UK ports step-up security co-operation with new alerting system
The system complements the existing reporting regime, whereby ports report incidents to government
The British Ports Association has launched a new security alerts system for rapid information sharing amongst industry to help prevent and detect criminal activity. The new system will involve BPA disseminating details of activity submitted by ports to others in the same region. This will improve security posture and raise awareness of suspicious individuals or patterns of behaviour, BPA said in its media release.
The industry's Security & Resilience working group proposed the idea earlier in 2023 and a simple system has been trialled and is now live.
Any UK port can sign up to receive alerts although recipients are checked regularly by BPA to ensure they have a legitimate need to receive such data. The BPA also checks data before it is circulated to ensure it is appropriate and distributed to the relevant port security professionals.
The system complements the existing reporting regime, whereby ports report incidents to government. The BPA works closely with the Department for Transport's security division and other Government security teams.
The British Ports Association represents the interests of over 100 port members, covering more than 400 ports, terminal operators and port facilities. The UK ports industry plays a key role in the country’s economy as 95% of the UK’s international trade – imports and exports – is carried through British ports. UK ports also handle more than 60 million international and domestic passenger journeys each year. The UK port industry is the second largest in Europe, handling around 500 million tonnes of freight each year. UK ports directly employ around 115,000 people.
