The King’s Speech this week marks the longest monarch’s speech at a State Opening of Parliament since 2003. Most notable was the legislation-heavy content, with 40 Bills announced showcasing Labour’s intent to move the needle on multiple issues from the get-go. Among these Bills, the CRE industry should be aware of one highly anticipated Bill in particular.
Prior to the General Election on 4th July, we discussed the 5 ways the CRE industry should prepare before the new Government was elected, with a specific emphasis on public space protection.
Martyn’s Law
In King Charles’ speech on July 16, he highlighted the introduction of “Martyn’s Law,” a highly anticipated legislative measure that will enhance protection against terrorism in public spaces. Named after Martyn Hett, a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, this law mandates that all public venues with a capacity of more than 100 people must implement training and security measures to prevent terrorist attacks.
The legislation classifies venues into two tiers based on their capacity. Each tier will have specific duties to ensure safety, including risk assessments and practical security measures (British Safety Council and Counter Terror Business).
The two tiers are:
- The Standard Tier- for premises with capacities between 100 and 799. Basic activities are likely to be required such as evaluating the best procedures to minimise the impact of a terrorist attack, and terrorism protection training.
- The Enhanced Tier- for premises with a capacity of 800 or more. Further requirements are likely to be required including providing a security plan, and appointing a designated senior officer to regularly review the venue’s security
An inspection and enforcement regime will be established to promote the requirements for each tier. Non-compliance could result in sanctions and ultimately penalties for premises.
What you need to know
As highlighted by British Retail Consortium Assistant Director, Graham Wynn, Martyn’s Law is particularly relevant to the retail industry given the large number of retail premises across the UK.
Organisations are being advised to prepare now by familiarising themselves with the requirements. Specialist advice on evaluating and managing terrorism risks is also provided by ProtectUK.
King Charles spoke of the importance of using technology to adapt to rapidly changing security threats while affirming that the government will provide all necessary powers to security and intelligence services.
What makes this Bill even more high profile is the King’s assertion of the need for independent judicial oversight to ensure the measures are effectively implemented. What the CRE industry can take from this, is that non-compliance will not be an option.
How to firm up Security
Ensure Efficient Incident Reporting
Ineffective reporting and communication can have a significant impact on security in shopping centres. Too often, manual systems are in place with multiple layers to alerting the right people with a serious incident. Critical communications, distributed to numerous stakeholders, has to be digitalised.
Sufficient Training
Too often, a lack of training in incident reporting can lead to confusion and delay during emergencies. Crucial reports may be completed incorrectly or there may be insufficient knowledge on recognising suspicious behaviour in the first place. Make sure everyone is kept in the loop with clear and consistent protocols that are easy to access.
Data Analysis
Without accurate data, shopping centres are unable to analyse trends, vulnerabilities or other patterns which could improve their security strategies. Information relating to an emergency such as response times, engagement with critical messages, and how quickly situations were resolved need to be readily available.
Effective Communication
The need for clear and instant communication is paramount in a crisis. Yet many shopping centres have ineffective channels in place.
Often multiple channels are in use along with manual methods, hindering response time. Not to mention communication processes are regularly hampered by hard-to-find lists of key stakeholders.
De-silo your teams
The success of your security operations is directly impacted by the coordination among security personnel, management, and retailers. A lack of coordination risks essential information, such as known threats or suspicious activity, not being shared properly, which could delay or even prevent a response to security problems.
Find out how Mallcomm helps the biggest names in the CRE space tighten their security, protect their reputation and ensure compliance with Martyn’s Law below.