Every so often, someone proposes a new “quick fix” for the UK security industry. The latest idea someone asked me about was doing a survey of city‑centre sites to see how many officers are displaying their SIA licence, as required under the Private Security Industry Act (PSIA), or how many might be wearing them back to front. On paper, it sounds simple, have a walk around, eyes open to check if badges visible, publish the findings, sound clever, while achieving absolutely nothing useful. Sure, guards should absolutely have their badges on display in line with the PSIA. But let’s be honest — this is low‑hanging fruit, and picking it won’t fix what’s broken and would not lead to meaningful industry change if addressed.
The Front Line in city-centre sites Isn’t the Root of any significant Problem
If an officer isn’t displaying their licence, it’s easy to blame them but have a scratch beneath the surface. Anyone who has worked on the ground knows the reality is rarely that straightforward. Behind that badge not on display might be:
- A client who thinks licence cards “don’t look professional” in a corporate lobby.
- A supervisor who says, “Keep it in your pocket — senior management are visiting.”
- A contractor who prioritises aesthetics over compliance.
- A company culture where rules are optional if they clash with branding.
The guard — the person with the least power — is often the one who gets blamed first and obviously is the easiest target.
Yes, Sometimes It Signals Something Worse
There are cases where a missing licence means exactly what people fear: the officer doesn’t have one. That is serious.
But those operators aren’t working in corporate HQs or high‑end environments. They survive in the lowest‑bid corners of the industry, where oversight is weak to non-existent and enforcement is sporadic if it happens at all.
If we genuinely want to uncover wrongdoing, we need to look at the places where the rot actually lives:
- Companies knowingly deploying unlicensed staff
- Illegal pay rates
- Fake training certificates
- Supervisors pressuring guards to break regulations
- Procurement models that reward the cheapest bidder, not the safest operator
These problems don’t reveal themselves through a walk‑around survey. They show up when someone is willing to dig — and digging takes effort, time, and courage.
Real Reform Takes Work — And Honesty
The industry won’t improve by repeatedly targeting the people with the least influence. Real change comes from challenging the structures that create the problems. Counting visible licence cards is easy. Exposing systemic malpractice is hard — and involves effort. Suddenly the low hanging fruit and illusion that something has been achieved route looks more attractive.
A Better Way Forward
If we want genuine reform, our focus should be firmly focused on the issues – just a few examples:
- The violence and risk security officers face every day
- Illegal pay and unsafe operators
- Officers being pressured to break rules
- Clients treating compliance as optional
- The need for sector‑specific protections and minimum standards
- Phoenixing
Admittedly I was a bit blunt with my caller, a citizen journalist but stop pretending that picking low‑hanging fruit is reform. Let’s stop blaming guards for problems they didn’t create and educate the people and systems that put them in that situation to begin with. Who benefits if a guard who has done the training, paid for their license and who turns up and works diligently gets in trouble and potentially loses their job, while next door a team working security with no training, no badges, skate with no consequences?