The 2017 Manchester Arena bombing brought to light the need for greater security surrounding public venues and arenas. One such initiative that seeks to address these concerns directly is ‘Martyn’s Law’, named after one of the 22 individuals who lost their lives during the 2017 terrorist attack, Martyn Hett.

Martyn’s Law, also known as the Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill or the Protect Duty Bill, aims to improve the safety and security of public venues across the UK while proactively addressing the threat of terrorism across the sovereign state. Proposed by the UK government on December 19, 2022, Martyn’s Law would require certain venues to fulfill necessary but proportionate steps to mitigate the threat of an extremist attack. This could include, but is not limited to, staff training, implementation of physical security solutions, and preparedness planning.

As much as discussions of gun control and terroristic threats dominate news cycles in the US, the UK must also consider the gaps that exist in their own security and legislative frameworks. For example, there are estimated to be about 650,000 crowded places in the UK, of which only about 0.2% are prioritized to receive direct support from the state’s network of counter-terrorism experts. The implementation and subsequent adoption of Martyn’s Law would effectively help close this gap with mandates designed to deliver a more comprehensive approach to public safety.

Martyn’s Law Requirements for Businesses

Marty’s Law would apply directly to public UK premises and events with a capacity of 100 or more individuals and used for a purpose listed in the Bill. This includes locales such as universities, arenas, sporting events, concert venues, healthcare facilities, music festivals, and a variety of other public venues.

In order to reduce the burden on such premises, the Bill utilizes a tiered model based on the activity that takes place at a premise or event and its capacity. The Standard Tier applies to locations that can host between 100 to 799 people with requirements relating to the development of a basic preparedness plan and more. For locations with a capacity above 800, the Enhanced Tier requires more detailed risk assessments, staff training, and the implementation of physical measures like access control or security software solutions to validate the identities of authorized individuals entering the building.

To ensure compliance, the UK government has proposed enforcement via inspections that would use education, advice, and sanctions to secure compliance with the law. Non-compliance could result in a fine or permanent closure of the location to prosecution.

Security Solutions for Martyn’s Law Compliance

Based on the requirements outlined above and the aforementioned costs of non-compliance, premises falling under the scope of Martyn’s Law will likely need to invest in new security solutions and engage in best practices to meet compliance standards. This could involve the integration of advanced surveillance technology, including CCTV systems, to monitor and manage crowd dynamics and identify potential threats. Additionally, facilities might need to implement robust access control systems coupled with emergency communication systems that can facilitate rapid response in a crisis.

What’s more, facilities will also need to understand the vulnerabilities of these systems, requiring the skills of security experts who can help audit security measures and provide recommendations on how to improve the defense. Smart software solutions can do this too. Vector Flow provides a suite of automated, security operations-focused solutions that can detect if any of your security devices are not working or require maintenance and if the alarms that you are getting from those systems are valid.

For example, Vector Flow’s False Alarm Manager application works by automatically analyzing thousands of security events in real-time to classify false alarms with high accuracy and automatically fix the system programming issues of alarm devices. The solution does this by performing baseline physical security system assessments that comprises of facility usage, conditions contributing to alarms, alarm thresholds for each sensor, device history, prior repairs, errors observed, users causing most alarms, and more. Once the root causes of alarms are understood, the underlying security system is then recalibrated to “optimize devices”, thus eliminating false/nuisance alarms. This AI-driven automation reduces alarm workload while allowing facilities managers and security teams to spend their time proactively resolving real alarms for tangible ROI.

And to ensure that all new and existing security devices are performing their key functions at all times, there is Vector Flow’s Predictive Device Maintenance Manager. The Predictive Device Maintenance Manager autonomously finds trends in devices’ health, performs risk and criticality assessments, identifies failure modes, and automatically creates service tickets if repair is needed. The intelligent, AI-powered recommendation engine provides detailed, data-driven remediation instructions to help service technicians know what parts are needed and where the device is located, enabling them to fix the device more efficiently. The intuitive, fully-automated solution greatly reduces routine and emergency repairs and maintenance costs, while eliminating the unnecessary risks Martyn’s Law was designed to prevent.

Level Up Physical Security Today & Tomorrow

Although Martyn’s Law has yet to be introduced to Parliament, it is expected to become law in 2024, necessitating the immediate consideration of enhanced security solutions that will ensure compliance as well as long-term risk reduction. Organizations can prepare appropriately by investing in cutting-edge security technologies and practices, such as those provided by Vector Flow, to not only meet the requirements of Martyn’s Law but also to establish a proactive security posture. This includes the use of AI to identify insider threats, Visitor Identity Management solutions for the strategic management of visitor identities, and smart mustering solutions for an organized incident response.

And to ensure that all new and existing security devices are performing their key functions at all times, there is Vector Flow’s Predictive Device Maintenance Manager. The Predictive Device Maintenance Manager autonomously finds trends in devices’ health, performs risk and criticality assessments, identifies failure modes, and automatically creates service tickets if repair is needed. The intelligent, AI-powered recommendation engine provides detailed, data-driven remediation instructions to help service technicians know what parts are needed and where the device is located, enabling them to fix the device more efficiently. The intuitive, fully-automated solution greatly reduces routine and emergency repairs and maintenance costs, while eliminating the unnecessary risks Martyn’s Law was designed to prevent.

To learn more about these solutions, or to receive a quote, please contact us here.