News

Department stores, shopping centres, and other large retail sites are the biggest targets for theft in the country and amongst the most challenging sites to secure effectively. Theft prevention in a retail site relies upon being able to quickly identity suspicious individuals, monitor them and take action should they engage in criminal behaviour. This is a relatively simple task in a shop with a few aisles and single entries and exits, but when there are thousands of customers, multiple stores […]

We depend upon care homes to look after those who are most vulnerable. This includes making sure that residents and staff are protected from security threats such as vandalism, theft and abuse. While security guards still have a role in care homes, especially for main entrances and exterior patrols, residents and staff typically prefer less visible forms of security such as CCTV and access control. The benefits of CCTV in care homes Care home security must be designed to protect […]

In one year, 15% of all NHS staff and 28% of nurses experienced physical abuse A 2017 survey of NHS staff in England showed that 15% had experienced physical violence from patients, relatives or the public over a 12 month period. Accident and Emergency wards are amongst the most hard-hit, second only to elderly care in the number of violent incidents reported. Nurses fared the worst, with 28% reporting to have experienced physical abuse within the past 12 months, and […]

It’s no secret that one of the biggest challenges facing the NHS is the difficulty of meeting the increasing demands on health services while government spending struggles to keep pace. A less talked about but serious consequence is the cuts that have been made to security in hospitals and other medical sites. Local authorities are encountering the same issue and – as I wrote in my blog on the matter – a purely price-driven tender process has severe consequences on […]

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick recently shared disturbing figures on the number of crimes reported by MPs in 2018, which had more than doubled since 2017 and was already set to rise further this year. 342 crimes towards MPs and their staff were committed in 2018 and just four months into 2019 the number was already at 152. Polarised opinion on current political and social issues were blamed for this increase in criminal behaviour directed towards MPs and their staff, […]

Extremism is the Greatest Threat to Our Security – How Can it Be Stopped? The 2016 murder of MP Jo Cox and the 2017 attacks in Westminster which claimed eight lives are recent reminders of the deadly consequences of modern extremism from the far-right and radical Islam. Both incidents were lone-wolf attacks perpetrated by Britons. Such home-grown terrorism is particularly disturbing in this age of divided politics and resurgence of extreme, violent ideologies. While we may sometimes feel powerless to […]

Since 2010, local authorities have had their budgets cut by an average of 26%. In the same period, government spending on police is down 30% in real terms, resulting in 20,000 fewer police officers on our streets. These police cuts have made local authorities increasingly reliant on private security companies, but budget cuts have also made local authorities less able to afford private security, so who is left to keep the public safe? The only security companies left who can […]

Keeping students safe means more than making sure their laptops don’t get stolen. The main threat to students is stress, and you may be surprised how vital security guards can be in helping students in halls of residence to receive the care they need to fulfil their potential. Magenta Security has over 20 years of experience working with university and privately run halls of residence in inner city, rural and campus sites across the UK. This has given us a […]

University campuses are often huge, sprawling sites spread across multiple buildings, some of which, such as libraries or laboratories, may be open 24 hours a day. Protecting a site as complex as a university requires a robust security package, and universities that take their security seriously will have CCTV, card key access and – most importantly – a team of highly trained a dedicated security guards. There’s no point spending generously on high tech security equipment only to cut corners […]

An increasing number of schools are choosing to hire security guards, particularly in cities where there is a higher risk of break ins and potential dangers for the pupils. While not all schools need security guards, this article will help you decide if your school would benefit from their services. The ABCs of school security: A: Keeping out unwanted visitors The first priority of school security is to keep out people (adults or children) who don’t belong there and quickly […]