Marks and Spencer first retailer to gain SCC's CCTV certification
FOUR Security has worked with Marks and Spencer to obtain the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s surveillance camera certification.
FOUR Security Consultants Ltd has worked in partnership with Marks and Spencer’s (M&S) head of corporate security, Clint Reid, to obtain the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s surveillance camera certification to show compliance with the surveillance camera code of practice. M&S is the first ever retailer to achieve this certification following a successful application and audit by the SSAIB, one of the commissioner’s approved certification bodies.
Protecting its customers and people by providing a safe and secure shopping and working environment is crucially important to M&S. M&S realised that adopting the surveillance camera code of practice would provide transparency and consistency throughout its operations.
Complying with the code has provided many benefits, for example, cost reduction through value management and rationalisation of CCTV systems against need and purpose. Further benefits have been obtained through a reduction in the installation programme, which has reduced cost and minimised retail disruption.
The standard has been implemented throughout the organisation from head office to distribution centres to retail stores. Implementation has improved quality measurement, supported by a comprehensive audit and review programme.
In addition, the certification has uplifted the profile of CCTV within M&S. It is an important source of operational information, and the increased awareness of M&S’s CCTV capability, together with the quality of its CCTV product, has resulted in managers being more willing to use the data to help them realise operational and commercial benefits.
Both M&S and FOUR Security Consultants hope this will inspire other retailers to achieve certification, thus improving the standards of operation of CCTV within the retail sector.
Clint Reid, Marks and Spencer’s Head of Corporate Security, said:
We are pleased to continue our partnership with FOUR Security and optimistic about the potential improvements in protecting our people and working environment that gaining the SCC CCTV certification will bring.
Brendan McGarrity, head of FOUR Security Consultants, added:
We praise the vision and tenacity of Clint and his team in realising the importance of gaining certification and the hard work they put in, helping us achieve it with them.
Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner, added:
For a retailer of Marks and Spencer’s size to achieve full certification against the code is no mean feat at all! They are not required to comply with the code and have done this voluntarily, which makes this all the more impressive. Working with FOUR Security Consultants and the SSAIB, they have been able to demonstrate they comply with the code across their vast estate. If an organisation of this size can achieve certification, there’s no reason why anyone else can’t and shouldn’t.