9 Oct 2009

 CCTV IN FOCUS is the first consultancy-based organisation to be accredited by Secured By Design
CCTV IN FOCUS has become the first consultancy-based organisation to be accredited by Secured By Design
Commenting on the accreditation which was awarded as a result of an approval process carried out by the Secured by Design Independent Assessment Panel, Andy Hays, Operational Manager for CCTV IN FOCUS said: "Until now accreditation has only been given to companies supplying physical products. We are therefore naturally delighted that the work we are doing to raise the standards of CCTV installations has been recognised by such an important organisation such as Secured By Design."

Harlow based CCTV IN FOCUS has for the last two years been championing the cause for the independent testing and auditing of CCTV systems. In the process of doing so, the company has come across numerous situations where thousands of pounds have been wasted on CCTV systems which do not do the job for what they were intended. One of the main reasons for this, believes Andy Hayes, is the lack of a written operational requirement against which an installer can source the correct equipment and then install it to meet the clients' requirements. "Would you consider buying a house without first having a survey or if planning to put up a new building, would you do so without the advice of a quantity surveyor? The answer of course to both questions should be ‘no' and yet it would appear that businesses and organisations are willing to spend many thousands of pounds on a CCTV system without first ensuring that their chosen installer has clear instructions as to what is needed and expected from the system?"

Jon Cole who is National Operations Manager for Secured By Design said: "Far too often CCTV has attracted negative publicity. It should not in theory do so  as the CCTV cameras and digital video recording systems now available to  users are more than capable of doing the job for which they are intended. The problem lies with how the equipment is specified and how it is subsequently installed. The CCTV industry needs consultancies like CCTV IN FOCUS who can provide independent testing and provide advice on the all import Operational Requirement. I am therefore very pleased that CCTV IN FOCUS' credibility has been underscored by the Secured by Design accreditation."

"We are naturally delighted that the work we are doing to raise the standards of CCTV installations has been recognised by such an important organisation as Secured by Design." 

Secured By Design is the official UK Police flagship initiative supporting the principles of 'designing out crime'. It focuses on crime prevention at the design, layout and construction stages of homes and commercial premises and promotes the use of security standards for a wide range of applications and products. Established in 1989, Secured by Design (SBD) is owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The company operates a licensing scheme currently including more than 350 member companies who are entitled to use the Secured by Design logo and promote the term 'Police Preferred Specification' on products which have passed the tests specified by ACPO Secured by Design.