Ex-terrorists get security training from Special Forces?

With all this talk about regulation (in the financial markets), it’s great to see another industry leading the way.

The private security industry here is going to be regulated from 2009. So all those chaps in the NI industry who’ve previously neglected training (or relied on , ahem, ‘previous’ as substitute for training) will have to sign up to an SIA agreed course and apply for the £245 licence within the next 12 months.

The SIA issues the licences – the actual training gets handled by local companies. Some of them look a bit tasty. One company informs us that their ‘training team consists of a coalition of highly qualified and internationally experienced security trainers, assessors and practitioners with current and former expertise gained serving with the UK Police Service, Prison Service and Ministry of Defence including Special Forces.’

There is no suggestion that any of these local companies are anything other than highly professional, legitimate outfits supplying sectoral need. But think of those private bodyguards following certain politicians around, those curious private security companies that sprung up after ceasefires etc… now relying on ex-security force personnel to teach them about close protection.

Will ex-soldiers be signing off on the professional competence of ex-terrorists to provide legal security? Wonder what the odds are on that? Probably shorter than Ronnie Corbett if truth be told.

How many private security professionals are there operating at present? Not an inconsiderable number I imagine. As the rest of the economy contemplates recession, the dozen or so registered SIA training providers here are set to coin it in over the next 12 months. Good luck to ’em.

Obama was right. This is going to be a change year.