Police alarmed at lack of training given to G4S Olympic security staff

[cavemandave]

West Midlands Police alarmed at lack of training given to G4S Olympic security staff

WEST Midlands Police officers plugging the holes left by embattled Olympic security firm G4S have been left “shocked” and “alarmed” by its guards’ lack of training.

In a savage criticism of the shamed company, Ian Edwards, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, said workers learnt more in 25 minutes with one of his officers than during all of their previous time on Olympic duty.

Mr Edwards said his members had seen G4S staff not following procedures, such as checking packages suspected of containing the explosive semtex.

Officers were “genuinely shocked and alarmed” by what they were seeing, he said.

“The more they see, the more concerned we are,” he said.

“Not only has G4S failed to train and recruit enough security personnel, they have also failed to deliver even basic training.

West Midlands Police alarmed at lack of training given to G4S Olympic security staff - Top Stories - News - Birmingham Mail

and in Manchester>

Greater Manchester Police forced to step in to help secure Olympic football matches at Old Trafford after G4S fiasco

Greater Manchester Police confirmed it has been forced to step in to help secure Olympic football matches at Old Trafford because of the G4S fiasco. The force will be adding a 'number of specialist officers' to fill in gaps because the security firm has not been able to recruit enough guards. GMP had previously agreed it would be posting around 100 cops around the ground for the games. These officers will now be supplemented by the extra specialist cops. Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: "Following discussions with LOCOG (London Olympic Games Organising Committee) we have now taken the decision to supply a small number of specialist police officers to assist in the safety and security operation at Old Trafford. “The decision was taken as part of GMP's contingency planning process and will ensure a significant police presence is in place at the stadium for the duration of the Olympic football matches. “The officers will be in place from Sunday and at no point has this move changed the security arrangements for the athletes. "We have worked closely with the security contractor and LOCOG in relation to this matter, as we have throughout the planning phase of the Olympic games. “There will be a minimal impact on policing the local communities that we serve on a daily basis.” The decision comes after the force had to send in more than 30 cops to help secure the Worsley Marriott hotel in Salford ahead of the arrival of Olympic athletes.

Read more at: Greater Manchester Police forced to step in to help secure Olympic football matches at Old Trafford after G4S fiasco | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk

 

[Troy]

I think that G4S are too big for their own good. They have so many interests, fingers in so many pies, around the world that they just can't know what's going on. At the same time they are so huge that they regard themselves as being above mundane details. Have a look at the history on their website and see if you get the same impression.

Our history | G4S

 

[udipur]

As the poster said...

 

[Hexitele]

Old Bill should lap this up for all it's worth as they'll be the targets of abuse again in no time at all.

 

[DB216LOKDVR]

I am of the opinion that this contract should have been torn up over a week ago and all the G4S staff relieved of thier duties and sent home. (Never to return).

You have a situation now where some G4S Staff 'MAY' be trained to an acceptable standard and some who are not and are bluffing it.

Military Head Sheds and the Police should have sat down and rewrote the staffing requirement and manned it from the day the problem was idenified.

Yes, I know the Tommies would have been messed about, but the sites would be a lot more secured.

There seems to be a lot of grey areas in the current situation and who's going to take the blame if solids hit the air conditioning.

Due to world events when London won the bid, prehaps the Government should have just tasked the security of the games to the Police with Military back up.

 

[gizmo17]

Old Bill should lap this up for all it's worth as they'll be the targets of abuse again in no time at all.

Old Bill are lapping this up and not for the obvious reasons. Ask yourself how many cushy Custody and escort Roles have been lost to G4S.
Plod Fedration are trickle leaking choice storys for choice reasons.

 

[bakerlite]

Old Bill are lapping this up and not for the obvious reasons. Ask yourself how many cushy Custody and escort Roles have been lost to G4S.
Plod Fedration are trickle leaking choice storys for choice reasons.

Agreed but still, a shed load of chickens are returning to the roost. Like Kipling said,

"Let us admit it fairly, as a business people should,
We have had no end of a lesson: it will do us no end of good."

B

 

[Manley]

Lessons are being learned...........as per usual, FFS!

 

[ashford_old_school]

Lessons are being learned...........as per usual, FFS!

No, lessons are being identified. No lessons are being learned!

 

[Mothman]

Old Bill are lapping this up and not for the obvious reasons. Ask yourself how many cushy Custody and escort Roles have been lost to G4S.
Plod Fedration are trickle leaking choice storys for choice reasons.

That's a canny observation and not a criticism, I hope?

 

[tom_dkg]

I think the questions unaddressed are:

1) how efficiently are such contracts as already held by G4S really being run? There is little incentive if you have just dished out a contract, made people redundant, and got all your eggs in one basket, to be the one to say it failed? You are far more likely to accept a contractor using the words "learning curves", and promising improvement.

2) The good guys working for G4S would seem to have had the most useful part of any training they get from the work and expense of previous employers having trained them. What happens when the pool of already experienced staff for many roles is depleted?

3)Let's not forget the public sector has not helped its own cause by sticking to all the pay and conditions that they have had in times of prosperity. This is the "in" that private enterprise was given.

 

[ex_donkey_man]

I am shocked at how some people are surprised by this G4S tosh. lets face it, that prison service they run is a shambles, with every prisoner having their own mobile phone. They don't search properly, due to the fact that if they find phones, they have to report them and can face fines from the Govt, their security vans are full of guys with ex cons as bezzer mates, who tell them that half the time they don't use the DNA dye boxes, because they're a pain in the arse to seal, so they use the old ones that cannot be traced. On top of all that, yes we are in hard times, but expecting to employ 17,000 people for a period of 4 weeks? I agree that there will be some folk who are unemployed and clever, but really it's going to be students that do the role and the majority (but not all) won't have the capacity to understand the severity of what could happen.

Do I think the games security is looking dodgy? Not really now the army and police are doing it.

 

[Wordsmith]

The G4S fiasco is a combination of two toxic factors:

1) A government that was not capable a drafting a supervising a complex cpntract such as was given to G4S. The home secretary (Theresa May) has form for incompetence - the failure of the Uk Border Agency to do it job and the failure to deport Abu Hamza are juswt two examples of her inability to get a grip.

2) A private company (G4S) that saw an opportunity to make a big profit and tried to maximise that by doing the job on the cheap. When things started to go pear-shaped, they hid the problems, trying to safeguard their profit.

Government demonstrably fails to draw up contracts effectively. There should be a clear statement of requirements in every contract, together with penalties for falling short of requirements. If G4S knew it would be fined £10 million for every 1,000 security guards it failed to deliver, it would not have cut corners because it profits would have been hit.

Government does itself a severe disservice by not enforcing financial penalties on failing suppliers. Why have G4S tried to do things on the cheap? Because they worst they expect is a slap on the wrist.

Unlike a lot of government ministers, Theresa May actually had experience in the real world before she went into politics. From Wikipedia:

From 1977 to 1983 May worked at the Bank of England, and from 1985 to 1997, as a financial consultant and senior advisor in International Affairs at the Association for Payment Clearing Services.

Which would suggest to me that she lacks the management skills to run a large department like the Home Office. Not surprising because running a large organisation is extremely difficult and only a very tiny percentage of the population has the skills to do it.

Wordsmith

 

[smartascarrots]

Arrser surprised Police alarmed at lack of training given to G4S Olympic security staff, seeing as how it was always bleeding obvious what was going to happen.

 

[roninxix]

I'm employed by G4S in hot and sandy places and when I'm home during the Olympics will take great pleasure in watching the Bill Oddies staging on the numerous events. Look at it as work experience, as there are so many pending redundancies they may even get a job offer.

And before any **** starts, yes I have served and probably longer than most people on here.


Sent from my iPad using ARRSE app 'cause I can.

 

[Chunkie]

As The Pub Landlord said and I quote: "Olympic Games London 2012, a little bit shit." Personnaly I think thats a bit of an understatement but correct all the less. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but foresight is much better. Obviously G4S didnt have a hope of recruiting those numbers for only 4 weeks work? Out of those trainned outside London, most have not turned up for work, probably due to the fact that they have not been contacted by G4S to inform them where and when to report? What a shambles and embarasment for this Country. And I think things will only get worse!

 

[SausageDog]

As The Pub Landlord said and I quote: "Olympic Games London 2012, a little bit shit." Personnaly I think thats a bit of an understatement but correct all the less. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but foresight is much better. Obviously G4S didnt have a hope of recruiting those numbers for only 4 weeks work? Out of those trainned outside London, most have not turned up for work, probably due to the fact that they have not been contacted by G4S to inform them where and when to report? What a shambles and embarasment for this Country. And I think things will only get worse!

Let's get this into perspective, how much security does an overgrown Sports Day really need?

I'm sure The Queen or the Royal Couple at their respective jubilee and wedding were far better targets for Al Queda if they wanted to attack the heart of the British psyche, than a horde of lycra-clad muscle-bound youngsters from all corners of the world, some of whom are armed with guns, some spears, and others bloody great mallets!

All of whom can probably outrun your average cave dwelling insurgent in his baggy dish-dash, and some of whom may even come from his own country.

Maybe I'm missing something....?

 

[eodmatt]

I'd like a squizzy at the G4s contract. Seems to me that a multi million quid. Interact hAs been awarded on a fire and forget basis. Does a TOR exist? Statements Of Works for the various tasks? Customer QM Inspection criteria? Training objectives and criteria for comPliance? Due diligance procedures...... Etc etc this isn't just a fuckup by G4s it is a monumental cockup all round.

 

[ashford_old_school]

I'd like a squizzy at the G4s contract. Seems to me that a multi million quid. Interact hAs been awarded on a fire and forget basis. Does a TOR exist? Statements Of Works for the various tasks? Customer QM Inspection criteria? Training objectives and criteria for comPliance? Due diligance procedures...... Etc etc this isn't just a fuckup by G4s it is a monumental cockup all round.

Mate, you can't even look at the PAYD contract on camp a it's commercially sensitive!!

 

[Pitswamper]

These own goals by G4S can only be good for the Constabularies, less talk of private security doing police type work for a while, therefore funding safe.