Secured by Design and Secured Environments: working together to protect people and places

These two organisations complement each other in that they create a holistic approach to security, but their respective services can be made available separately as and when required.

SBD has been operating for nearly 30 years and uses proven crime prevention techniques to protect new homes, commercial premises and other building developments. It does this by working closely with a network of 200 officers and staff attached to the UK’s Police Forces who work with architects, developers and planners from drawing board stage through to construction.

SBD works alongside SE, which was established in 2007, and presents accreditation to businesses that have demonstrated effective and comprehensive management measures to protect their workforce from criminal activities.

This workplace accreditation has been developed through the partnership of Police CPI and Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International Limited (PRCI), a specialist in community safety, crime, risk and security management.

An SE award is only made after it has been approved by the Chief Executive Officer of Police CPI, Guy Ferguson, who is a former Detective Chief Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police.

Over recent years, SBD’s iconic sites have included the London 2012 Olympics, Wembley Stadium and the Scottish and Welsh Assembly buildings along with achieving reductions in crime of up to 75% for tens of thousands of new home owners around the country.

SE has awarded police accreditation to the Lloyds Building in the City of London, 19 shopping centres, universities, halls of residences, a hospital as well as business premises. Organisations have to show how they have embedded effective security into staff procedures and management processes. For example, Bournemouth University has just been re-accredited with SE for the third time.

Guy Ferguson commented: “What we have today is two mature and high achieving police-linked organisations which can deliver a complete service for businesses. SBD specialises in products and places whilst SE looks after people and processes.

“What this does is to give our network of SBD trained officers and staff around the country the chance to promote external and internal security to any business whether they are just starting out or well established.”

Professor Martin Gill, Director of Perpetuity Research, said: “SE is focussed on those organisations that operate effective security management – that get the basics right. They receive this police certification, which is providing a valuable credential to staff, customers, Boards and other stakeholders that security is in a good state.”

About Police Crime Prevention Initiatives

Police (CPI), which is administered by the Mayor’s Office for London, owns and operates the trading entity Secured by Design (SBD) on behalf of the Police Services of the United Kingdom. The organisation's Board members include two Chief Constables, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Crime Prevention Lead, two Assistant Chief Constables; an Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police, and former Assistant Chief Constable for Sussex.

About Secured by Design

SBD seeks to achieve sustainable reductions in crime through design and other approaches to enable people to live in a safer society. SBD trained officers and staff in Police Forces advise on proven crime prevention techniques in a range of sectors including housing, commercial, transport, health, education, leisure and many others.

We work with many other organisations including National Government, British and European Standards authorities, trade associations and the construction industry and encourage manufacturers to achieve our accreditation – a high standard which ensures quality over time rather than one-off testing. We have nearly 600 member companies signed up to SBD.

Independent research by the University of Huddersfield shows that SBD developments that include crime prevention techniques in the built environment and accredited products like doors and windows can reduce crimes like burglary by up to 75% in new-build homes. Evidence suggests this level of crime reduction is sustainable year-on-year and represents a significant reduction especially as most SBD developments are in social housing in deprived areas. Falling crime brings less demand on Police and Local Authority resources and use of police accredited products means less maintenance – freeing up budgets for other priorities.

During our 28 years’ working with local communities, we have adapted to changing patterns of criminal behaviour. Our knowledge and practical guidance is captured in our building guides. SBD services are self-funded.

Secured by Design contacts:
Tel: 0203 8623 999
Email: 
Our promotional film: https://youtu.be/ODyknW50XXc

About Secured Environments

Secured Environments is a police certification scheme. It is awarded to organisations that are able to show that they have adopted six key principles for protecting themselves against crime. Upon registering organisations are guided through the process – we offer help and advice throughout – once you have met the six key principles we can award you with the police approved three year accreditation of Secured Environments. The aim is to help organisations to think about their risks and how to make the best use of measures they already have. It is the type of scheme every organisation can and should sign up to. The six key principles are: commitment to create a secure environment; understand the risks; respond to reduce the risks; management plan to achieve aims and objectives; implement a solution; and evaluate the process.

There are two parts to the process: registration and the audit. Once registered, organisations can begin to work towards an audit. We provide support and detailed information can be accessed via the members' area of the website. Once ready (and up to 12 months from registration) the organisation is audited – we visit the site, review the measures in place and speak to staff at various levels to measure whether the six key principles of Secured Environments are being met. If successful we award you with the police approved Secured Environments’ accreditation.

Secured Environments contacts:
Tel: 01892 538690
Email: 
Web: www.securedenvironments.com