Police Scotland delighted by feedback after hosting first ever Secured by Design dedicated Products Event Day
Police Scotland has hosted its most successful crime prevention day to highlight a wide range of products that can help protect homes and businesses in the country’s busiest cities and towns through to the most remote farming and business communities.
The ‘Products Event Day’ was hosted at the Policing College at Tulliallan Castle, Kincardine on Forth, Fife, on Thursday, 21 June.
It was the first such event in Scotland to be dedicated to security related products that meet the standards required by Secured by Design (SBD), the police crime prevention initiative, which works closely with the Police Service around the UK to reduce crime and make communities safer.
There were 24 exhibitors displaying crime prevention products and providing information about their services. Products ranged from robust windows and doors that can be built into new homes and major refurbishments at the design stage, through to security devices, such as perimeter fencing and site alarms, locks to protect cycles and motor bikes and even technology to protect personal identity data.
Meeting SBD standards for products in the built environment ensures compliance with the Scottish Government’s requirements for domestic security.
As well as specialist crime prevention officers and front-line police officers from Police Scotland, there were representatives from many other organisations viewing the products.
These included six house builders, eight housing associations, 12 firms of architects, and a number of local authorities from East and West Lothian, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Dundee. Also present were representatives from the NHS responsible for repair and maintenance on properties, and from Dundee University and Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
This was the first Product Event Day at the College to be dedicated to products accredited by SBD.
Event organiser, Stuart Ward, who is the National Designing Out Crime Manager for Police Scotland, said he had been thrilled by the positive feedback.
“Police officers have been exceptionally complimentary because they like to get hands-on with the products; exhibitors were telling me they were over the moon because of the high turn-out and high level of interest in their products; and housing associations said they obtained many new contacts and seen products that they can consider for use in future.”
He added: “We want to raise awareness to make people think about Secured by Design when considering crime prevention. We want everyone to understand that if products achieve SBD accreditation then it’s especially good from a police perspective: it’s not just a good product, but it has SBD accreditation too.”
The event was attended by senior officers from SBD including Guy Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, Jon Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kenny McHugh, Senior Development Officer and Amanda Mulholland, SBD Learning and Development.
SBD member companies taking part were:
ASSA ABLOY
Betafence Ltd
CMS Window Systems
Entrotec Ltd
ERA Home Security Ltd
Frontier Pitts Ltd
Hammerglass (Window Security Solutions)
Lochrin Bain Ltd
Martec Engineering Group
Master Lock
Merlin Network (Scotland) Ltd
Mul-T-Lock UK
Patlock Ltd
PID Systems Ltd
Prestige Projects Ltd (trading as Prestige Products)
Russell Timber Technology Ltd
Scrabo Security Ltd
Selectamark Security Systems Plc
Solon Security Ltd
The Expanded Metal Company (ExMesh)
The Key Safe Company
Videx Security Ltd
YOTI
Also in attendance were Sold Secure, which is owned and administered by the Master Locksmiths Association. It provides testing and assessment services of security products to reduce the risk of theft. Products that have been satisfactorily assessed may bear the Sold Secure Quality Mark and go on to achieve SBD accreditation.
Sold Secure also gave a separate presentation during the day as did ASSA ABLOY, Selectamark Security Systems Plc, CMS Window Systems, Videx Security Ltd and Window Security Solutions.