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beauty spots, staycation, staycationers, littering, bad behavior, illegal camping, security, gwynedd, snowdonia, snowdonia national park

Do our welsh beauty spots need security?

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Wales, it’s a small country but it has its fair share of beauty spots. With the natural beauty spots such as the Pembrokeshire coast, Gower Peninsula, and Brecon Beacons National Park drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.

However, in March of this year, many of them closed themselves off from the public following the Coronavirus pandemic and welsh government and national lockdown rules. Now Wales has relaxed lockdown rules, many of our coast’s, paths and nationals’ parks have once again re-opened and welcomed tourists back with open arms.

But welcoming tourists back with open arms hasn’t been smooth sailing for some especially for Snowdonia National park. Since the relaxation of the lockdown rules the National Park has experienced high levels of littering, bad behaviour and illegal camping and has resorted to them employing security to monitor activity and prevent the tension between tourists and locals rising further over the bank holiday weekend.

Illegal camping, Beauty spots, Security, Security Services

And this isn’t the only case of ‘Staycationers’ littering and illegally camping in beauty spots. Balmoral estate in Scotland and the Lake District have also been hit – with balmoral seeing increasing numbers of camping equipment and even human waste being left behind and the Lake District cleaning up mountains of litter.

To curb the number of tourists littering and illegally camping within the Snowdonia National Park, Gwynedd Council have employed a security firm to patrol areas within Snowdonia national park (Parc Padarn Country Park in Llanberis and beaches including Morfa Bychan and Abersoch). The security firm has been commissioned to conduct patrols out of normal operating hours, ensuring that visitors to the area, respect the rules in place.

But are our beauty spots soon to be patrolled by security guards?

Gwynedd Council has been the only local authority to announce that they are employing security over the bank holiday to ensure that tourist’s within the area remain responsible and no further damage is being caused. However, with other beauty spots such as the Queen’s Balmoral Estate and the Lake District coming under increasing ‘attack’ from irresponsible tourists, seeing security patrolling and enforcing rules could become the norm.

What do you think? Will we be seeing more security in our beauty spots?

For more information about our mobile patrol services and how we can keep your beauty spots safe from irresponsible tourists visit our website or give us a call on 01656 713950.

re-opening, Security, lockdown, crime risk, business security, keyholding, mobile patrols, a&R Security Services

Can re-opening your business from ‘lockdown’ put you at risk of crime?

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Many businesses like yourself will be looking forward to re-opening your doors after months of lockdown. But besides ensuring that your staff and your customers stay safe when open, there are a few security risks that you need to consider when re-opening your business after lockdown.

Here are a few security risks that you need to consider:

Forgetful staff

We all know how easy it is to forget something when we haven’t done it for a long time, and this can be said for staff who have been furloughed. Some of your staff would have spent almost 10 weeks inside their homes and 10 weeks is a long time if your staff haven’t anything to keep their brains stimulated.

So, when staff return to work, it can be difficult for them to return back to their normal routine in work and can lead them to forget to close windows, doors, reset alarm codes or lock up. Leaving your building unknowingly vulnerable to criminal attacks.

To avoid your business becoming vulnerable at the end of the day due to forgetful staff invest in our professional key holding services. Our guards can conduct internal checks to ensure that all areas of your building is secure and can lock up when all of your staff have left for the day.

 Increased stock levels

You will most probably agree that lockdown has been playing on your nerves and you’re excited to get your business open once again. And you know what this means? Stock can be ordered; goods can be stored, and shipments can be made up for clients. However, with these increased levels of stock being left overnight or a large influx of deliveries, these can put your business at risk. Whether you have a warehouse or store full of stock our professional security guards can patrol your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ensuring that no unauthorised personal trespass onto your site.

Boundaries

As mentioned, 10 weeks is a long time for businesses to be closed and over those weeks, your business’ external boundaries could have been damaged by those attempting to trespass, compromising its integrity and effectiveness at keeping trespassers out. Before you open your business, conduct a patrol around the perimeter of your business, taking note of any damages or potential areas that could be exploited by criminals looking to target your business.

One way you can maintain your perimeter security is investing in our professional mobile guards. Our professional mobile guards can conduct regular or irregular patrols around the perimeter of your business looking out for any damages to your boundary fencing or suspicious individuals.

For more information about our professional security services and how they can help keep your business security when re-opening then take a look here or to arrange a free quote call us on 01656 713950.

Has lockdown reduced crime rates in Cardiff?

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Right now, lockdown and social distancing have become the new norm.  But, with the recent relaxations in lockdown rules here in Wales and in Cardiff, there are more people walking the streets and businesses are beginning to welcome back staff and re-open their doors to the public (all the while maintaining social distancing rules).

However, if you looked at the streets in Cardiff Central or the large towns in the surrounding areas a few months ago, you would have seen them empty with a few people or vehicles going by. So, it would be easy to assume that with the lockdown measures in place crimes rates would have fallen. Right?

Well to answer that question we did a little comparison of the Crime Rates in both Cardiff Central and Cardiff County over a period of 6 months (3 months before and 3 months during lockdown).

Overall Crime Rates in Cardiff Central

February 2020 March 2020 April 2020
1,617 1,460 1,219
November 2019 December 2019 January 2020
1,458 1,518 1,453

 

Overall Crime Rates in Cardiff County

February 2020 March 2020 April 2020
3,907 3,641 4,152
November 2019 December 2019 January 2020
3,769 3,688 3,863

 

Compared to November’s recorded crime rate in Cardiff Central, February had the highest recorded number of crimes with it steadily decreasing in April by 16.1%. However, with April having the lowest number of recorded crimes out of the months spanning from November 2019 to March 2020 it had the highest number of anti-social behaviour reports at 533 (increasing by 87.7%).

However, the statistics for Cardiff County paint a very different picture with crimes rates being significantly higher in April compared to the 3 months during and before lockdown. With Anti-social behaviour being the highest recorded crime at 2,019 reports.

Normally Anti-social behaviour relates to youths either loitering, fighting, making loud noise or other behaviour but it also involves in the trespassing and the damaging of properties – which can cost struggling businesses thousands to put right.

So these statistics show that even with the stricter lockdown rules in place for the public’s safety, there were still a high number of crimes committed in Cardiff Central and in the county – which begs the question should you be investing more heavily in your security now?

We say yes.

Right now lockdown rules are beginning to relax and we are seeing more people walking around and travelling which increases the risk of businesses becoming targets for more damaging crimes – which can be devastating for businesses who are currently struggling during this difficult time.

One way you can deter criminals from targeting your business is investing in our professional Manned Guarding and Mobile patrols. You may be thinking having guards to protect your business may seem excessive, but they are the perfect solution to give your security that physical presence.

Manned Guards

If you are looking for a more fixed physical presence for your security during lockdown, then our manned guards are the perfect solution. All of our staff are fully trained in customer services and are SIA licensed to operate and provide security services and can work in shift patterns allowing your businesses to be protected 24/7 365days a year.

Depending on your business or premises our professional manned guards can be stationed by main entrances or main gates to monitor who is entering or exiting your building and turn away anyone who may be acting suspiciously or in a threatening manner. If you need secure keyholding our manned guards can hold onto a set of keys for your business, allowing contractors, tradesmen, authorised staff, and emergency services to enter your building. They can also be used as concierge, providing customer service to your staff and visitors, answering queries and monitoring CCTV for any suspicious activity or damages (such as leaking pipes, etc)

Mobile Patrols

If you are a business that is located in a remote location, a large area or are spread over multiple sites then having mobile patrols is the perfect solution.

All of our Mobile patrol vehicles are fully branded and show criminals that you take the security of your business seriously. Our mobile guards can conduct regular patrols at a time that is suited to you or if you want to make the patrols less predictable then we can have our mobile guards conduct patrols at irregular times. Alongside conducting patrols around your property, we can create electronic check-in points for our guards to check-in so that you know that your business is being patrolled and is secure. Very much like our manned guarding services our mobile patrols can act as secure key holders, allowing contractors, authorised personnel or emergency services into your business and quickly respond to any alarm call-outs.

But not only do these two security services give your business a more physical security presence, it also showcases to staff that when they return to work that you take their safety seriously and you have taken steps.

Throughout lockdown, we have been providing effective and professional security solutions to businesses across South Wales including a large office block within Cardiff Central. Although the building saw a large number of their occupants leaving at the beginning of lockdown to work from home, our professional manned guards continued to provide our security services. To ensure that the building was secure throughout the day and evening our manned guards worked in shift patterns, providing concierge services to those visiting the business, monitoring CCTV for any suspicious activity, and quickly responding to any alarms and alerts.  Giving the building manager and owner peace of mind that their building was in safe and capable hands.

For more information about our Manned guarding, mobile patrols, concierge services and key holding visit our website or to arrange a free quote call us on 01656 713950

Coronavirus, Lockdown, COVID-19, A&R Security Services, Business Security, Commercial Security, Manned Guard, Mobile Patrol, Key holding and alarm response

How to keep your business safe during lockdown

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With Wales now put into lockdown to prevent further spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) many businesses have closed their doors to ensure the safety of their staff and the public.

However, with the closure of these businesses, many will be vulnerable to criminal activity such as burglaries, vandalism and malicious damages. So, what are they doing to protect themselves during these trying times?

Some businesses will have security measures such as CCTV and alarm systems in place. But these are sometimes not enough to dissuade and protect them from criminals.  To help keep your business safe during this lockdown period here are some effective security measures:

Identify Risks and Objectives.

Conducting risk assessments prior to hiring a professional security service will highlight areas within your business that will need additional security. This will help identify which area of your business is weakest against criminal activity and allows you to implement security measures accordingly.

If your business is still operating but only with a small team then it may be sensible to invest in manned security to increase your security measures.

Keyholding and Alarm Response

Finding someone to be able to hold onto your business’ extra set of keys and respond to alarm call outs at this time can be difficult. Outsourcing your keyholding services to a professional security provider will ensure that there is always someone is available to hold onto your extra set of key and quickly respond to call out – giving you peace of mind.

Manned Guards

Manned guards are both an effective deterrent against criminal activity and effective at crowd control. If your business is still in operation, manned guards can be used to control the number of visitors to your building and ensure that they are sanitising their hands before coming in. Also, if your business is closed over the lockdown period manned guards can be placed inside to monitor CCTV or placed at key access points to ensure that no one attempts to get inside.

Mobile Patrols.

Mobile patrols are another effective deterrent against criminals. Mainly used to patrols large building or areas, mobile patrols guards can patrol the perimeter of your business (Externally or internally) ensuring that access points such as doors, windows and skylights are secure and look out for any suspicious behaviour or disturbance. Mobile patrols can also be key holders, allowing them to quickly respond to any alerts at your business and investigate.

 

Having these security measures in place can help ensure the safety of your business during the lockdown period. If you are going into lockdown but would like to invest in further security, then please take a look at our website for further details or call us on 01656 713950

Security Officer, A&R Security Services, A&R Security, Mobile Security, Manned Guarding, Commercial Security

Mistakes Your Company Is Making by Not Investing in Security Officers

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If you and your business are based in Swansea and are just being protected by your security alarm and CCTV system then you are seriously endangering your business, site and employees. With technology constantly changing, there are a lot of technologically advanced security systems that can provide you with intruder alarms, monitoring and sirens, but investing in security officers is something that you won’t regret investing in.

Most businesses in Swansea believe that their workplace is safe and free from intruders, criminals or suspicious activity. However, this kind of thinking can put your business at a disadvantage and if anything does occur, you or your staff will not be well prepared to handle a situation or deal with intruders effectively.  A&R Security Services can provide fully trained SIA licensed security officers that have experience in protecting commercial properties from intruders, criminals and suspicious activity in Swansea.

Many businesses will have one of their own members of staff provide extra security when it is needed. This can be a big hazard as employees aren’t trained or equipped with the knowledge to deal with threats to the business. Having Manned or Mobile security officers can help be a visual deterrent to criminals and can effectively and quickly deal with any threats to the security of your business.

If your business access isn’t controlled by security entry (concierge, key fob/card, pin) then it can be quite easy for intruders to enter your premises. Security officers such as manned guards can ID people that want to enter your site and notify you or other employees if someone is there to see them. This can deter intruders from entering your business and reduces the risk of any crimes occurring. Also, manned security officers can check visitors’ belongings for any suspicious articles. This will help you and your business relax and not worry about any security threats taking place.

A&R Security Services provides exceptional security services to protect businesses and personnel in Swansea and South Wales. Hiring security officers such as manned guards or mobile security guards will certainly put your business at an advantage. Officers provide a more physical presence and are able to survey your business for any suspicious activity or potential security threats.

A&R Security Services can provide your businesses with professional Manned guarding or Mobile security officers. All of our security staff have experience in providing exceptional customer service to our clients. If you would like to know more about our other security services visit our website or give us a call on 01656 713950.

 

Mobile Security Services, Mobile Security, A&R Security Services, Mobile Patrols, Mobile Guards, A&R Security Services

Mobile Security: What is it?

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Across Cardiff and South Wales, many security companies – including A&R Security Services – offer mobile security services to businesses.

Mobile Security Services is a core service for any security company, but it plays a key role in providing effective safeguarding and security to thousands of businesses. But even though mobile security plays a key role in safeguarding businesses there are still some businesses who are unsure about what mobile security is.

To help you understand what mobile security is, we’ve written this article about what mobile security is, the types of businesses that can benefit from mobile security and how to choose a mobile security provider

So, to start off – What is Mobile Security?

Many Security companies in Cardiff and South Wales primarily offer two security solutions: Manned guarding and mobile security. Although security providers offer a range of other services including CCTV monitoring, event security, key holding and alarm response – manned guarding and mobile security are the most popular.

Some businesses require 24/7 monitoring to ensure proper security. In these types of circumstances manned guarding is the most appropriate.

This is mainly because manned guards are required to be permanently stationed at a particular location. For example, the entrance to a corporate office building or a construction site. Manned guards act as a visual deterrent and are trained in physical intervention techniques that effectively restrain or remove intruders off-site.

As mentioned before, some businesses or sites require 24/7 monitoring and so manned guards will work through the night, at weekends and during public holidays to ensure that the business or site that they are responsible for is properly secure. Although manned guards sound like that they are only stationed at one particular spot, they can, however, undertake patrols of the premises – but this is usually limited.

Compared to manned guarding, mobile security involves guards actively patrolling large areas or multiple sites (which can be located far away from one another). With some sites being located quite far from each other many mobile guards use fully branded vehicles to cover these areas during their patrols.

During patrols, Mobile security guards will undertake scheduled and random checks of the premises that they are patrolling. This ensures that they are not predictable to anyone who is watching the premises and prevent criminals from planning crimes around their security routine.

As mobile security guards are effectively mobile, the service is often paired up with keyholding and alarm response services. This means that guards are able to access your premises at unsociable hours without having to wake you – and can grant you and your employees’ access if the originals set of keys are lost.

Also, if your security alarm system goes off, mobile security guards can quickly respond – making it more likely for criminals to be caught.

Many believe that some security alarm systems have a direct connection to the police, but this isn’t true. So instead, specially trained security controllers in Alarm receiving centres (ARCs) must confirm activations are genuine before alerting emergency services. This means that mobile security guards are often first on the scene when an alarm has sounded.

Whilst mobile security guards are on your premises, they will conduct thorough assessments to ensure that important security protocols such as locking doors and windows, turning on security lights, setting alarm, etc. are adhered to.

When is mobile security used?

Depending on your business security requirements, mobile security can be used as a stand-alone service or used alongside other security services such as manned guarding or keyholding and alarm response.

How do you choose the right Mobile Security Provider?

Within Cardiff, South Wales and the UK, the security industry is steadily growing – which means that there are many security providers offering security solutions. But finding a good security provider can be like finding a needle in a haystack and prove rather difficult. That being said, with the right know-how there are some things that you can look out for when looking for a new security provider.

  • SIA licensing – In the UK the security industry is governed and regulated by the SIA. With any security provider, they must have an SIA license in order to legally carry out their jobs. As such, always ask a potential provider if their staff holds a full SIA license. If they don’t or the company doesn’t have one, then they are breaking the law.
  • Other accreditations – Like any company a good security provider will place a high value on gaining professional and industrial accreditations. These may include qualifications that demonstrate how well they treat their staff, that they operate in an environmentally friendly way or that they adhere to good health and safety practices.

We at A&R Security Services we employ all of our staff in-house and ensure that all our guards are SIA licensed so that they can operate legally. We are Safe contractor approved and also ISO:14001 and ISO:9001 accredited ensuring that we look after our staff, operate in an environmentally friendly way and adhere to good health and safety practices.

A&R Security Service provides a range of security solutions to businesses in Cardiff and South Wales. Whatever your security needs, we will be able to provide the right security solutions that work for you – whether that is mobile security patrols or construction security.

A&R Security Services, A&R Security, Security, Mobile Security, Mobile Patrols, Security Services, Cardiff, RCT, Newport, Bridgend, Swansea

SIA Accreditation: Why is it so important?

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When making the decision to invest in security for your business, you’ll want to be able to rely on a trustworthy provider and have a clear idea of what you are getting.

One way to ensure that you are getting value is to hire fully trained and vetted SIA Security Guards, like those at A&R Security Services.

But why is it so important to have SIA licensed guards?

Quality that you can trust

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) was created by the government to protect your business. It helps regulate the private security industry effectively where businesses have seen reduced criminality, raised standards in services and personal and a clear picture of a high-quality service.

When having a guard that holds an SIA license, you can be sure that they are fully trained and vetted to complete their job.

Fully licensed SIA guards will have been trained to respond to any situation that they may experience out in the field. Training for SIA licenses is broken down into three core areas. Trainees begin by learning the essentials of common security industry knowledge including awareness of the law in the private security industry, health and safety, fire awareness, emergency procedures and communication with customer care.

Following this training the SIA will develop this initial training into specialist sections where training officers have the opportunity to learn the following services in-depth: patrolling, access control, technology and systems in the security environment, security officers, the law and communication, reporting and record-keeping: all of which are essential as guards will need a basic understanding of each when they are out in the field protecting your business.

Accommodating business demands

The private Security Industry Act was brought in to regulate the private security industry in England and Wales in 2001 which was later implemented in Scotland in 2007 and Northern Ireland in 2009. Since then they have been a number of changes to the accreditation and despite scrutiny of its effectiveness it remains, and businesses can see the clear benefits of hiring security guards that are fully trained and hold an SIA license.

Here A&R Security Services we are proud to provide SIA vetted security guards to effectively protect your business from criminal activity. For more information or to arrange a free quotation call us on 01656 713950 or visit our website.