Keeping a track of injustice…

We had an incident recently in which a Sparta task force officer called in for a coffee at McDonald’s, at Newton Aycliffe, at the start of his shift. It was 5.45pm in the evening and he then drove off to monitor various sites that we’re looking after around the region. He called back at the same McDonald’s the following morning, just before 6am.

You can imagine our surprise when we were served with a significant financial penalty by a private parking fine company, alleging that our vehicle had been parked there all night.

Luckily, one of the great advantages of having vehicles fitted with Geo-Tracking is that we know precisely where all our vehicles are 24 hours a day. We, therefore, have all the evidence we need that no parking restrictions had been violated.

Naturally, we won’t be paying the penalty, but my concern is that not everyone has that kind of irrefutable evidence to fall back on, so they may feel pressured into paying unjust fines.

The message is to be aware of the danger, folks, and don’t take everything at face value.

BUSINESS UPDATES

WE were really proud to successfully complete the task of guarding the construction site for the new fire station in Darlington recently.

The station, in St Cuthbert’s Way, replaces one built in 1972, and we were engaged by construction company, Tolent, to provide patrols and CCTV protection.

Every job we are given is important to us, and we want to get the right results for every client. But we saw this contract as a special honour because it involves the emergency services – heroes who are dedicated to saving lives – and I’m delighted to say that there wasn’t a single incident on our watch. That makes me really happy.

Meanwhile, other new clients include Meldrum Construction Services Ltd, which is widening the lanes on the A19, at the junction close to the National Trust’s Mount Grace Priory in Northallerton.

And Sparta is also providing security for another construction company, T. Manners & Sons Ltd, which is developing social housing on the site of the former King James School, in Bishop Auckland. With the school once attended by Stan Laurel, it’s another high-profile site.

Left to right: Tolent Senior Site Manager Graham Wood, Tolent Contracts Manager Jeremy Marley, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps, Watch Manager Simon Davison, and Sparta Security Managing Director, Francis Jones

AS a former professional boxer, I know the value of having a really top coach, and we’re delighted to have secured the advisory services of one of the region’s most respected business leaders in Mike Matthews.

Mike, pictured below, stepped down as managing director of Teesside-based car parts manufacturer Nifco, in 2019, after 30 years with the company, and he was awarded the MBE for services to business. He has now launched Mike Matthews Business Consulting, and is helping us with strategic planning and preparing for growth.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to listen to people with a track record, who’ve been there and done it, so it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to work with someone of Mike’s calibre.

FURTHER to my last column, we are pressing ahead with our plans to launch a new arm of the business to crack down on rural crime, using former police officers with expert knowledge of countryside beats.

The aim is to set up “Sparta Beat Bobbies” on a three-month trial, with officers operating in unmarked vehicles, in designated criminal hotspots, at random times throughout the week, and relaying information direct to the police.

I’m convinced there is a real need for this kind of service to be introduced into rural areas because the police can’t be everywhere, and the gaps need to be plugged with an element of privatisation.

The idea is to create a crime-fighting scheme that would be managed in partnership with the community itself. One of the first areas to be targeted will be Teesdale, where the company is seeking to place five officers, each working 16-hour weekly shifts – equating to 320 hours of surveillance each month. To cover the costs, Sparta hopes to generate £5,000 shared between more than 200 farms in that area – that’s £25 a month per farm.

I’m passionate about making it happen, so we are wanting to hear from ex-police officers with the skills and knowledge to join us, along with farmers and landowners in rural communities who can see the value in getting it off the ground.

ANOTHER priority for 2021 is to drive significant improvements in the company’s carbon footprint by streamlining the business wherever possible and investing in an exceptional level of digitisation, including high-grade CCTV systems and alarm notifications, to boost the efficiency of guarding against crime.

It’s a responsibility we all have to protect the planet, and look after our animals, as The Bible declares in Proverbs ‘Whoever, is righteous has regard for animals’. We want to play our part by upping our game in everything we do and making a difference.”

SECURITY ADVICE

THERE is still an awful lot of publicity out there about organised dog thefts.

My advice would be this – make it as difficult as possible for thieves to get hold of your dog. Don’t leave them in the garden and, if they are well behaved, don’t use collars because they make it easy to grab the animal. Instead, use a slip lead.

FINAL THOUGHT

AS a committed Christian, I always end my column with an extract from The Bible. This month it’s Timothy 6:10 (NIV): “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

In all our business dealings, we must always be fair and honest with each other, and never let greed get in the way.

Take care until the next time,

Francis

• To find out more about opportunities with The Sparta Security Group, or to discuss security services tailor-made for your business, go to www.spartasecurityuk.co.uk