British Security Industry Association (BSIA) News

Andrew's retirement will mark a sad day for the security industry as a wholeThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has reacted with sadness to the announcement of Andrew White's imminent departure from the NSI. James Kelly, BSIA Chief Executive, comments: "Andrew's retirement will mark a sad day for the security industry as a whole. Throughout his four-year tenure at NSI, he has worked tirelessly to restore key relationships with Government and industry stakeholders, and has succe...

David was awarded the prize for his pivotal role in the development of the Bridging the Gap projectDavid Evans, Project Director - 2012 at the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) was awarded the prestigious Imbert Prize at the Association of Security Consultants' annual lunch. The Imbert Prize is awarded annually for the development of ideas in the advancement of risk and security management, which, in David's case, relates to his pivotal role in the development of the Bridging the Gap...

IFSEC is established as the world's largest annual security eventFor the 38th successive year, IFSEC delivered a first-class event for the international security industry when it took place from 10 - 13 May 2010 at the NEC Birmingham. Established as the world's largest annual security event, thousands of visitors descended on Birmingham to see more than 750 industry-renowned companies showcase their latest developments and take advantage of more than 30 hours of free educational content.Jam...

The BSIA event provided a platform for industry suppliers to exhibit their products and servicesLeading suppliers and service providers from the information destruction industry were united on 9th June at a conference and exhibition hosted by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA)."Since changes to the law have introduced hefty fines for any company found to be in breach of the Data Protection Act, sharing best practice is now more important than ever in our rapidly growing indust...

When it comes to maximising the benefits of CCTV, a key priority, in the first instance, must be to look at the frontline where the all-important images are being captured.Whether being used for commercial or public space surveillance, as the eyes of a solution, cameras must be both fit for purpose and positioned so they are able to see, at an appropriate level, what is actually going on in a designated area, with the right amount of illumination also a prerequisite.This focus on how cameras are...

smarti is a multi-modal biometric access control, time & attendance and building automation solutionAfter smarti Electra winning last year, TAB Systems was pleasantly surprised and excited when the new smarti® Guardeon unit was declared the Access Control Product of the Year at the IFSEC 2010 Security Industry Awards! smarti® Guardeon is the new rugged high security unit that combines TAB Systems core biometric access control with a built in proximity card reader and a myriad of othe...

The BSIA guide provides information on how access control can reduce risks that the healthcare sector facesThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has published a new guide to aid the healthcare sector in the use of access control systems.The guide is aimed at hospitals and residential care homes and explains how access control technology can better protect these sites, which are increasingly being targeted by criminals.Mike Sussman, Chairman of the BSIA's Access Control Section, commen...

The security industry remains committed to its partnership to combat the cash-in-transit crimesThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed the sentencing of five cash-in-transit robbers, which took place at Preston Crown Court.The offenders, who were responsible for two cash-in-transit robberies in the winter of 2008 during which a cash-in-transit courier was shot and seriously wounded, received hefty sentences totalling over 50 years. James Kelly, BSIA Chief Exe...

The event offers a chance for companies to showcase products and services to overseas security buyersThis year's well-attended Meet the Buyers event held at IFSEC 2010 was a great success securing a record number of meetings between UK companies and overseas buyers, says the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).The event is organised by the BSIA in partnership with UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) and International Trade Promotion Centre and has been r...

The BSIA has a long track record in working alongside the UK government to advice on CCTVAs the new coalition government publishes its plans for civil liberties in the UK, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA)'s CCTV Section has welcomed plans for a further focus on the regulation of CCTV and calls for the new Government to work closely with key stakeholders, including the BSIA, in its decision making. The coalition document sets out the agreements reached between the Conservatives an...

The news is welcomed by the intruder alarms sector, including the BSIA's Security Systems SectionThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed the decision by British Telecommunications (BT) to cease the mass migration of the PSTN network to IP. BT conducts regular reviews of the 21CN voice project, and during the most recent review, it was decided that the mass migration to the 21CN voice platform, including the 275,000 line migration planned for Pathfinder Volume POTs during 20...

The continuation of the relationship with the new government is vital for the security of the nationThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has reacted to an announcement of a hung Parliament. James Kelly, Chief Executive, comments: "Politics and public affairs have long been at the heart of the BSIA's activity, and we have worked hard over the recent decade to forge strong working relationships with the previous Labour Government.""The continuation of this relationship i...

 British Security Industry Association claims that R&D tax credits are "essential to economic recovery"With just a week to go until the General Election, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has urged politicians to think carefully over the future of R&D tax credits, claiming that they are "essential to economic recovery."The tax relief - worth £790m in 2008 - is currently available to businesses of all sizes in exchange for the continued develo...

The seminar was vital to proprietors running businesses in the security industryFor the second time the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has hosted its popular Employment Law and Health and Safety seminar designed specifically for businesses operating in the security industry.Organised in partnership with Citation, one of the UK's leading providers of Health and Safety and Employment Law advice, this essential seminar took place to guide companies through the key issues of UK Employm...

The delegates at the Expo debated how the nation can best provide cutting-edge security for international eventsThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has exhibited at the Counter Terror Expo event for the first time. The event, which took place on 14th and 15th April at Olympia in London, brought together the world's leading experts on counter-terrorism and provided delegates with the opportunity to view first-hand some of the new technology developed to aid the fight agains...

The UK security sector is to be promoted around the world as the 'hallmark of excellence'Optex Europe, leaders in detection technology, has welcomed the strategy from UK Trade & Investment to help British security companies win business abroad.The UK security sector is to be promoted around the world as the 'hallmark of excellence.' More than 335,000 people are employed in 18,000 companies and exports last year were valued at £1.36 billion, an increase of over 14 percent as compared to...

It is very disappointing to see that such outdated views of security personnel are still alive and well in modern societyThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has hit back at claims made by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson that security officers are "pretty much useless."Writing in his recent Sunday Times column, Clarkson asserted that security officers are a "waste of time" whose main function in life is "making the lives of normal people a little bit more...

The BSIA will continue to serve their members and promote quality security measuresFollowing the announcement of the next General Election, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is urging the major political parties to engage with the security industry and consider its needs as part of their election manifestos in the run up to 6th May.Working with the Government has long been at the heart of the BSIA's activity and the Association is proud to maintain good relations with key decision...

The event brought together businesses to examine issues of security, counter-terrorism and business continuityManchester businesses were given a valuable insight into ways they can better protect themselves against security threats and assist in countering terrorism and business continuity issues at the annual Manchester Security exhibition and seminar.The event, held on 24th March, played host to around 200 delegates from the police, local authorities and a range of businesses including banks a...

HOSDB displays the latest security equipment for law enforcement and public securityFor the first time, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has exhibited at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB)'s premier security equipment event.The event, which took place in Farnborough from 16th to 18th March, is the UK's only secure event for displaying the latest security equipment for law enforcement and public security and focuses on four key business areas including crime and...

The most popular application of VCA technology is external and internal intruder detectionAn increasing number of people are using Video Content Analysis (VCA) as a security measure, according to research conducted by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA).In its research the BSIA investigated how often installers and manufacturers supply VCA in their solutions. VCA is the automatic analysis of CCTV images to create useful information about the content. It has a wide range of uses from...

Responsible employers consider the health and security of their lone workers a top priorityThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has published a guide to help employers understand their responsibilities towards lone workers. ‘Lone Workers - An Employers' Guide' provides employers with easy-to-follow advice about British Standard BS8484 - the Code of Practice for the provision of Lone Worker Services - and what they should look for when sourcing a supplier.Alex Carmichael, Techni...

The charter calls on the security industry to collate data to develop a picture on attack trendsThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has offered its support to the GMB trade union following the announcement of the union's new charter, aimed at improving employee welfare and safety for security officers. The new charter, which was officially launched on March 1st, will improve conditions for security officers through better sick pay schemes, injury on duty agreements, additional suppo...

The BSIA endorses the SIA's tough stance on security companies that break the licensing rulesThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed the recent convictions of security company Sabrewatch who have been found guilty of supplying unlicensed security operatives to customers. Sabrewatch, based in East Grinstead, provided security for high street retailers including Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Harvey Nichols, GAP and Cadbury Schweppes. The firm had been supplying unlicensed sec...

 Full-body scanners help in carrying out important security checksIn light of the full-body scanners recently hitting the headlines again, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is highlighting the importance of safety over sensationalism.Just last week claims were made from Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan that on a recent trip through Heathrow Airport his scanned image was printed out and shared among staff. Following this incident, there have been warnings from the Equality and Hu...

 The briefings were arranged for security companies providing frontline security staff to guard crowded places Over 160 directors and managers from security companies in the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) enjoyed a series of industry briefings organised by the Government's Office for Security & Counter-Terrorism (OSCT) in London on Wednesday 10th February. The briefings were attended by representatives from the BSIA's Security Guarding, Cash and Valuables in Transit (CVIT)...

The BSIA announces the winners of the Annual Security Personnel Awards 2010 The regional winners of the British Security Industry Association's Annual Security Personnel Awards 2010 have been announced.The awards recognise the excellent work and vital contribution that those working in the security industry are making across the country. The awards are presented in the following categories: Service to the Customer, Outstanding Act, Best Newcomer, Best Use of Technology and Best Team.James K...

 At the BSIA (British Security Industry Association) we are all for a considered debate regarding CCTV and its effectiveness. In the past, for instance, we have welcomed the efforts of the House of Lords Constitution Committee and other reports and views on this critical area. Whilst we may not have agreed with all of their respective recommendations we were, at least, reassured that the issue was being approached with some semblance of balance, and the resulting documents had benefited fro...

 CCTV is a valuable weapon in the fight against crime and terrorismPublic spending on CCTV is worthwhile to secure public safety, is the response of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) to a recent online report highlighting concerns over the rise in the number of CCTV cameras controlled by local councils over the past decade. In its report, published in December, Big Brother Watch - an offshoot of the Taxpayers' Alliance - questions the effectiveness of CCTV in deterring or sol...

The new Oversight Body will develop national standards for installation and use of CCTV in public spacesThe British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has welcomed the announcement from the Home Office on its formation of the National CCTV Oversight Body and decision to appoint an interim CCTV regulator.Among several responsibilities, the oversight body will develop the national standards for the installation and use of CCTV in public spaces, determine training requirements for users and raise...