Night Time Economy Security
Venue Security for 21st Century Threats
Specific Issues
The night-time economy presents unique challenges that many other businesses do not typically encounter. A significant factor is the consumption of alcohol, which can impair judgment and lead to unpredictable behaviour among customers.
During a potential attack, whether from a group or an individual with violent intentions, the ability of staff to make quick and effective decisions becomes crucial in ensuring the safety of both customers and staff.
Box Ticking or Reality
Staff training that relies solely on a one-hour video watched twice a year can indeed be insufficient and is mere “box-ticking”, and lacking practical value.
To enhance the preparedness and effectiveness of staff, training programmes are essential:
- Training should be ongoing and interactive, allowing staff to practice their responses to different scenarios.
- Training should focus on developing situational awareness skills, enabling staff to identify potential threats, suspicious behaviours, and escalating situations.
Security Plans
Ensuring the security and safety of a facility in the night-time economy requires comprehensive planning and preparedness.
Several key elements play a crucial role in mitigating modern-day threats and managing the response and recovery after a violent situation:
- Security Risk Assessment. The facility should have an up-to-date security risk assessment that identifies potential risks and vulnerabilities specific to its operations.
- Staff Training Records. Ensuring that staff members receive proper training is essential for a coordinated and effective response to potential threats.
- Business Continuity Plan (BCP). A business continuity plan is vital for managing the response and recovery after a violent incident.
- For many night-time economy establishments, a comprehensive catch-all document can be utilised to address common security and safety measures
Security Personnel & General Staff
In today’s security landscape, it is essential for security personnel to possess relevant skills and knowledge, moving beyond merely filling a slot.
Detection and prevention are key focus areas for protecting premises in the modern era. Security personnel should be equipped with the necessary expertise to identify individuals with potentially violent intentions and make effective decisions to address such threats proactively.
However, it’s not just security personnel who play a vital role in enhancing security.
All staff should receive basic training on recognising suspicious behaviours and understanding indicators of violent intentions.
Atmospherics
Atmospherics, whether positive or negative, play a significant role in shaping the environment and influencing the behaviour of customers and the general public.
The impact of atmospherics is often underestimated by management and security, but it can have profound effects on footfall and the type of customers a business attracts.
Business Owners & Senior Management
Business owners and senior management play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of their establishments.
To enhance security measures, they should conduct regular oversight on subcontracted security personnel, ensuring they possess essential skills such as situational awareness, observation, and behavioural analysis.
Learn more on whats involved and how to implement
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Within this vault, you’ll gain access to a wide range of specialised resources for management to utilise.
The night-time economy premium resource is part of Mildot’s Mind-Set short read articles. All the other resources will fill in the gaps and assist in implementing mitigation thats reasonable and practicable.
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Author:
Tony Gledhill, a seasoned protective security consultant and founder of Mildot Group. With extensive international experience in mitigating terrorism & hybrid threats, Tony has designed and executed security strategies for leading energy and construction organisations operating in high-risk and complex environments.
His private sector expertise extends to training international government protection teams responsible for VIPs and critical assets, plus thousands of armed & unarmed private security guards. Leveraging over 16 years in the private sector after a distinguished 22-year military career, he brings a wealth of real-world knowledge.
Armed with real world operational insight, he knows what can be achieved with reasonable and practicable security solutions.