by Lisa Shaw, Investigations Officer, SIA Southeast
The BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend Festival took place this year in Luton from 24-26 May. As a popular event with a great line up, the numbers were expected to reach over 100,000 which meant a large security presence. My team at the SIA covers counties in the Southeast including Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Kent, Bedfordshire and Thames Valley. As the event was in my patch, my team and I planned a visit to ensure SIA compliance at the event.
We spent three days making checks at the event. The first two days involved us attending the site before the event opened to inspect licences of the security operatives on duty. At the inspection planning stage, all suppliers provided me with a list of documents they had seen to verify identity of the licence holders. We then attended the first day of the event on Friday 24th May to inspect any licence holders we missed on the first two days. We also observed security procedures and process to ensure that there was no crossover between licensable roles and actions of safety marshals present at the event.
Sarah Runchman, our Head of Intelligence, joined the inspection to observe how an inspection unfolds, what obstacles we may face when out in the field and what improvements can be made in the process. I also spent time walking around the site with local licensing officers working jointly to check security at the venue.
On the day the event opened we were able to observe the security teams carrying out their duties. This included bag searches at the gates and drug detection dogs being used amongst the crowds. We observed how successfully the dogs detected illegal substances with members of the public removed from the queue as a result.
The inspection was successful with high levels of compliance found from security officers. We inspected 155 licences over the three days. We issued 13 warnings for failure to update address and a further 5 verbal warnings to security officers for failing to display their SIA licences.
Conducting much of the inspection prior to the opening of the event allowed us to really engage with security officers and marshals and get a feel for how the industry is for them. Our presence at the event was welcomed, with many security officers expressing gladness to see us there. We met a very talented event marshal who is now training to become an SIA licensed security operative. We also witnessed an unprovoked attack by an aggressive member of the public on a door supervisor. The door supervisor handled the situation with restraint and calmness, preventing any escalation. Watching the incident unfold in front of us highlighted just how difficult a door supervisor’s job can be.
Overall, it was a rewarding experience to be part of the event and to ensure levels of compliance were met by the security present. I am grateful for the positive interactions and the opportunity to witness the dedication of everyone involved in ensuring safety of the public and property at the event.