Issued: 2nd January 2009

Stabbing at Yorkshire University Reflects Dangers Faced by Security Guards

With a noticeable increase of young people moving away from home and beginning life on campus, university security guards are absolutely essential in order to ensure the personal safety and protection of our students. This is an important task and an ever so difficult one, as long as a campus is accessible by the general public.

This point was proved on the 31st October 2008 when a University Security Guard was stabbed several times whilst trying to apprehend three trouble making teenagers on the campus grounds of Leeds Metropolitan University. Following on from the attack “A member of the Leeds Met security staff, who asked not to be named, confirmed concerns about equipment levels and said that it was as a result of a similar incident that protective vests had been issued to security officers at Leeds University.” Yorkshire Evening Post 12th Nov 2008.

One of the main roles of a security guard is to conduct night patrols and question the presence of strangers within the complex, a dangerous task when most campuses can be accessed by any person on the street, which increases the likelihood of altercations. With most university towns also having an active night life the percentage of intoxicated persons also increases. It is sensible to acknowledge the fact that security guards patrolling university campuses do put themselves at risk when going about
their daily duties. The higher risk level within face to face interactions usually justifies or requires dedicated training as well as personal protective equipment in the form of anti stab resistant vests.

Mark Hardy, Sales Director of ASEO points out: “Several University Security Managers have been enquiring as to the use of resistant vests within their line of work due to the continually changing situations they find themselves in, what with most campuses being situated within busy metropolitan areas. It is important to remember that these guards can often come up against intoxicated persons and trespassers on university grounds which can often lead to confrontation. Stab resistant vests are
not issued as standard to guards but I believe that this needs to change.”

Due to recent incidents within universities and higher education colleges ASEO have developed a new type of covert stab resistant vests for security personnel, which innovatively protects the ribs, spine and internal organs not only from knife and needle attacks but from blunt force trauma generated by a punch, kick or blow by a blunt instrument also. The vests are certified by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) and are designed in such a way as to be able to be worn covertly, making altercations less confrontational.

ASEO is a Limited company incorporated in June 2006. Together with sister company personalsafety4u ASEO strives to provide intelligent body armour solutions and personal safety training methods to public sector workers.

If you would like more information on this topic or to contact Mr. Robert Kaiser
please call 01765 692550, fax 01765 606274 or email
Lydia Hardy at lh@aseo-europe.com