City Security Council pledges support for Prevention of Suicide campaign

Posted to News on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Share:

THE CITY Security Council is actively supporting the reduction of suicides by signing a pledge to the covenant recently created by the Security Consortium for the Prevention of Suicide (SCPS). The pledge commits the organisation to work with the SCPS on helping to raise awareness of the issue and share key information on this subject within the security industry.

The SCPS was founded earlier this year by Vicki Vidler and, in essence, is a network of security organisations operating in both the public and private sector dedicated to preventing suicide. The consortium is guided by a panel of experts in suicide prevention that includes representatives from the National Police Chiefs Council’s Suicide Prevention Group, the City of London Police, The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and The Samaritans. Membership is based on shared values and each member signs up to the Security Consortium’s covenant.

“Sadly, suicide is sadly a major issue for our society,” explained Vidler. “Every week, an average of 115 people die due to suicide here in the UK. Our mission is simply to save lives. By pooling our resources, we can learn from each other and share skills, technology and expertise designed to improve suicide prevention activities.”

The City Security Council is a community interest company that represents a collective of premier city security companies with the specific purpose of improving incident responses by security companies in the City of London in times of major crises.

Ashely Fernandes, chair of the City Security Council, has explained why he has signed the pledge on behalf of the organisation. “The security profession has an important role to play in suicide prevention,” outlined Fernandes. “Very often, security officers are the first people to spot someone behaving unusually and will be the first responders to help someone who’s in need. As an organisation, we can encourage our members to have conversations around mental health within the workplace and provide support and training. Together we can seek new ways in which to work towards combating suicide.”

*To find out more detail concerning the SCPS and how security organisations can join visit https://suicidepreventionconsortium.org/

**Further information about the City Security Council and its membership is available online at www.citysecuritycouncil.co.uk