The appointments were unanimously approved at a BSIA council meeting. Cowden’s appointment will take effect from April next year and during the transitional period David Fletcher will remain in the post for a maximum of two years.
Said Fletcher: “With a raft of important developments, including the passage of the Private Security Industry Act and considerable membership growth, we need to take stock and ensure we are laying foundations that will enable us to continue performing effectively…”
Cowden would play a “pivotal role” in helping to shape the association and he was “ideally suited” to guide the BSIA through key current issues such as regulation, public/private policing, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland policies and the role in Europe.He said he was “delighted” to accept the appointment.
Tim Geddes will play an important role in advising David Cowden on the needs of the security systems sector.
Geddes has been Chairman of the BSIA Security Systems Section for six years, during which time he has led the Section through a series of challenging periods, including the implementation of the 1995 and 2000 Association of Chief Police Officers’ security systems policies.
He also played a significant role in the BSIA’s successful legal opposition to the West Midlands Police alarms policy that was proposed last year, which would have severely restricted response in that region.
Geddes, who began his career in the security industry by serving a five-year apprenticeship in mechanical and electrical engineering, said: ‘I am honoured to take up this position and I aim to represent the interests of systems companies at the highest levels within the Association. My appointment is a clear indication of the important role the BSIA wants to play in shaping the future of the systems marketplace.’
David Cowden comments: ‘It will be invaluable to have Tim’s knowledge and experience available to me when making decisions about the systems sector. I look forward to working with him to form a strategy to take the electronic sectors forward.’
BSIA Chief Executive David Fletcher, adds: ‘This appointment will ensure that the BSIA focuses as closely on the electronic sector as it does the manned sector, which is especially important in light of the arrival of the Private Security Industry Act, which does not include systems companies in its scope.’
Geddes is a director of Yeoman Monitoring Services and HSS Alarms. He represents the BSIA on the ACPO Security Systems Committee, he is a board member of the National Security Inspec-torate, Chairman of the NSI Systems Section, and Chairman of the NACOSS Technical Committee.
