50% of respondents did not consider accreditation to be ‘important’ when using the services of security specialists in Magenta Security Services’ recent survey.
Magenta, managing director, Abbey Petkar: “Accreditation demonstrates our ability and our trustworthiness – it is the benchmark of professionals and this statistic is surprising in the light of the overall survey results. The accreditation question was particularly revealing when compared to the fact that that 53% of respondents cited ‘fear of theft’ to be the prime security threat to their businesses in a separate question. Clearly, employing the services of a properly qualified security company has got to be the sensible option when it comes to protecting valuable property, yet it seems that some organisations have still not grasped this crucial point.”
The results of the survey clearly show that whilst theft is a real concern and guarding is clearly the most effective protection against attack, the importance of accreditation is still under-appreciated.
How important is accreditation:
Very unimportant – 0%
Unimportant – 25%
Average – 24%
Important – 50%
Very Important – 0%
With more than 12% of respondents confirming that between 50 and 75% of their facilities budget is spent on manned guarding it is vital such a budget is spent on professionals who are properly qualified to do the job?
Petkar continues: “These statistics are a strong argument for educating business on the importance of hiring properly qualified security experts rather than taking a risk with non-qualified organisations. At Magenta we believe accreditation is critically important as there are a lot of ‘cowboy’ firms purporting to be security experts. Facilities managers must learn to check the credentials of any firm they are considering using for security purposes.”
“In my view it is essential that individuals working in the private security industry undergo a structured SIA training programme that results in a recognised qualification. This will in turn result in a more competent and professional workforce and also improve the public image of the private security industry. Indeed, hiring unqualified security staff to protect your business and assets is a risk in itself.”
Businesses surveyed included retailers, public authorities, recreational facilities and commercial buildings.