Photo: Jeff Maysh, via
Speaking at a National Security Summit last week, one of London's top police chiefs signalled that plans are being put in place for bouncers (and other professionals within the security sector) to be trained to handle terror attacks.Reported by the Metro, Mark Rowley – head of national counterterrorism policing in the UK – is quoted as saying, "Vigilance in the public space is critical and there are many, many more private security guards out there than there are police officers." He continued: "We are looking at how we train them more effectively to be a better part of the national armoury that we have against terrorism."While this may sound drastic, it's not totally surprising. A number of high-profile attacks in recent years having taken place in live music venues: the Bataclan attack in Paris (2015), the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando (2016) and, this year, the Manchester arena attack during an Ariana Grande concert and the Las Vegas shooting. In each case the death toll rose high into double-figures, highlighting the vulnerabilities of environments characterised by large amounts of people, loud noise, limited exits and low-lighting.
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Going by the limited information so far, it sounds like bouncers and private security guards will mostly be trained to spot suspicious behaviour – training that will become part of their professional accreditation. That said, phrases like "national armoury" and Rowley's vague claim that the "untapped potential" of the security sector was being looked into leave a few question marks hanging over what exactly is going to be expected of security guards and door staff.Basically, we're taking all of the hardest people in the UK and making them 50 times harder – sort of like building a super-army of bald blokes in bomber jackets. Which is, in principle, a good thing. We should feel safer because of this. Yet, naturally, the knowledge that this is taking place sort of makes the threat seem more real. Perhaps the most important thing is to keep in mind that while music venues have been the sites of dark tragedies in recent years, it's up to us to ensure those experiences don't dominate them.@a_n_g_u_s
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WATCH:
Going by the limited information so far, it sounds like bouncers and private security guards will mostly be trained to spot suspicious behaviour – training that will become part of their professional accreditation. That said, phrases like "national armoury" and Rowley's vague claim that the "untapped potential" of the security sector was being looked into leave a few question marks hanging over what exactly is going to be expected of security guards and door staff.Basically, we're taking all of the hardest people in the UK and making them 50 times harder – sort of like building a super-army of bald blokes in bomber jackets. Which is, in principle, a good thing. We should feel safer because of this. Yet, naturally, the knowledge that this is taking place sort of makes the threat seem more real. Perhaps the most important thing is to keep in mind that while music venues have been the sites of dark tragedies in recent years, it's up to us to ensure those experiences don't dominate them.@a_n_g_u_s