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London is regarded as the number one city in the UK for hosting an event. From the range of venues to the sheer number of people, not to mention the city’s vibrant culture, bustling corporate scene and links to the arts, it’s no wonder that people opt for the capitol as the setting for their events. But with any gathering of people comes the responsibility of being able to ensure their safety and comfort during their time spent as your guest. This is where event security becomes paramount.  

If you’re in the dark when it comes to how event security companies operate and what hiring one entails, this blog will give you all of the information you need to make a confident decision.

What is event security?

The term event security covers a wide range of measures that can be put in place to safeguard an event. This includes protecting guests, staff, and assets. Trained security personnel are put in place to mitigate any potential risks, and use their training and technology to respond to any disturbances or threats that may occur. Crowd management, perimeter maintenance and surveillance all fall under the role of event security.

Why is it important?

Large gatherings present a wide range of opportunities for crime, dangerous activity and disorderly conduct to occur. This is especially true when there is alcohol involved. As an event organiser it is your responsibility to put appropriate security measures in place to protect your attendees, staff, and property. Doing so is not only beneficial for safety purposes, but also for the reputation and success of the event itself. 

Common event threats and risks

Some common threats that can occur at London-based events include: 

• Violence – under the right circumstances any kind of altercation can quickly escalate to involving bodily harm and pose a risk to anyone in the vicinity. 
• Theft and vandalism – criminals may target your event to steal or vandalise property. 
• Terrorism – unfortunately, any large event in London can become a target for terrorist attacks. 

• Medical emergencies – ranging from crushing crowds to fainting guests, medical emergencies can occur no matter the size of your event and require a swift response. 

How to plan for your security needs

You can’t hire the appropriate event security company without first understanding the exact security requirements of your event. Consider the following:

• Do you have a comprehensive risk assessment in place? This should outline any possible threats to your event, from the criminal to the environmental or accidental. 
• Decide which security measures best suit the risks you have identified. 
• Considering the scale of your event and the number of guests, what size security team would be required to effectively mitigate any of the potential risks. 
• Develop an emergency response plan for yourself and your staff that can be communicated among your team and your eventual security team. If you have any difficult with this, your hired security personnel should be able to help you create one.

Hiring your event security 

Finding the best fit for your event will come down to a wide variety of factors. There are plenty of event security companies to choose from in London, and it’s important that you find a company that understands the nature of your event and how you want it to be run. 

Take into consideration a company’s reputation and reviews – if they have a proven track record of providing stellar security for events of a similar nature to yours, they could be a good match. What technologies and security solutions can they provide? Some companies are better equipped than others, and a good company should be able to tailor their offerings to suit your event.  

Don’t be afraid to enter into discussions with multiple companies to get a good feel of what they are able to offer you. Ask to verify their certifications and licenses, request custom quotes, and see how responsive and open to collaboration they are.

Managing your security on the day

On the day of your event it’s quite likely that you will have a long list of things that require your attention. With the right preparation in place you should hopefully be able to leave anything security related to the experts you have hired.

In order to be able to relax when it comes to your security measures, make sure you do the following: 

• Brief your security personnel and provide a detailed outline of their roles and responsibilities for the day, as well as any emergency procedures. 
• Establish and maintain an open flow of communication between yourself and your security team. 
• Decide how and when you would like information to be passed to you should anything suspicious take place; this is important not just for your peace of mind, but also that of the guests, who may not respond well to seeing security pull you aside. 

Best practices for securing your event

Here are our top tips for maintaining event security in London and making it easier for security personnel to keep your event running smoothly and the people in your care safe. 

• Limit the entry and exit points to your event. This gives security staff fewer places they need to monitor and helps to make ticketing and ID chests clearer. 

• Make sure your event is well-lit, or if this is not possible, that security staff have ways of being able to maintain visibility. 
• Encourage your guests to report any suspicious behaviour, and make sure that guests can identify security staff in order to be able to do this. 
• After your event, take note of what worked well and what needs to be improved for your next booking. 

Consider All Time Security

We wouldn’t be comfortable giving you this advice if we weren’t confident in our expertise. The experience and professionalism of All Time Security services mean that we are able to provide the highest standard of event security and allow our partners to focus on what has gone right instead of what might go wrong. For more information on the security services we can offer for your even in London, get in touch today. 

Visible and competent security services can make a world of difference in enhancing a feeling of safety in a workplace, event venue, accommodation or other public settings. When those security services are seen to be working alongside local law enforcement, it is even more of a comfort – and more off-putting to any would-be troublemakers. Let’s talk about how encouraging collaboration between your security patrol and law enforcement can provide mutual benefits for both organisations, and what you can do to foster a successful partnership. 

Why should collaboration be the goal?

It’s important to understand the context of the relationship between private security and public police forces in the UK. In recent times, private security firms have become more and more popular due to their versatility and specialisation. Meanwhile, public law enforcement has been facing difficulty due to challenges such as budget cuts and a concerning rise in crime rates.  

Now that private security firms have the right kind of resources and training to hand, they are more equipped than ever to support (and be supported by) police forces in their shared goal of promoting public safety and preventing crime. This is preferable to the two forces being seen as opposing powers.

What benefits can you expect from integrating these agencies?

• Enhanced public safety – the main goal of both private security and law enforcement should always be keeping people safe and protected. By working together to deter criminals, respond quickly to incidents and present a united front, public safety will benefit.  
• Maximised resources – working together allows for the sharing of resources, whether this means personnel, intelligence, experience or equipment. This gives both teams a greater capacity to respond to any incidents that may arise. 
• Improve information sharing and communication – by sharing information between each other, both security patrols and law enforcement will have a more comprehensive understanding of a situation and the potential threats to it. This makes decision-making easier and improves situational awareness. 
• Collaborative responses to incidents – by being in a situation where they can respond to incidents as collaborative force, the risk of confusion or miscommunication is minimised. 

• Increased deterrence – as always, there is safety in numbers. Security patrols and law enforcement working together serves as a very visible and intimidating deterrent to any criminals. 
• More community engagement – public and private sectors being seen to work together with the shared goal of protecting the public is likely to encourage more community engagement for both forces, and build trust. 
• Professional development  – joint training exercises and briefings, the sharing of skills and expertise, and the experience of working alongside each other is a great development opportunity for members of both forces. 

Where to start

Here are some of the key factors to consider when looking to integrate your private security patrol with local law enforcement. 

Defining roles and responsibilities

Your security personnel can only perform to the best of their ability when they have a clear understanding of exactly what is required of them in their role. Clarity regarding both the separate and shared responsibilities of security patrols and law enforcement is paramount to the seamless integration of their operations. Make sure protocols are well-defined and explain exactly how and when security personnel should escalate incidents to the police, and consider including transparent guidelines for interactions with law enforcement officers. By removing ambiguity, you enhance operational efficiency. 

Encourage the sharing of information

At a time when the sharing of information (both factual and false) is easier than ever, being able to effectively communicate data is essential to maintaining visibility in potentially dangerous situations. Protocols should be made clarifying how, when and why information is shared, for example CCTV footage, observations, or incident reports. Being able to leverage insights such as these in a collaborative way helps to strengthen collective responses to security threats. 

Make comprehensive response plans

All parties involved should know exactly how any emergency incident will be responded to. Plans should be made dictating clear procedures for a wide variety of possible incidents, as well as how incidents may escalate depending on the variables at play. Both parties should be agreed on the best practices and overall priorities when it comes to safeguarding lives and property. Failing to prepare these coordinate responses could have severe consequences.  

Challenges

Of course, the integration of two such forces isn’t without its challenges. Cultural and organisational differences across the two sectors can impede the creation of protocols, and issues surrounding legal liability and the sharing of information can hinder the defining of roles and flow of communication. It’s important that any joint ventures are built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect, and that the shared goal of public safety comes before and pre-existing biases. 

An example

Here is an example of how a security patrol and local law enforcement working together can prevent a crime that hasn’t yet been committed. 

In this scenario, a private security patrol is monitoring a busy shopping centre during peak weekend hours. Security personnel notice a group of individuals who appear to be loitering outside of and paying close attention to an electronics store. They appear to be making efforts to conceal things within their clothing, avoid the gaze of security personnel, and hide their faces. 

This potential threat is communicated to a designated law enforcement liaison, with detailed descriptions of the individuals and their behaviour. This information is then shared with nearby police units to coordinate a response. Joint surveillance is then made possible, and the individuals are intercepted as they attempt a smash and grab robbery. 

The sharing of information and joint response to the threat helped to prevent unnecessary harm, damage, and financial losses. 

Enhance your security

If you’re looking for security patrol services, of for more information on how you can encourage collaboration between your security personnel and local law enforcement, reach out to our All Time Security experts today.