Lock Out Criminal Locksmiths, Says Trade Association Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010 Source: Cliff Caswell SecurityOracle.com

Industry spokesman calls on new government to tighten up industry vetting. Better regulation of locksmith training is needed in a move to prevent criminals learning a highly lucrative trade, the head of a professional body has said. Steffan George, Development Director at the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), called on the new Cameron/Clegg coalition to make sure all organisations providing training had proper vetting procedures to keep undesirables out. The MLA has the power to carry out a Criminal Records Bureau standard level check on potential locksmiths, which provides information on current and spent convictions. But George believes all industry entrants should be vetted before entering training. In an interview with SecurityOracle.com at the IFSEC security show at the Birmingham NEC, George said: “The MLA is a trade association that also provides training, and those passing our courses all go on to earn a City and Guilds award. “But unfortunately there is so much training that is completely unregulated, and this is something that we would like to government to look at. “You only have to consider the potential benefits to a career burglar who has been trained as a locksmith – the consequences could be fairly disastrous.” George believed that a nationally recognised qualification was the best way forward to accredit locksmiths and keep the industry properly policed. Courtesy of SecurityOracle.com - The Secury Industry's Portal