Security on your side – National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)
New security-minded communications, Security on Your Side from NPSA is designed to make visitors and staff at venues and events more aware of security measures in place.
As an industry, we are getting better at reducing the visible impact of security measures, finding innovative ways to blend these measures subtly into the streetscape. This is a good thing, as bollards, barriers, and CCTV don’t always send an inviting message to customers. We don’t necessarily want to live in a society where there’s a constant reminder of the need for security everywhere we go.
But physical security measures are important. The threat from terrorism remains, and bollards disguised as benches and bins provide robust protective security and form an integral part of keeping your staff and customers safe.
This is why, to support these physical measures, the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of MI5, has developed new security-minded communication materials designed to make visitors and staff at venues and events more aware of the protective security measures that are in place, in a way that reassures them, whilst serving as a deterrent to those looking to cause harm.
Security-minded communications is an approach which simultaneously reassures legitimate customers and deters hostile activity.
Born out of a desire to amplify deterrent effects of hostile vehicle mitigation and other security measures, Security on Your Side offers a free toolkit of communication assets, backed by social and behavioural science, and informed by NPSA’s extensive research programme.
It helps organisations and businesses highlight the security measures that are in place in a way that allows members of the public to feel safe and reassured but shows those with hostile intent that your business would make a difficult operating environment for them. Hostile individuals or groups won’t necessarily be deterred from a target simply because it has CCTV surveillance or security guards, especially if they are hidden from public view. Security on Your Side, however, helps organisations use these security measures in such a way as to project a sense of reassurance and deterrence.
If someone believes a venue is secure, they are less likely to progress with their attack planning.
What Security on Your Side offers
As with all security-minded communications and deterrence messaging, there is a need to strike a balance between delivering a strong security message and not causing alarm.
The digital assets, which you can download for free, feature various everyday environments including a train station, an airport, a stadium/arena, a street market and a high street. Each scene depicts the venue on a normal day, specifically highlighting the security measures you can see, and those you cannot.
The NPSA conducted a pilot at the end of 2023 with a number of transport hubs, arenas and publicly accessible locations from across the country to gauge the impact on the general public.
The results were significant. 88% of respondents to a survey did not feel worried that an attack was any more likely to happen and, through heightened exposure across a range of communication channels, 85% could recall the key messages of the campaign, and crucially, felt reassured.
A security manager who took part in the pilot said: “It’s crucial to convey a message that fosters a sense of safety among our visitors rather than instilling fear, all while deterring any potential threats. I believe that the Security on Your Side campaign effectively strikes this delicate balance.”
Security on Your Side builds on and complements NPSA’s other disruptive effects initiatives including See, Check and Notify (SCaN). SCAN is a suite of training modules that aims to help businesses maximise safety and security using their existing resource.
It empowers staff to correctly identify suspicious activity and takes them through how to act when they encounter it. The skills learnt both provide an enhanced customer experience, and help to ensure that individuals or groups seeking to cause your organisation harm are unable to get the information they need to plan and carry out their actions.
Both tools aren’t just useful in deterring national security threats; they can also serve to deter criminal activity or even unlawful protest.
The campaign toolkit and digital assets are now available to venues nationwide. www.npsa.gov.uk/security-on-your-side
The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) is the UK government’s national technical authority for physical and personnel protective security. We are part of MI5 which means we use the latest intelligence as well as research to inform our advice.
To find out more, visit: National Protective Security Authority | NPSA.
