Telford security company pulls out of industry authority over Olympic fiasco
A leading Shropshire security firm today pulled out of the national industry approval scheme following the G4S fiasco during the Olympics.
Telford-based RMP Specialist Services has held the Security Industry Authority Approved Contractor Scheme for the last three years but today announced it would be withdrawing.
Jon Hill, managing director, said he was “disappointed” that country’s largest SIA ACS approved security provider, G4S, had been allowed to fail in the run up to the Olympics.
He said this failure to provide enough security teams for such an historical event should never have been allowed to happen and had damaged the credibility of the SIA and the approval scheme.
Mr Hill, who runs the company from its headquarters on Stafford Park, said the damage to the reputation of the SIA through the G4S scandal had resulted in a loss of credibility and he did not want that to impact on his company.
“The behaviour of all at G4S has not only thrown G4S into the spotlight in a negative way but also the SIA because they had approved the company.
“It is for this reason RMP Security Services have decided to withdraw.
“We believe the SIA should have acted in advance to prevent such a failure happening and should take a serious look at their approval scheme – how were G4S allowed to be an approved company when the company was managed so badly?” Mr Hill said.
“The credibility of the SIA and its ACS has been damaged and we are concerned that bad news travels much faster than good and it is for this reason we have let the SIA ACS go.”
The security chief vowed to moved forward without the approval scheme and continue to “drive improvement through our quality systems, be cost effective, sustainable, credible and a first class security provider for Shropshire for the years ahead”.
The SIA is the organisation which is responsible for regulating the private security industry.
It is an independent body reporting to the Home secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.
RMP Specialist Services Ltd held SIA Approved Contractor Status for security guarding, door supervision, key holding and CCTV in public spaces.
Mr Hill’s withdrawal announcement comes after it was revealed two of G4S
director’s had resigned after failing to provide all of the 10,400 contracted security guards for London 2012. A review found the company had failed to take into account the complex nature of the contract.
