Tackling Serious and Organised Crime Working with buyers to target - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Buying Private Security Tackling Serious and Organised Crime Working with buyers to target harden the industry Ed Bateman Deputy Director Partnership and Interventions 1

Overview • The SIA in numbers • Enforcement approach • Serious and Organised Crime – What is it? – What is it’s association with the private security industry? – What are the SIA doing about it? • Working with buyers to target harden the industry 2

The SIA in numbers • 382,377 licences held by 339,940 people – Door Supervisors 58% – Security Guarding 24% – Close Protection 4% • Over 1,000,000 licences issues since 2004 • 5000 intelligence feeds each year • 4000 businesses in licensable sectors but…. • 760 businesses Approved Contractor Status (ACS) • 33,945 licence revocations; 22,722 refused (6 years) • 2013: 17 prosecutions; 337 Written Warnings; 59 improvement Notices • 98% compliance 3

Enforcement Approach • Aim of a regulator is to achieve optimal compliance • Enforcement an important element but ……. • Investigative activity is risk driven • The SIA has an effective response to suspected non compliance – Field teams and Formal Investigation – Desk based teams – Intelligence and Risk team • Considerations when investigating non-compliance • Regulator’s Code • Range of offences and sanctions • Prosecution…..a last resort 4

Serious and Organised Crime What is it? ‘Organised crime is a threat to our national security. It costs the UK £24 billion each year, leads to loss of life and can deprive people of their security and prosperity. Crime groups intimidate and corrupt and can have a corrosive impact on our communities’ HM Government Serious and Organised Crime Strategy 5

Serious and Organised Crime Association with the industry? • Industry in a much healthier place than pre regulation but… • Organised Crime Group mapping identifies OCGs associated with the security industry • Experience of OCG owned companies buying or taking over ACS businesses to win contracts • Impact on industry and communities – North West example • Modern slavery and exploitation of illegal immigrant labour – SIA on cross government task forces – Illegal Working Campaign June 2014 6

Blue Feathers ‘Woolwich -based ringleaders of £6 million Erith illegal worker scam jailed for six years’ The Home Office’s immigration enforcement criminal investigations team, said: “These two men duped contractors out of millions of pounds in illegal working wages and ruthlessly exploited their employees, preying on their immigration status in the UK “It was a cynical attempt to circumvent immigration rules but, working with our partners at the Security Industry Authority our officers smashed their web of deceit” 7

Serious and Organised Crime What are the SIA doing about it? • Disrupting serious and organised crime is a key aim of the SIA • Partnership work with NCA, Regional Organised Crime Units, police forces and other HMG agencies • Success increases commensurately with the number of agencies in the room – Al Capone approach • Contracts worth over 1 million lost to OCG associated business when ACS withdrawn following investigation • SIA aim is to attend/facilitate workshops with OCG police leads in every region during 2014/15 8

Working with buyers to target harden the industry • Please provide information through our website – whistle blower at Blue Feathers contacted buyers but….. • New ‘working with buyers to improve standards’ initiative – SIA approach buyers in construction industry to discuss price of contracts for guarding services – Where the price likely to result in below minimum wage payments, other HMRC offences, SIA will work with buyers referring to SIA website and approved businesses – Should after SIA advice buyers continue to hire-in from businesses offering unrealistic prices, the SIA will initiate an investigation together with HMRC, DWP etc. 9 – Secure intelligence of rogue security providers

Buying Private Security Tackling Serious and Organised Crime Working with buyers to target harden the industry Ed Bateman Deputy Director Partnership and Interventions 10