Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group launched

This is a pivotal time for those with the responsibility of protecting crowded places such as parks, sports stadiums, the High Street or transport hubs. There’s now a growing realisation that, in order to properly safeguard such places, a blend of knowledge and skills in the realms of safety, security, service and leadership is the dominating requirement.

The Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group has a vital role to play in pulling together research, knowledge and experience in addressing safety and security as an integrated concept for crowded places. Collaboration between sector professionals will ensure that the collective security voice is heard, and that those professionals can influence policymakers and central Government alike about the key issues relating to this area of security provision.

Risk of terrorist attack

Speaking about the new Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group, Peter Lavery FSyI (chair of The Security Institute) said: “The Security Institute is delighted to continue its collaborative work with the UKCMA through this Special Interest Group, which itself exhibits a multi-disciplinary approach towards protecting people in crowded places. This is a critical area for ‘competent’ crowd safety and security professionals who, on behalf of owners and operators, consider the risk of terrorist attacks and take ‘proportionate and reasonable measures’ under the proposed Protect Duty legislation to safeguard members of the public. A multi-agency approach is required in terms of preparation and response planning.”

The Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group’s committee includes four industry-leading co-chairs, namely Anne Marie Chebib, Gary Simpson MSyI, Simon Roberts and Simon Ancliffe.

Anne Marie Chebib has served as the owner/managing director of Select Security and Stewarding Ltd for over two decades now. In that time, Chebib has become one of the most well-respected crowd management practitioners and consultants in the special events industry with a reputation for the formulation of elegant solutions to challenging problems.

Chebib’s specialties include strategic planning, agency liaison and the management of projects and personnel. She’s the current secretary of the UKCMA and a leading member of the Global Crowd Management Alliance.

Gary Simpson MSyI has extensive experience in operational management with a specific expertise in security, risk mitigation and safety. He’s a qualified and experienced stadium safety officer and counter-terrorism risk manager. After leaving the Greater Manchester Police, he joined Manchester United FC as the deputy head of stadium safety and security, managing all aspects of match day safety and security at the 75,000 capacity Old Trafford stadium.

Simpson joined ASM Global in 2018 as director of security, safety and risk with responsibility for all aspects of spectator safety and security. He now leads the company’s strategy for counter-terrorism, emergency and risk management spanning a European portfolio of entertainment venues and stadiums.

Protective security

Simon Roberts is a leading specialist in protective security, risk assessments, exercising, penetration testing, workplace violence and personal security. A police officer for 30 years, he served on the front line and has also focused on public order, high-risk offenders, intelligence and security planning for vulnerable communities.

Roberts was seconded to the Home Office, working within the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office where he led the training of Counter-Terrorism Security Advisors on a national basis and delivered and authored national crowded places guidance, ACT Awareness e-learning and national exercises for sports stadiums, the night-time economy and transport infrastructure.

Further, Roberts developed the initial protective security standards for MPs’ homes and constituency offices. He was responsible for ensuring the safety of the British Olympic team at the pan-European Games in Azerbaijan and is currently working for the Natural History Museum in Tring.

Simon Ancliffe is the founder and executive director of people flow and analytics company Movement Strategies, which is now part of the GHD Group. Movement Strategies is the largest crowd dynamics consultancy in the world and a global leader in the analysis and application of movement and behaviour data and other sources.

Across the years, Ancliffe has advised on many of the world’s iconic stadiums, arenas, transport systems, festivals and events including Olympic Park in Stratford, the Wembley Stadium complex, Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in North London, the O2, the Dubai Metro, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Tower of London, the Glastonbury Festival, the Notting Hill Carnival and on the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Aligning safety and security

Robert Kennedy CSyP FSyI, Board Director at The Security Institute, will be acting as the Sponsoring Director of the Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group.

Speaking on the announcement of the committee, Kennedy explained: “The calibre of the individuals already involved in this Special Interest Group will enable thought leadership demonstrating altruism to influence and align safety and security. This builds on the recently announced partnership between The Security Institute and the UKCMA. This is going to be a game-changer for the industry. I’m really looking forward to the outputs from this Special Interest Group, which will be of benefit to our industry and society as a whole.”

*The Protecting People in Crowded Places Special Interest Group will be officially launched at the Protecting People in Crowded Places Conference, which is to be held at The London Stadium in Stratford, the home of West Ham United FC, on Thursday 21 April. Tickets for this event will be made available in due course