A few years ago, I was asked to give a presentation to the board of the Security Industry Authority talking about the impact of the Private Security Industry Act from an operational security professional’s perspective. I don’t have a problem with speaking truth to power, and after 15 minutes of highlighting successes and failures over the last two and a half decades, I had a short Q and A session. At the end of this, I was asked a very simple question, “What one thing would you like the SIA to do to improve the security industry?”
With no hesitation at all, I replied “Licence all security companies,” and there is no doubt that I was neither the first nor last person to suggest this to them.
Closing the Gap: The need for Security Company Licensing
Most people I speak to agree that licensing of security companies was a serious omission from the original 2001 Private Security Industry Act. Much of the malpractice and poor standards that we hear so much about today would be stamped out if companies, their Directors, and operating practices, were properly audited. Many companies would have to reform, or simply close their doors, and standards across the industry would inevitably rise as a direct result.
Somewhat unexpectedly, most of the senior figures at the SIA, that I have spoken to over the years, feel the same way and share our annoyance. Of course the Home Office are the SIA’s paymasters however so any dissenting view would be career suicide if it were made public. On several occasions our regulator has recommended to the Home Office that mandatory security company licensing be implemented, only to have the idea rejected or ignored.
Why has Security Company Licensing hasn’t taken off yet?
Why the Home Office has been so negative about what is clearly an industry improving idea, will no doubt become fuel for some investigative journalism, and rampant speculation. Is it simply the additional cost required to ramp up the SIA’s auditing ability, and compliance teams? With the cost of these new licences, generating yet more revenue, it would seem unlikely.
So is security company licensing any closer?
Sadly, probably not.
Business Approval Scheme consultation
Last month (February 2024) the SIA launched their “Business approval scheme consultation”. There was a great deal of speculation within the industry, that this may finally herald the long-awaited mandatory business licensing.It seems, frustratingly, that this will simply be a revamping of the SIA’s voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, rather than any mandatory licensing of companies. Once more, not at all what the industry has been crying out for for so many years.
The need for upgradation in SIA processes
To be fair, modernisation of the SIA and its processes is absolutely required. Although it is all very much focussed on increased methods to ensure public safety, in a rapidly changing security environment, rather than anything that will benefit the security industry per se. With the increased use of CSAS, the emergence of private security patrols performing public facing law enforcement roles, and more and more Constabulary’s going into partnership with private security companies, to save money recruiting and training full time warranted constables, changes are undeniably needed.
How to advance the Security Industry?
No level of ACS tweaking however, will substantively improve the industry. It has to be remembered that the SIA is not the problem here, and speaking to some of the senior people within the industry regulator, off the record of course, they share our annoyance and frustration. History would also suggest that whatever changes that are made to the SIA’s procedures and practices, as a result of this consultation, will inevitably seem to benefit the “traditional industry stakeholders” who have, for many years, been spectacularly ineffective at producing any tangible improvement to the UK security industry as a whole.
So a massive collective “Boo Hiss” to the Home Office. How long can they collectively stick their fingers in their ears shouting “LA LA LA, WE’RE NOT LISTENING!” before their motives, and the actions of the key Government decision makers responsible for such dedicated apathy, come under close and genuine scrutiny?
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