Major operators back Games safety

The Cross-sector Safety and Security Communications (CSSC) Project was established by the Metropolitan Police and business association London First in late 2011, and mirrors similar Community Safety schemes in London boroughs such as Westminster.

Andrew Nicholls, head of security for Mitchells & Butlers, was given the remit to manage the night-time economy sector in the scheme last month, and has got all major pub operators, restaurants and doorstaff firms to sign up to the initiative.

The project is designed to ensure that all London businesses are safety and security-aware before, during, and after the Olympics, by improving communication between the public and private sector on security-related matters.

Information will be shared between businesses on a range of issues from possible terrorist threats to traffic congestion, via email, whilst business sector leaders will be able to communicate via conference phone calls. The idea is to develop the system to also incorporate text messages, creating a ‘communication hub’ for all sectors.

Nicholls believes the project is essential in the wake of last summer’s riots, and with the Olympics heading for the city this summer.

He said: “In certain areas of central London there are Community Safety units, run by local authorities, where businesses can get information very quickly.

“Unfortunately these cases are only related to these particular council areas and during the riots last year there was a lack of information, which was picked up on by the whole of the commercial sphere.

“This was because the trouble was not located in the central London area, and it identified that we need to have something that is bigger and more efficient for the other areas.”

Nicholls stressed that the initiative is in place for the long-term and will continue to play an important role beyond this summer’s Olympic Games.