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Recognising the council’s first class approach to property security

Aberdeenshire Council’s pioneering approach to property security was recently given a national platform by ALARM, the national forum for risk management in the public sector.

Project officer, Ian Stephen (from Aberdeen) attended the ALARM Learning and Development Forum in Telford in June, giving a keynote presentation on Aberdeenshire’s property risk management training and the development of the property security adviser post.

The council’s focus on property security was brought about after a series of vandalism incidents a few years ago. Since then, council officers have been working alongside colleagues from Grampian Police and Grampian Fire and Rescue Service to consider security issues and take appropriate joint action.

A property security training pack which has been developed was first recognised as an example of excellence in the field in 2006. The council also received recognition for its pioneering efforts in this area when the new post of property security adviser, led by Duncan McBain (from Inverurie), was highly commended by the Association of Local Authority Risk Managers last year.

Working alongside partners, the council’s successful bids to the government’s ‘Quality of Life Fund’ has made the production of a risk management DVD and a bank of portable CCTVs possible. This work continues to be progressed.

Project officer Ian Stephen explained: “Since we began work on this project there has been a significant reduction in vandalism across Aberdeenshire’s schools and an increased detection rate by Grampian Police where incidents have taken place. Our focus on property security has also helped to reduce our property insurance premium and we have received a lot of positive feedback about the property security adviser post.”

Whilst initially the focus on property security was to protect schools, the council’s expertise in this field is now a corporate resource available to all council facilities.