Well, its a new month, and yet I see that security officers are still being attacked, and the government only seems to care about officers who work as cash in transit officers.
Im not saying they shouldnt be considered for increased protection etc, but at the same time, we have to put up with attacks as they do.
Obviously attacks against the rest of us are less frequent as we dont carry large amounts of cash around, but we still get attacked, and they are becoming more frequent as time goes on.
Have I received any kind of response from Mr Coaker? Nope.
Am I expecting one in the next few weeks? Nope.
Am I surprised? Not in the slightest.
Ive had some more interest from individual officers of late.
Hopefully this will increase, but unless it does, all of our efforts will be completely pointless.
We'll just have to see really.
Showing posts with label SIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SIA. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Letter from Helen Goodman....
This morning, I have received a letter from my local MP, Helen Goodman, advising that she received the email I sent to her to forward onto the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.
Has it gone to her...? No.
It has instead gone through to Vernon Coaker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, who apparently has responsibility for the Security Industry Authority.
If I knew it was only going to go there, I would have contacted him directly, as I may have had a response by now.
Oh well... just going to have to keep waiting really.
Has it gone to her...? No.
It has instead gone through to Vernon Coaker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, who apparently has responsibility for the Security Industry Authority.
If I knew it was only going to go there, I would have contacted him directly, as I may have had a response by now.
Oh well... just going to have to keep waiting really.
Monday, 26 May 2008
More support
I have had a few people recently come to me and offer their names as supporters of the campaign, for which I am grateful, the more the merrier I say.
But today (Sunday 25th) I have spoken to the manager of a local company, Praetorian Security ltd, based here in Bishop Auckland, who has given permission to put him down also as a supporter of the campaign.
He too agrees that there needs to be reform in the industry, starting with the SIA as he has had to lay off many lads and lasses due to the SIA's huge delays in resolving their backlog from last year, one lad has been waiting for about 6 months sofar, and still no badge.
So come on people, put your names down, if there aren't the numbers we will never get taken seriously enough to make a difference.
Yeah, Mike Wilson has recognised we are in existance, but we need to get the rest of the 'powers that be' to recognise us, or else our efforts will be wasted.
But today (Sunday 25th) I have spoken to the manager of a local company, Praetorian Security ltd, based here in Bishop Auckland, who has given permission to put him down also as a supporter of the campaign.
He too agrees that there needs to be reform in the industry, starting with the SIA as he has had to lay off many lads and lasses due to the SIA's huge delays in resolving their backlog from last year, one lad has been waiting for about 6 months sofar, and still no badge.
So come on people, put your names down, if there aren't the numbers we will never get taken seriously enough to make a difference.
Yeah, Mike Wilson has recognised we are in existance, but we need to get the rest of the 'powers that be' to recognise us, or else our efforts will be wasted.
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Better late than never...
I should really have posted this when I got the letter, but I have finally had a response from the SIA's Mike Wilson via my local MP Helen Goodman.
I posted the letter on the main APSO site here for all to see.
I posted the letter on the main APSO site here for all to see.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Update, kinda...
Ok, so I haven't been updating the blog lately, but there really hasn't been anything to put here.
I still haven't received any reply from my MP. All I have had was a breif email from her secretary saying they were awaiting replies from the SIA etc and would get back to me once they had received them - I know the SIA can drag their heel with things for us, but come on, this is the deputy leader of the house of commons. You'd think they'd have gotten back to her in a matter of days, not months.
I dunno, just getting a bit sick of the entire situation. The SIA are basically a waste of time and space that needs a complete rethink, sooner rather than later.
I still haven't received any reply from my MP. All I have had was a breif email from her secretary saying they were awaiting replies from the SIA etc and would get back to me once they had received them - I know the SIA can drag their heel with things for us, but come on, this is the deputy leader of the house of commons. You'd think they'd have gotten back to her in a matter of days, not months.
I dunno, just getting a bit sick of the entire situation. The SIA are basically a waste of time and space that needs a complete rethink, sooner rather than later.
Friday, 4 April 2008
Self defence?
Ok, so I'm bored. I've just been re-reading the response from Downing Street regards the petition to allow security personnel the use of batons/sprays and handcuffs as standard, to which they basically gave a big no.
I came across a section on the use of reasonable force:
Under the law as it stands a person is entitled to use reasonable force in self-defence, to protect another person or property, to prevent crime or to assist in the lawful arrest of a criminal.
What constitutes `reasonable force' will depend upon the circumstances of each case and is a matter for the courts to decide. The courts have held that if a person does only what he honestly and instinctively thought necessary to defend himself or prevent a crime, then that would be potent evidence that only reasonable defensive action had been taken.
Now, the way I read that, if your first instinct when someone pulls a knife/whatever on you whilst not on duty is to punch them full-force in the face, breaking their nose/jaw/whatever else you come into contact with, that would be reasonable force. So in theory, this would be the same if we were on duty at the time this happened, wouldn't it?
As a private citizen, we could defend ourselves in that way and it would be called self defence, however, whilst on duty whether it be in a pub or club, or a retail site, or even in some remote building site, we are seen as having a position of authority, and if we did this to defend ourselves on duty, we would be considered as thugs who beat up people rather than attempt to disarm them without having to resort to violence.
It's a very grey area, but until it is clarified we are going to be constantly on a knife-edge (no pun intended) if someone tries to attack us in any way shape or form, wondering if we would be sued etc if we seemingly go too far.
Gordon, get your ass into gear and allow us all to defend ourselves properly. The criminals use weapons on us, so why can't we use 'defensive' weapons on them?
I came across a section on the use of reasonable force:
Under the law as it stands a person is entitled to use reasonable force in self-defence, to protect another person or property, to prevent crime or to assist in the lawful arrest of a criminal.
What constitutes `reasonable force' will depend upon the circumstances of each case and is a matter for the courts to decide. The courts have held that if a person does only what he honestly and instinctively thought necessary to defend himself or prevent a crime, then that would be potent evidence that only reasonable defensive action had been taken.
Now, the way I read that, if your first instinct when someone pulls a knife/whatever on you whilst not on duty is to punch them full-force in the face, breaking their nose/jaw/whatever else you come into contact with, that would be reasonable force. So in theory, this would be the same if we were on duty at the time this happened, wouldn't it?
As a private citizen, we could defend ourselves in that way and it would be called self defence, however, whilst on duty whether it be in a pub or club, or a retail site, or even in some remote building site, we are seen as having a position of authority, and if we did this to defend ourselves on duty, we would be considered as thugs who beat up people rather than attempt to disarm them without having to resort to violence.
It's a very grey area, but until it is clarified we are going to be constantly on a knife-edge (no pun intended) if someone tries to attack us in any way shape or form, wondering if we would be sued etc if we seemingly go too far.
Gordon, get your ass into gear and allow us all to defend ourselves properly. The criminals use weapons on us, so why can't we use 'defensive' weapons on them?
Friday, 21 March 2008
Sorry for the quietness....
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Bad English
I was looking at the SIA's website the other night, to find some information for a new member on the Security Oracle forum, and it struck me just how poor the information was on what activities needed licences etc.
So Ive decided, Im going to sit down and translate from SIA into english, everything on their site which relates to licensing, and maybe other sections too.
It may take a while, but they dont seem to care whether we understand their descriptions of things or not, and when we contact them to find out, they just refer us back to the site for information, which makes no sense whatsoever.
Anyone willing to assist???
So Ive decided, Im going to sit down and translate from SIA into english, everything on their site which relates to licensing, and maybe other sections too.
It may take a while, but they dont seem to care whether we understand their descriptions of things or not, and when we contact them to find out, they just refer us back to the site for information, which makes no sense whatsoever.
Anyone willing to assist???
Monday, 11 February 2008
Well...
.. I'm not building my hopes up just yet.
I emailed my MP, Helen Goodman earlier today, with regards to the personal problems I've had with the SIA over the last 16 months, and seeing as I am yet to receive any form of reply from her for the email I sent to her 3 weeks ago on wednesday, I'm not going to get too hopeful just yet.
All I want is someone to turn around and say 'yeah, we've screwed up with this, sorry' but I can't see it happening to be honest.
I emailed my MP, Helen Goodman earlier today, with regards to the personal problems I've had with the SIA over the last 16 months, and seeing as I am yet to receive any form of reply from her for the email I sent to her 3 weeks ago on wednesday, I'm not going to get too hopeful just yet.
All I want is someone to turn around and say 'yeah, we've screwed up with this, sorry' but I can't see it happening to be honest.
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Welcome....
Although this is only the first post here, it won't be the last.
I am a licensed Door Supervisor, commonly called a bouncer, and I like many others have decided that we have had enough of the governing body controlling licencing of the private security sector, the Security Industry Authority, so I have decided to start this blog to air the views of Security personnel around the country.
From personal experience, the SIA are an organisation who are more than happy to take our money, but when it comes to contacting them on even the most simple of questions, they have been found to be at the best completely unhelpful, and at worst criminal in their handling of people's documents, and as detailed in the media, allowing many hundreds or even thousands of illegal immigrants to obtain licences.
So, a group of security officers including myself have banded together to form the Association of Professional Security Officers in the hope that as an organised group we will finally be able to have a voice with which we can make a difference within the private security industry, as individually we are ignored, especially by the SIA.
Sofar, I have spent 16 months attempting to change my address with the SIA, having spent the first 13 months repeatedly emailing and telephoning them asking just what procedure I had to go through to do this, then I was finally told to just send a letter with my old and new addresses on, and yesterday I received a reply letter, telling me that I now had to send them more documentation to confirm my new address.
This letter, was sent to my old address, and if it weren't for the fact my parents still live at that address, I would have never received it.
After spending quite some time on hold, I finally spoke to someone about this - he basically didnt care.
I, like many others are just completely fed up with the way we are treated by the SIA.
They do nothing but create problems for security officers, and loopholes for criminals, as although a criminal can not get a licence, he can instead become a 'Security Consultant', so long as he doesn't take part in any licensable activity, or be a director of a Security company.
I urge all security personnel in the UK, whether they work in retail security, in an office, in a pub or club, or even on a building site in the middle of nowhere to contact me with their stories of SIA incompetence.
Maybe together our experiences will be enough for the government to make a change to the SIA, as the way it currently stands they are not working for us, the people on the front line, and the way this country is going with regards to crime, especially knife crime, our lives are only going to get worse rather than better.
Watch this space for more about the UK security industry....
I am a licensed Door Supervisor, commonly called a bouncer, and I like many others have decided that we have had enough of the governing body controlling licencing of the private security sector, the Security Industry Authority, so I have decided to start this blog to air the views of Security personnel around the country.
From personal experience, the SIA are an organisation who are more than happy to take our money, but when it comes to contacting them on even the most simple of questions, they have been found to be at the best completely unhelpful, and at worst criminal in their handling of people's documents, and as detailed in the media, allowing many hundreds or even thousands of illegal immigrants to obtain licences.
So, a group of security officers including myself have banded together to form the Association of Professional Security Officers in the hope that as an organised group we will finally be able to have a voice with which we can make a difference within the private security industry, as individually we are ignored, especially by the SIA.
Sofar, I have spent 16 months attempting to change my address with the SIA, having spent the first 13 months repeatedly emailing and telephoning them asking just what procedure I had to go through to do this, then I was finally told to just send a letter with my old and new addresses on, and yesterday I received a reply letter, telling me that I now had to send them more documentation to confirm my new address.
This letter, was sent to my old address, and if it weren't for the fact my parents still live at that address, I would have never received it.
After spending quite some time on hold, I finally spoke to someone about this - he basically didnt care.
I, like many others are just completely fed up with the way we are treated by the SIA.
They do nothing but create problems for security officers, and loopholes for criminals, as although a criminal can not get a licence, he can instead become a 'Security Consultant', so long as he doesn't take part in any licensable activity, or be a director of a Security company.
I urge all security personnel in the UK, whether they work in retail security, in an office, in a pub or club, or even on a building site in the middle of nowhere to contact me with their stories of SIA incompetence.
Maybe together our experiences will be enough for the government to make a change to the SIA, as the way it currently stands they are not working for us, the people on the front line, and the way this country is going with regards to crime, especially knife crime, our lives are only going to get worse rather than better.
Watch this space for more about the UK security industry....
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