licensed security companies to do work for them could lay themselves open to action.
Next month’s briefing in Dundee is the result of an invitation extended to the SIA by local door security company NRF Security Ltd, which has its roots in Dundee and now has offices at Leuchars, which asked the authority to address an invited audience at the event.
Other speakers will be Dundee businessman Chris Lundie, managing director of Covert Security Group, which has extensive security contracts across Scotland, and Tony Bainbridge, a leading training and security consultant who has trained large numbers of security personnel across England and Wales.
Earlier this year NRF Security became the first Scottish door security company to gain certification in the new standard of industry training required by the SIA.
NRF’s director of business development, Wendy Thomson, said today the new legislation will bring about the very changes the private security industry itself wants. |
