Private Security Policing - a step too far or is this what today's society needs?
Statistics suggest that police budgets have been cut by £2.7bn since 2010, meaning there are over 21,000 fewer police officers now than in 2010 - leaving forces across the UK understaffed and overstretched. Policing staff levels are at their lowest in 30 years.
In what could be seen as a response to this and growing concerns over public safety, the private security industry is moving in.
My Local Bobby is an example of a new “private policing” service offering ‘high-end security, with the full support of experienced detectives and the capability of prosecuting offences’. In fact, the subscription-based model has been so successful in London it is now being rolled out nationwide.
Many see the benefits in this type of service and have praised the pro active response by the private security industry. Others see the move as “vigilantesque”.
The Met Police have their voiced concerns stating, ‘The Met does not support activities by individuals or groups who target suspected criminals… This type of action could jeopardise or interfere with ongoing investigations, and our advice to anyone who has information about a suspect or witnesses a crime is to contact police as soon as possible’
However, they have seemingly somewhat embraced the move, stating that, ‘Where organisations or communities wish to fund their own security patrols we will work with these personnel in the most appropriate way to prevent and detect crime.’
The organisation has reportedly achieved over 400 convictions, including fraud and intellectual property theft. They monitor an array of criminal activities and will investigate crimes such as drug dealing to criminal damage and have even investigated a murder.
This private security policing service was co-founded by David McKelvey and Tony Nash - both former Met officers. Starting in Belgravia, Mayfair and Kensington their uniformed bobbies each have a “microbeat” covering up to 250 houses – the owners of which will pay a subscription fee of approx. £100-£200 a month, with clients tracking their progress on an iPad app.
This is not a new idea – in 2014 it was reported that a Security Firm in Frinton-on-Sea was paid by residents in a similar scheme to provide on-duty private security guards to fill a void left by police cuts. Former soldier Stephen Beardsley, Head of the Company, insisted at that time that he and his staff were far from vigilantes with their firm priority being resident safety, “We have no powers - no more than the average citizen's arrest - but for us, we are about being a deterrent.” There is certainly something to be said about the power of deterrence. PCSO’s were introduced by the Police Force for that very purpose some years ago.
And so in light of these success stories and a somewhat reluctant acceptance from the authorities for this new private security policing, it would seem a new sector for the private security industry has emerged - and if police cuts and over arduous paperwork duties continue, one it would seem, with a lot of growth potential.
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