Can you trust your security company?

Two security industry giants had their wrists well and truly slapped in July over alleged overcharging which has cost the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds.

With the government’s spending with one company rising from £65m in 2012 to an incredible £394m, concerns were raised about the company’s electronic tagging services, as it was revealed that  some of the criminals allegedly being tagged were abroad, or in some cases, dead.*

One company welcomed an investigation following the accusations of the Ministry of Justice, but the other persisted with a current bid for the renewal of the electronic tagging contract, only pulling out a few weeks ago.

What we learn from this is that even some of the most popular, reputable security firms in the UK aren’t all that they seem to be.

As a leader in leisure security services in Hampshire, we are proud to be one of the top 5% scoring SIA Approved Contractors and one of only 40 Approved Close Protection suppliers in the UK. We are hot on qualifications and insist that all Venture’s officers are fully licenced, trained and experienced in handling any situation that may arise. We also insist on operating our services as cost effectively as possible, which is why we are attracting an increasing number of residential clients across Hampshire and the surrounding regions.

But while we place honesty, affordability and trust up high in our ethos, there are dozens of other outfits in the region operating without the right accreditations, and charging above the odds for a substandard service.

In the event of something going wrong, to have an ill-equipped security company attempt to deal with the situation without the correct protection or cover may cause damage to your reputation and even invalidate your insurance.

Our recommendation? Do your research before you hire a security company. Are their qualifications current? Do you know where they are based? Are they SIA approved? Do they have a body of testimonials to vouch for their competence? And if your bill looks like it’s rising incrementally, ask some questions. Don’t wait for it to get to seven figures…

*While the normal figure of those requiring a tag at any one time is around the 15,000 mark, the government was being charged for 18,000.