Guard your yard
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Alan Millar surveys the security firms
I DOUBT whether many road hauliers would let their wives leave their diamond rings or gold bracelets in places where they can be stolen by petty thieves. Yet how many haulage yards have you seen in which 32-ton articulated units worth £30,000 or more are left parked where any passing thief could remove them without being seen, let alone challenged?
Even an empty TIR trailer' costs £6500 to replace, the retail value of goods in it could be as much as £80,000, and precious diesel stocks have a high black market value. It all adds up to a need for properly protected premises, and many firms are using the services of Britain's security guard cornpan ies.
The security industry's image. has taken a beating in recent years, and to promote better standards, it has founded the British Security Industry Association Ltd. It claims to represent about 90 per cent of the industry, and has a membership of around 70 companies divided into sections dealing with alarms, guard and patrol, safe and lock, and transport.
BSIA is especially keen to quash the impression that security firms are a substitute for the police force. It does not want its members to be used to seek criminals or put down violence in public, nor does it allow them to employ under-cover agents other than store detectives. Companies are forbidden from issuing employees with weapons — even truncheons — and high standards of animal welfare are insisted upon where guard dogs are used.
It also insists upon high standards of competence, integrity, and financial standing for its members, and demands that they are covered adequately for insurance. Only companies with an average turnover in the security industry in the United Kingdom of £300,000 or more are permitted to become BSIA members, and guards and patrols should be aged 21 to 65 only.
The following list of security companies, mainly in the London area, includes BSIA members, but anyone thinking of setting up a security policy at his premises should first contact his local police crime prevention officer. Police cannot state preferences for particular security companies, but they do have many reputable firms' names on their books and will be happy to assist any security-minded haulier or coach proprietor.
Burns International Security Services (UK) Ltd, 100 Warwick Road, London, W5 5PT also has Manchester, Southampton, and Harlow (Essex) branches, and is a BSIA member. Its services include a
cons Raney service to assess ellen s needs for such items as guar service, electronics, compute security, and executive prot ction.
C ubb Wardens Ltd, 4250 ersham Road, Waltononhames, Surrey, KT12 1RY is also a BSIA member. It emp oys internal security warden to patrol security areas, and et vehicles and visitors at nigh and during the day. It also offe s female wardens where ther is a security risk among wo en employees or where a sec rity-conscious receptionist is n eded.
It relies on technology for mos le patrolmen who are provides with two-way radios and for •uarding such areas as stro grooms where portable tele ision monitors are used, Chu b also offers a key-holding serv ce which saves a client's sta from being called out in the midsle of the night when an em zrgency arises.
euarda Security, Sinclair Ho se, The Avenue, London W1 ONT has branches in Sh ield and Leeds. In over 10 ears, it has built up a cornpre ensive service which incluses static guards, mobile patrels, and a key-holding service, tatic guards are instructed to csotact Guarda Control every hou , and relief guards are sent out if they don't. They are sup rvised by a roving team of ins ectors who make random spot-checks on all security offi ers, and give them advice on eir duties.
I ter-Globe Security Servic s Ltd, 8-10 Minerva R d, London, NW10 6HJ is the British subsidiary of an American group and has
branches in London, Birmingham, Derby, Manchester, and Glasgow. Security guards are provided to undertake general work and for such selective work as prestige duties at trade exhibitions, shareholders' meetings, and hotel functions.
PPR Security Services Ltd, 404 High Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1TW provides security gate officers, office guards, mobile patrols, and has a control station which monitors all of its activities 24 hours a day It is in direct contact with emergency services.
Pritchard Security Services Ltd, Congreve House, Station Road, Redhill, Surrey offers tailor-made security guard services and, in common with some of the other companies, calls its female guards Guardettes. Its 24-hour mobile patrol service times visits so that a guard never adopts a regular pattern of work which might help thieves.
Prevention and Detection Ltd, 19 Hand Court, High Holborn, London, WC1V 6JF runs a 24-hour service of static uniformed guards, security patrol visits, trained dog handlers, security checkers for warehousing, and a key-holder service. It also runs an investigation agency which is staffed with former Metropolitan Police Criminal investigation Department officers and which operates at home and abroad.
Property Guards Ltd, Burlington House, Crosby Road North, Liverpool, 122 OLG offers the advantages of a national group with a Northern Region based at Bootle, a London-based Southern Region, and a Glasgow-based Scottish Region. Like the smaller companies, it has static guards backed up by mobile patrols, and runs such specialist activities as key holding and personal searches. Property Guards are BSIA members.
Securicor Group Ltd, 2430 Gillingham Street, London, SW1 VHZ, another BSIA member, is the name which springs to most people's mind in this field. It has over 200 branches in Britain and employs over 20,000. Among the group's claims is that, in addition to the standard range of services provided, it has a good record of fire detection at sites it protects.
Securiplan Ltd, Lynwood House, 24-32 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 5UJ is a BSIA member. Its services are tailored to a customer's needs and are established after they survey his premises. Static and patrol guards, radio-controlled mobile patrols, patrols with guard dogs, a special duty service, and emergency guard services are provided. Sentinel Security Service Ltd, Sensec House, 144 Maidstone Road, Footscray, Sidcup, Kent lists the Thames Barrier and Grain Power Station among its prestigious contracts. This BSIA member provides static security officers, mobile radio patrols, and a key-holding service in addition to a number of specialist activities. It runs a Lifeline service which backs up the services of a customer's own watchmen.
Sovereign Security Services, Seceurop House, Tollington Place, London, N4 308 lists Shell, BP, OAF, Borg Warner, and Berlin's Tegel Airport as some of its customers. It has a team of mobile security officers in radio-controlled vehicles, runs a key-holding service, offers the advantages of its computerised control and monitoring system, and provides static guards.
Remember that you don't just need to protect your property against theft. Vandals cause as much nuisance, and can be kept at bay by security measures. It is worth thinking about.