News & Media
Back to main news pageResults of the Reliance/Shopping Centre security survey 2008
A marked improvement in the quality and provision of security services has been reported by shopping centre managers following the regulation of the private security industry in the UK.
That is one of the key results in the 2008 Reliance Security Services/Shopping Centre survey, the bi-annual report of UK shopping centre managers that seeks to identify security trends and issues in the retail market.
The survey comes against a backdrop of heightened fears of terrorist attacks, the seemingly inexorable rise in anti-social behaviour and continued fears over child safety in the wake of some high-profile disappearances.
For many shopping centre managers and owners this has led to an increase in investment in their security provision across a roster of requirements, including training, technology such as CCTV, staff numbers and increased liaising with other security agencies such as fire and police services.
Other key findings include:
• Increased outsourcing of other services to security contractors
• Continued prominent role played by manned security
• Rising usage of new technology
Regulation brings benefits
Almost three quarters of this year’s survey respondents believe that licensing and regulation has had a positive effect on security within shopping centres. A majority of centre managers (59%) cited improved vetting of personnel, whilst other areas to benefit include training (56%), improved perception of security (48%) and higher levels of security personnel retention (45%).
Some three out of four centres also reported that the implementation of licensing requirements went smoothly. However, those reporting problems with the new system cited delays in processing and issuing licences which had resulted in recruitment and manning issues.
This was despite the Security Industry Authority, the government regulator, making a concerted effort to ensure that security providers and personnel were aware of the changes and the deadline of March 2006 in England and Wales, and the following year in Scotland. The backlog of applications was soon cleared however, and the SIA now believes the situation has been resolved.
And in a clear vindication of the new system, 89% of shopping centres with security contracts said that they would not consider moving security teams in-house despite increases in security costs due to regulation. In-house security personnel are currently exempt from regulation, although there is an ongoing debate within the security industry as to whether that situation should continue.
Any move to regulate would have a not insignificant effect on the shopping centre market: one in seven respondents used in-house security teams, with 83% of those canvassed contracting out their security requirements. The remainder used a combination of both contracted and in-house personnel.
Indeed, the majority of all shopping centres (82%) believe that the in-house sector should be licensed in the same way as the contracted sector. Interestingly, this includes 65% of in-house managers who are also in favour of regulation. Whilst in-house managers can clearly see the benefits of regulation, only 13% said they had considered outsourcing as a result of the introduction of licensing requirements to the contracted sector.
Since the introduction of licensing, there has always been concern that individuals who cannot obtain a licence in the contracted sector would seek employment within the in-house sector. When asked about this issue, only 22% of in-house shopping centre managers - compared to 75% in 2006 - believed that this is now the case. Although this indicates that centre managers with in-house security teams have not experienced significant problems in this area, 57% still say that they now vet their security personnel more closely since regulation was introduced.
In the majority of cases, the Centre Manager is responsible for specifying security requirements (70%). A further 13% of Centre Managers hold joint responsibility alongside their managing agents, security or operational managers, whilst Managing Agents represent 9% of those responsible.
An increase in contracting of ‘bundled services’
One of the most significant findings of this year’s survey was the rise in the contracting out of other services to security providers compared to 2006, with the most marked increases in car parking (+31%), cleaning (+37%) and building maintenance (+85%).
As well as security, other areas of responsibility that security companies are looking after for shopping centres include CCTV monitoring (77%), car parking (38%), cleaning (26%), reception duties (24%), building maintenance (13%) and customer information desks (9%).
Security contracts typically run for 3-5 years (53%) with one year contracts representing 23% and two year contracts 12% of respondents. These contract durations are in line with the results of 2006.
Security solutions deployed by centres
The findings conclude that manned security (98%) and CCTV surveillance (95%) are still the most frequently used security solutions in shopping centres today. Other services include access control (56%), mobile patrols (37%), keyholding (24%) and remote monitoring (19%).
The numbers of centres using these different solutions remain at very similar levels to the 2006 survey results, with the exception of CCTV surveillance which has shown a marked increase, up 38%, since the last survey. This is likely to be a reflection firstly of the rise in costs of manned security following regulation and secondly, the developments in CCTV technology that have made its implementation and usage easier.
Its increased usage also reflects the growing complexity of security challenges facing centre managers. When asked which future incidents were of most concern to shopping centres, the responses - similar to 2006 – were topped by bomb threats (66%), followed by group and gang incidents (64%), physical (64%) and verbal (56%) abuse and drug-related incidents.
Management is increasingly turning to using enforcement powers to combat anti-social behaviour. An exclusion process is now in place in 76% of shopping centres, with 84% of these believing that the process is very effective in dealing with prolific offenders and trouble-makers.
Another issue vexing retail managers is that of lost children – just over half (51%) of respondents rated this as a major concern, a rise of 16%, and perhaps a reflection of heightened awareness of child safety since the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Also on the increase, up 29%, are concerns over fire and flooding (58%), the latter possibly due to the inclement weather of last summer and the widespread flood damage suffered by many parts of the UK.
Faced with such levels of multi-tasking, it’s perhaps of little surprise that the survey shows the strong relationships between Centre Managers and other security services. The majority of shopping centres continue to enjoy good working partnerships with organisations such as the police (98%), local council departments (77%), town/city radio links (74%), town/city centre management (69%), the ambulance service (69%), the press (69%) and retail crime initiatives (67%).
Training comes to the fore
One of the key aspects of the regulation of the security industry has been the emphasis on training and development, which is an attempt to change the culture of a sector where a small number of unscrupulous operators have been responsible for tarnishing the reputation of the industry. And that does seem to be having the desired effect, according to the survey, with respondents reporting better-trained security personnel showing a willingness for ongoing learning.
When asked about the provision of additional training, 83% of centres said they have taken precautionary measures by training officers to handle bomb scares and evacuations. Only 71%, however, are aware of the national counter-terrorism initiative Project Argus, with just over two thirds of these having attended a Project Argus training event. Project Argus events are an innovative initiative from the National Counter Terrorism Office (NaCTSO) designed to train shopping centres on preventing and responding to terrorist attacks by taking participants through a simulated attack.
Other levels of additional training included the provision of First Aid, with an impressive 96% of officers now trained, customer care (81%), conflict management (78%), civil arrest procedures (43%) and the use of heart defibrillators (37%).
ACS gains recognition
There was good news for the Security Industry Authority’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS), which was introduced to encourage higher standards amongst security providers. Some 85% of shopping centre managers confirmed that they are now aware of the Scheme, whilst 78% are aware of the benefits of using a security provider with ACS status. In addition, 75% confirmed that their security provider was ACS approved, whilst 9% did not use ACS approved providers and a further 18% were unaware of whether or not their supplier holds ACS status.
A key benefit of the ACS is that it gives accredited organisations the ability to employ a small proportion of non-licensed personnel who are trained and have submitted an application, but who are not working with children or vulnerable adults.
Future spending on security
Over the last year, 54% of centre managers report an increase in spend on both manned security and CCTV. The remaining shopping centres report little change in spend on all areas of security including remote surveillance, access control and mobile response services.
In the next 1-3 years the main areas where centres anticipate future increases in spend include: CCTV surveillance (69% of shopping centres), manned security (59%), access control (14%), remote surveillance (13%), mobile patrols (8%) and keyholding (4%).
Whilst technology is seen as a key area for investment, 94% of centres believe that this will not be achieved through reduced manpower. When asked the reason why, 70% said that a human presence and judgement was essential for the delivery of customer service, an effective response to incidents and acting as a deterrent. Other reasons included the flexibility manned security offers in terms of providing additional services.
A recent online Shopping Centre poll indicates that 87% of shopping centres believe that owners are likely to opt for centralised Facilities Management contracts in the future. When asked about current arrangements, 18% of centres in the Reliance/Shopping Centre survey say that they have already integrated services such as cleaning, security and building maintenance and a further 16% intend to follow suit within the next five years. The majority of centres (66%) however said that they will continue to take a single service line approach.
When reporting on the effectiveness of security, 41% of centres use a computerised tracking and reporting system to monitor the status of activities such as security patrols, tenant feedback and the completion of security tasks. Of those that don’t currently use any system, 43% anticipate a future requirement – half of these expect this to be implemented within one or two years and the remainder within five years.
ENDS