This International Women’s Day (IWD) Lisa Baskott, 53, talked about why she set up 2nd Line of Defence, the UK’s first female-focused recruitment agency for the private security sector, in an exclusive story in the Mirror.
The owner of female-focused security agency said she set up the company following the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021. Sarah Everard was stopped by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens on her way home in Clapham before being kidnapped, raped, and killed.
Ms Baskott, born and raised in the southwest London borough, said: “I was angry that this happened to a woman in a place I only ever knew as a safe haven.
“This woman had done all the things we’re told to do by our mums and by society. She did not stand a chance against a police officer. She was a law-abiding citizen and this person abused his power.
“So, I started thinking about a wider scope and vulnerable people – ethnic groups, the gay community – is the safety of these people more likely to be affected in the night-time economy?”
The 53-year-old started researching security jobs and became a SIA-licensed door supervisor in in September 2021. She also came to realise that private security personnel outnumbered emergency services of police and ambulance, which are known as the first line of defence.
She said: “Private security personnel outnumber police by 18 to one, so it is left to these guys to do what is right when something goes wrong,” she says.
“But these people are underpaid, it is unsocial hours, they’re often abused. What incentive is there for people and women especially to want to do that?”
She mentioned that SIA has reported a significant drop in licence applications on top of the Brexit and the pandemic causing large-scale displacement of door supervisors
Industry needs more women
Ms Baskott argued that the perception of what a bouncer and security staff look like, which is typically a white, middle-aged man, needs to change.
Pointing out that women have good communication, empathy and de-escalation skills, which are the desired skills for the industry, Ms Baskott said: “It’s about attracting more women in the role that wouldn’t ordinarily think about it. We have to think about the gender imbalance in the workplace and all the additional things women take on such as childcare, being a mother, the cleaning, that burden before we even bring work into it.
“The message needs to be that this could be something bigger and better for you and not just a quick way to make money – you can be head of security for whoever, but there is no clear pathway currently.
“It’s not for a lack of women being interested, it’s that it’s stacked against them.”
Ms Baskott wanted to be able to advocate for others, but she knew she had to go out there and experience it for herself before launching her female-focused security agency.
In a need to improve the industry as a whole, Ms Baskott cited the Brixton Academy incident as the prime example where a fatal crowd crush at the venue left two people dead and one in critical condition.
Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and a security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in hospital after the incident during a gig by singer Asake on 15 December, during which a number of people appeared to enter without tickets.
Ms Baskott said: “The industry has been left to self-regulate. People are massively undervalued, underpaid, taking bribes, putting people’s lives at risk. This is what will happen. And people will want to leave the industry.
“There needs to be a set of standards so that if you’re doing a job in Brighton, it’s at the same standard as someone in Manchester.
“There needs to be training modules on diversity awareness for a start.
“There is a receptiveness for people wanting to see change. People are listening and people want to hear from me.”
Ms Baskott said women feel safer seeing females on the door of events and clubs, and added: “We need to start reflecting the people coming through the doors on the doors.
“If I make just one woman feel safe on a night out then I’m doing something right.”
Image: Facebook
(Source: The Mirror)
