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Publicly accessible locations are more complex. Threats are more nuanced. Clients are more informed. And the cost of getting security wrong reputationally, operationally and legally) has never been higher.
The future of security will be defined by how well risk is understood, mitigated and managed over time.
Ian Pugh, PAL Protect Consultant at Anchor, sits down with our Creative Media Manager, Richard Thorogood, to reflect on 40 years in security and how that experience is shaping a smarter, more joined-up approach today.
One of the most common misconceptions in security is that visibility alone equals safety. In reality, effective security starts long before an officer steps onto site.
It begins with asking better questions:
This shift from presence to purpose is driving a new security mindset. One that treats security as a living system rather than a static service.
Security consultancy is often seen as something external, episodic or reactive. In practice, its greatest value comes when it is embedded and close enough to influence decisions, but separate enough to remain objective.
This is the thinking behind PAL Protect, the internal consultancy division of Anchor.
By sitting outside day-to-day operational pressures, PAL Protect focuses exclusively on security outcomes:
This separation matters. It allows security advice to stay strategic rather than being diluted by short-term operational firefighting.
Mobilisation is often treated as a logistical exercise: TUPE transfers, rota alignment, uniforms issued, go live.
But security risk does not wait for contracts to settle.
A mobilisation that fails to properly understand inherited risks, client vulnerabilities or environmental pressures simply transfers problems from one provider to another.
A more mature approach uses mobilisation as a diagnostic moment: reviewing existing security arrangements honestly, identifying gaps and assumptions early and translating insight into a clear, actionable security plan.
When this is done well, the impact is immediate. Not because more resource is deployed, but because everyone understands why security is being delivered in a particular way.
Technology is often positioned as a silver bullet for modern security challenges. In reality, poorly implemented technology can increase risk, distract teams and create false confidence.
The real value of technology lies in integration – for example, CCTV systems that support proactive monitoring, analytics that highlight abnormal behaviour, not just record incidents – all of which are supported by remote monitoring that complements officers rather than replaces them.
Crucially, technology must be deployed with a clear understanding of operational reality. That means procedures, training and escalation paths are designed around the technology, not bolted on afterwards.
This is also where in-house capability matters. A 24/7 operations centre that supports, monitors and responds as part of the same organisation significantly reduces fragmentation and accountability gaps.
Security providers have historically controlled information flow. Issues are often reported after the fact, filtered through KPIs and discussed weeks later in review meetings.
That model is increasingly out of step with how clients expect to operate.
Live data, open reporting and shared visibility do something powerful:
Transparency is not about claiming perfection. It is about demonstrating confidence in process and people – and being willing to address issues as they emerge.
Threats to publicly accessible locations are not static. They evolve in form, motivation and impact, from terrorism to mental health-related incidents and everything in between.
Legislation such as the Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill (Martyn’s Law) reinforces what many already know: preparedness, planning and evidence of reasonable measures are becoming non-negotiable.
The organisations that will thrive are those that treat security as a board-level consideration and invest in understanding risk, not just responding to it. The key will be to build partnerships with providers who bring insight as well as delivery.
No single officer, system or policy can secure complex environments alone.
Effective security is a full 360 degree collaboration between clients and providers, people and technology; plus strategy and operations.
PAL Protect reflects this philosophy, not as a product, but as a way of thinking about security differently.
Because the future of security is about understanding more, planning better and working together all before the moment of risk arrives.
