Chris Holland looks at the success of a Bradford security specialist whose technology means shoplifters have no hiding place

AROUND 800 suspected shoplifters are being apprehended every month thanks to technology and monitoring operated by Bradford-based Kings Security Systems.

Working closely with a growing number of police forces around the country, the family-owned business is seeing rising demand for the services of its Kings Intelligence Service division which has helped boost the company's overall growth.

The KIS operation uses sophisticated CCTV to monitor more than 300 stores nationally operating from a specialist hub in Little Germany and headed by former Metropolitan Police detective Rob King, who was previously head of security operations for the Post Office and the Jockey Club, horse racing's leading anti-corruption organisation .

Steve Evans, Kings Security chief operating officer, said using its technology to identify and target persistent offenders - some of whom commit around 20 thefts a week - enabled the firm to provide police forces with a package of evidence, making it easier to make arrests.

Kings is currently working with five police forces - West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Hampshire and the Met - with more showing interest as the effectiveness of the system is clear.

Steve said: "This area of work has been one of the the biggest things for us in the last 12 months. By taking the donkey work away from police forces facing increasing financial pressure it helps to ensure that shoplifters face the consequences.

" Engaging with the police is a big priority for us now and police forces are becoming really receptive . The support we've developed through Kings Intelligence Service stores and analyses data to gather evidence, including descriptions of suspects and behaviour patterns, to pin down culprits. We believe this is a unique operation in the UK at present .

"We see our role as not just installing CCTV and intruder alarms but also supporting the community by helping police to be in a better position to prosecute criminals. The KIS operation means we can present police with a pile of evidence with a bow on it.

From a business point of view we would hope that through closer liaison with police and achieving results we will attract more commercial clients."

The KIS nerve centre is in Currer St, Bradford, where currently 40 operators monitor a range of retail and distribution sites using around 14,000 security cameras.

Growing demand will see staffing increased by another 30 people who will be trained and licensed in-house through the Kings Training Academy.

As the threat of terrorism grows, KIS technology is increasingly being called on to help monitor public events such as marches and protests, including a recent gathering in London where Kings worked with the Metropolitan Police.

The KIS centre can also help police tackle crime as it happens through providing a live feed to monitored premises with the agreement of the client.

Steve Evans said: " We are currently working with the Met to do trials on providing live footage on request of incidents such as store robberies or hostage taking. One of our operators recently spotted an armed shop robbery and was able to alert the police and provide a running commentary as events unfolded. Police caught the offenders on the street outside because they knew who they were looking for before they arrived at the scene.

"Ultimately, we expect to be able to provide live feeds to individual police officers on the street using smart phones."

Overall, Kings Security has seen dramatic growth with a 40 per cent increase

turnover in the past 12 months to nearly £50 million - with a target for the current financial year of £60 million and £100 million in five years.

The company has also added 100 staff in the past year and now has 750 employees, including 120 apprentices.

Steve said Kings had achieved across the board growth . As well as the CCTV operations, sales of commercial and domestic burglar alarms were up ,the security gates and fencing - division had doubled turnover and demand for security guards remained strong with 220 now deployed guards on various sites

Kings is in the top four firms in the UK security industry alongside ADT; Chubb and Secom . Clients include leading names such as Morrisons, The Co-op, Pure Gym, Estee Lauder; Yorkshire Water , Curry’s-PC World, Bradford Council, Bradford College and Huddersfield University.

The company has invested around £500,000 in IT to cope with expansion , including new storage servers and firewalls to increase its own data security and is working towards the ISO 22301 accreditation for business continuity and holds the ISO 270001 standard for information security .

Like many sectors, Kings has faced a shortage of skilled engineers, which was one of the reasons it established its own training academy at its Ripley Street headquarters which has helped increase its team of engineers by 50 per cent in the last 12 months to 230.

Steve said: " We want to be the most qualified security business with the most qualified staff in the UK. The company has invested heavily in people and IT Invested a lot in people and IT to support the business going forward. Our IT team is currently ten strong and will play an increasingly vital part in our future operations."

Two Kings installation engineer apprentices, Jack Baker and Harrison Cooke, both 20, were recently recognised at the Security and Fire Excellence Awards as joint winners of the engineers of tomorrow category. They joined Kings in 2012 in the first intake of its apprentice scheme .

Kings Security also won the security training initiative award for its commitment to developing and training its staff.

Jolene Taylor, head of learning and development, said: “There is a huge skills gap within the industry at the moment so we decided to set up our own academy re-training people with existing skill sets and also taking on apprentices. This way we ensure that the Kings standards are upheld, whilst leading the way for the rest of the industry to hopefully follow. The per capita spend on training is over £55,000 per apprentice, which is testament to our commitment.”

When the company launched its new training initiative in 2013, staff at all levels, including managing director Anthony King, undertook courses. Mr King undertook a Certified Security Management Professional Certification, a qualification that provides core knowledge for managing a security function.

Kings continued expansion ahs also included the recent recruitment of ten extra sales staff to focus on regions around the UK .

The company moved into its £3 million base at the St Dunstans Technology Park in 2008. It bought together five former depots and three offices scattered around the city and coincided with the firm's 40th anniversary.

Founded by James King in 1968 as J King Electronics, the company originally focused on fitting TV aerials.

Diversification into security systems drove organic growth, which allowed the company to add more services, eventually becoming Kings Security Systems. Several acquisitions, including most recently of Sunwin Fire and Security in 2012, has seen the company join the industry's top flight.

In 2012 Kings, which has been among winners of the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Means Business awards, agreed a new finding deal with Barclays bank to underpin its expansion plans. The move included working capital, sales finance and funding through the National Loan Guarantee Scheme.