Security 2000 attending emergency calls in under half the industry average time since Richard Gabriel appointment
The instant impact of a newly-appointed director at one of the South West’s most ambitious security firms has seen it slash its emergency response times to less than half the national average.
Avonmouth-based Security 2000 appointed Richard Gabriel as business unit director in June 2023, calling on his 15 years’ experience working for some of the biggest firms in the industry.
Richard is now giving fair warning to thieves in the Bristol and Bath area that the emergency response times for Security 2000-protected properties has dropped to 23 minutes, way below the national average of 60 minutes.
Security 2000 prides itself on offering high-quality, cost-effective security key holding and alarm response services to Bristol, Avonmouth, Clevedon, Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Weston-Super-Mare.
All its operatives are Security Industry Authority (SIA) approved; incidents are reported in real time via a smartphone app and its iCloud live view and image storage technology means it is better equipped to capture images of people and vehicles leaving the scene of any crime.
Richard, who grew up in Bristol and now lives in Portishead, held management roles at several large UK mobile security firms after 13 years in the prison service.
He said the key to success in the field is for firms not to overstretch themselves, which is something Security 2000 prides itself on.
He said: “The company used to have very good response times anyway, as we know our geographical patch very well. Sometimes companies are too ambitious and overstretch themselves, which is not a trap we want to fall into.
“The industry average for responses can be around an hour, and we are well under 30 minutes.
“When you think it takes on average seven minutes from an alarm going off to being passed on and actioned, we are attending on-site in less than 25 minutes. In some cases, it can be as low as three minutes. We are just faster than everyone else.”
Richard said the current performance would be used as a springboard for growth, with short-term plans to become the preferred security provider in Bristol.
“Medium-term, we would like to expand into Swindon, Gloucestershire, Cheltenham and down into Exeter, Plymouth, Cardiff and Swansea. That would be a natural growth pattern,” he added.
“Our final step would be to become a national business through acquisitions.”
Richard said a good security firm will treat its patch like a police officer treats their beat, with a base as a jumping-off point.
He added: “Security isn’t just about guarding physical assets; it’s about safeguarding our clients’ trust and reputation.
“A big part of this comes from our team. Nurturing talent, fostering growth and providing opportunities for advancement are the pillars of a successful organisation and I’m dedicated to ensuring our team members perform at their best and also have opportunities to thrive in their careers.”
Security 2000 protects more than 300 locations and £5bn worth of assets across the South West.
