I know I appear to have not been updating the blog, but there hasn't actually been anything to put on here lately.
Im still awaiting a further response from my MP, as I understand she is awaiting responses from those she wrote to last month. So once I have the responses, I will put them here, but until then, we just have to wait.
Something I will mention, is that I have started to gather increasing interest from both individual guards and security companies alike, however, as this is still only a fledgling idea, they are reluctant to show their support by being listed on the main APSO website - something that I can understand.
Anyways, like I say, once I have information to put here, I will do.
Friday, 21 March 2008
Monday, 3 March 2008
Followup: Security officer killed on duty
Last night it came to my attention that the officer 'killed' on duty in Bristol on Saturday, had in fact died from natural causes.
Obviously I cant speculate as to the actual cause of his death until confirmation is released by the police, but it still does't change my comments regarding the issuing of batons and sprays to officers to be able to defend ourselves.
Obviously I cant speculate as to the actual cause of his death until confirmation is released by the police, but it still does't change my comments regarding the issuing of batons and sprays to officers to be able to defend ourselves.
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Security Officer killed on duty
In the early hours of yesterday, 1st March, a security officer was killed whilst on duty at a bowling alley in Bristol. The following story is taken from the this is bristol website:
SEVEN people have been arrested after a security guard was killed in an incident at the Bowlplex bowling hall and bar in Longwell Green in the early hours of this morning.
The 27-year-old security guard was in the foyer of the building, which is part of the Aspects Leisure Park, when the incident happened.
Police have sealed off the foyer and are expected to be at the scene most of the day carrying out inquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the man's death.
It was not clear how he was killed.
Detective Inspector Richard Budd said: "We know there were in excess of 100 people using facilities at Bowlplex during the early hours of this morning.
"It is important that we speak to those people to help us piece together the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
"Officers are this morning studying CCTV footage and speaking to people who were either working or visiting Bowlplex at around the time of the incident."
Police have arrested seven people in connection with the death. They were being held at a Bristol police station.
The dead man worked for Wotton-under-Edge-based Stuart Leisure Security which has a contract with Bowlplex to provide security guards.
Commercial director of Bowlplex Marena Hyatt-Willis said: "We are liaising with the police completely on this and trying to find out what happened.
"Our immediate concern is for the young man's family. He was only 27."
She said the company would issue a statement later today.
The Bowlplex has a late bar which is open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and also runs a disco, pool room and video room.
Now, correct me if Im wrong, but the last comment there, is that just a blatant advertisment or what? Someone died, and they are listing what facilities they have there.
I have just left a comment on that site, but not mentioning either this or the main APSO site, as it would probably not be shown.
Lets just see what happens in the next few days, as come tomorrow it will probably hit the main news rather than just the local papers, and hopefully someone from the government will sit up and take notice, as we have just had the response from them regarding the recent petition to allow security personnel to carry batons and sprays to be able to defend ourselves effectively, to which they gave a resounding NO.
SEVEN people have been arrested after a security guard was killed in an incident at the Bowlplex bowling hall and bar in Longwell Green in the early hours of this morning.
The 27-year-old security guard was in the foyer of the building, which is part of the Aspects Leisure Park, when the incident happened.
Police have sealed off the foyer and are expected to be at the scene most of the day carrying out inquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the man's death.
It was not clear how he was killed.
Detective Inspector Richard Budd said: "We know there were in excess of 100 people using facilities at Bowlplex during the early hours of this morning.
"It is important that we speak to those people to help us piece together the circumstances surrounding the man's death.
"Officers are this morning studying CCTV footage and speaking to people who were either working or visiting Bowlplex at around the time of the incident."
Police have arrested seven people in connection with the death. They were being held at a Bristol police station.
The dead man worked for Wotton-under-Edge-based Stuart Leisure Security which has a contract with Bowlplex to provide security guards.
Commercial director of Bowlplex Marena Hyatt-Willis said: "We are liaising with the police completely on this and trying to find out what happened.
"Our immediate concern is for the young man's family. He was only 27."
She said the company would issue a statement later today.
The Bowlplex has a late bar which is open until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and also runs a disco, pool room and video room.
Now, correct me if Im wrong, but the last comment there, is that just a blatant advertisment or what? Someone died, and they are listing what facilities they have there.
I have just left a comment on that site, but not mentioning either this or the main APSO site, as it would probably not be shown.
Lets just see what happens in the next few days, as come tomorrow it will probably hit the main news rather than just the local papers, and hopefully someone from the government will sit up and take notice, as we have just had the response from them regarding the recent petition to allow security personnel to carry batons and sprays to be able to defend ourselves effectively, to which they gave a resounding NO.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Ive had a response...
After emailing my local MP around 5 weeks ago, I have had a reply in the form of an official letter from her through the House of Commons, which states:
Dear Mr Watson,
Thank you for your recent emails concerning the problems you have been experiencing with the Security Industry Authority (SIA). I apologise for the delay in replying.
I appreciate the importance of this issue, and I understand your frustration at being unable to receive a satisfactory response from the SIA.
I have therefore written on your behalf to Mike Wilson, Chief Executive of the SIA, and Meg Hillier MP, Parlimentary Under Secretary of State for Identity at the Home Office, and I will write to you again when I receive a reply.
With regard to the problems you have experienced updating your address details, I have had success contacting the SIA on similar problems in the past, and would be happy to do so on your behalf. Please contact my constituency office if you would like me to make any such representations.
Yours sincerely
Helen Goodman
Step one - Make local MP aware: Complete
Step two - Make a difference: Pending
Dear Mr Watson,
Thank you for your recent emails concerning the problems you have been experiencing with the Security Industry Authority (SIA). I apologise for the delay in replying.
I appreciate the importance of this issue, and I understand your frustration at being unable to receive a satisfactory response from the SIA.
I have therefore written on your behalf to Mike Wilson, Chief Executive of the SIA, and Meg Hillier MP, Parlimentary Under Secretary of State for Identity at the Home Office, and I will write to you again when I receive a reply.
With regard to the problems you have experienced updating your address details, I have had success contacting the SIA on similar problems in the past, and would be happy to do so on your behalf. Please contact my constituency office if you would like me to make any such representations.
Yours sincerely
Helen Goodman
Step one - Make local MP aware: Complete
Step two - Make a difference: Pending
Monday, 25 February 2008
Petition Time
There is a new petition on the 10 Downing Street website, asking for an investigation into the Security Industry Authority, due to the fact that applications are taking longer than they should, being unable to contact the SIA by any means, and the fact that because of these and other issues the SIA is creating unemployment in the industry.
Ive signed it, as have others already - I fully recommend that every single security officer in the country sign it, as unless large numbers of officers do so, it will go unheard like every other attempt at getting the government to investigate the industry sofar.
Click here for the petition
Ive signed it, as have others already - I fully recommend that every single security officer in the country sign it, as unless large numbers of officers do so, it will go unheard like every other attempt at getting the government to investigate the industry sofar.
Click here for the petition
Saturday, 23 February 2008
I forgot to tell everyone I have a poor memory....
I knew there was something I was supposed to do yesterday.
I emailed my MP, Helen Goodman about the lack of contact I've had regarding both emails I have sent to her, advising that I was given a timescale for a reply by the person I spoke to at her constituency office, so I expected a reply, and have yet to receive one.
But I forgot to mention it on here. I know it's only a day late, but if I start forgetting to post, this page will go quiet, and the information wont be kept updated - I know what I'm like for things like this.
Whether this will speed up the process or not is a completely different matter.
I emailed my MP, Helen Goodman about the lack of contact I've had regarding both emails I have sent to her, advising that I was given a timescale for a reply by the person I spoke to at her constituency office, so I expected a reply, and have yet to receive one.
But I forgot to mention it on here. I know it's only a day late, but if I start forgetting to post, this page will go quiet, and the information wont be kept updated - I know what I'm like for things like this.
Whether this will speed up the process or not is a completely different matter.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
I heard it through the grapevine...
..aka securityoracle forums lol.
I've heard today, whether it's just rumour or not I'm not fully aware, although it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, that when The SIA moved their callcentre operations from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Liverpool at the end of 2007, they reduced the number of incoming call lines to the callcentre staff because 'if there are less lines, then less people will be on hold, removing frustration at being on hold for so long'.
Now, having worked in a callcentre in the past as a calltaking spacemonkey, thats just bad practice.
If the account I worked on (can't mention what one, still covered by official secrets act) had that approach, the callcentre would have lost the contract within weeks. As it was, calls kept on hold, even if we were placing them on hold to find out some information, were charged to our company by the second, so if we had put people on hold for as long as we have been kept on hold with the SIA since its inception, the bill would have run into the millions by now.
I've just had a quick google for information on this, and instead I found the press release from the SIA regarding the £23 Million 4 year contract they signed with BT in 2003 for them to create the original callcentre and application processing centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but lo and behold, nothing about the move to Liverpool.
Something else I have just found is some House of Commons questions from June 2006, stating that the callcentre used to average around 1000 calls per day, but during March 2006 the callrate was four times that, increasing to around 8000 calls on 20th March 2006. The result of this was the increase of incoming call lines, and employment of more operators.
So what the hell happened?
We went from having few callcentre staff, to having more than enough (if we go by the House of Commons report), then they move sites and REDUCE the amount of incoming lines, to 'remove frustration'.
Where do they get these people!?!
If anything, it increases frustration at not being able to get through in the first place, then once we're on hold we're on for a minimum of half an hour before getting through to someone who hasn't got a clue.
Ok, rant over.... for now, but it's just going to raise it's head more and more.
I've heard today, whether it's just rumour or not I'm not fully aware, although it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, that when The SIA moved their callcentre operations from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Liverpool at the end of 2007, they reduced the number of incoming call lines to the callcentre staff because 'if there are less lines, then less people will be on hold, removing frustration at being on hold for so long'.
Now, having worked in a callcentre in the past as a calltaking spacemonkey, thats just bad practice.
If the account I worked on (can't mention what one, still covered by official secrets act) had that approach, the callcentre would have lost the contract within weeks. As it was, calls kept on hold, even if we were placing them on hold to find out some information, were charged to our company by the second, so if we had put people on hold for as long as we have been kept on hold with the SIA since its inception, the bill would have run into the millions by now.
I've just had a quick google for information on this, and instead I found the press release from the SIA regarding the £23 Million 4 year contract they signed with BT in 2003 for them to create the original callcentre and application processing centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but lo and behold, nothing about the move to Liverpool.
Something else I have just found is some House of Commons questions from June 2006, stating that the callcentre used to average around 1000 calls per day, but during March 2006 the callrate was four times that, increasing to around 8000 calls on 20th March 2006. The result of this was the increase of incoming call lines, and employment of more operators.
So what the hell happened?
We went from having few callcentre staff, to having more than enough (if we go by the House of Commons report), then they move sites and REDUCE the amount of incoming lines, to 'remove frustration'.
Where do they get these people!?!
If anything, it increases frustration at not being able to get through in the first place, then once we're on hold we're on for a minimum of half an hour before getting through to someone who hasn't got a clue.
Ok, rant over.... for now, but it's just going to raise it's head more and more.
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