Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) has launched a new phase of the Community Safety Wardens project operated by Lisburn based security management company, Mercury Security & Facilities Management Ltd.
The launch took place at a PCSP meeting, on this occasion in Larne Town Hall, on 14 December 2016. PCSP Chair, Councillor Andrew Wilson said: “This scheme addresses key elements of the PCSP Action plan in delivering an additional community resource with the capacity to assist with low level crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Community Safety Wardens have been able to detect and assist on a wide range of issues including youth issues, drugs abuse, general safety problems, graffiti, litter and dog fouling.
“The wardens are also addressing the fear of crime as a reassuring presence both in the community sector and the business sector.
“In addition, the PSNI find that the wardens are an invaluable resource to call upon, which frees their officers to deal with more serious crime,” Cllr Wilson added.
The Community Safety Wardens project is funded by the NI Housing Executive (NIHE) and the PCSP and is managed by Ballymena Retailers Against Crime (BRAC) who have already been running a similar scheme successfully in Ballymena. BRAC work in conjunction with Mercury Security & Facilities Management Ltd who have sourced and supplied the Community Safety Wardens since its inception in 2012.
Mairead Myles Davey from the Housing Executive welcomed this joint venture: “The Community Safety Wardens have forged close links with the Housing Executive Neighbourhood Officers in all three areas in order to identify and resolve low level anti-social behaviour at the earliest possible opportunity. They also provide a reassuring and visible presence in the areas.”
The new scheme brings Larne and Carrickfergus into the area of operations for the wardens, alongside the existing service in Ballymena.
It is funded through a PCSP contribution of £30,000; £10,000 from Ballymena BID Co and £20,000 from the Housing Executive as well as a BRAC ‘in kind’ contribution of £2,000.
The launch was attended by uniformed Mercury Security & Facilities Management Community and Town Centre Safety Wardens, Peter Fleck, Tommy Crawford and Billy Hamilton. As well as a senior police officer, Detective Chief Constable Drew Harris, his colleagues and the PCSP Vice Chair, Marjorie Hawkins.
NIHE and BRAC/Ballymena BID and Mercury Security & Facilities Management Ltd representatives also attended.
The provision of a dedicated Safety Warden in Ballymena Town Centre; Ballymena Rural/Urban area and the Carrickfergus/Larne Rural/Urban area is being seen as a major step forward for the Policing and Community Safety Partnership’s ongoing work.
BRAC, along with the operations team of Mercury Security & Facilities Management has extensive experience of managing the scheme since it began in Ballymena in 2012.
BRAC’s work as the scheme expands will include the tendering process for Wardens, day to day operational planning, budget control, Inter-agency liaison, risk assessing, monitoring and evaluation, invoice control and verification and liaison with personnel provider, Mercury Security & Facilities Management Ltd.
The PSNI involvement will be as a liaison partner in the overall management of scheme, attending meetings; maintaining contact between Wardens and Officers to exchange information; ensuring requests to assist in anti-social behaviour incidents are forwarded and in assistance received in risk assessing patrols.
The meeting was told that the scheme has several stated objectives: to reduce incidents of Anti-social behaviour by 5%; ensure removal of graffiti within one week of reporting; to have litter and dumping issues dealt with within a working week; enhance public confidence in feeling safer, as per annual survey; to support local businesses in regard to crime and to have three inter agency meetings to discuss performance and progress.
Mercury Security & Facilities Management’s CEO, Frank Cullen, comments “The Community Wardens scheme is one that gives us great pride to be involved with. Mercury Security & Facilities Management have been working alongside BRAC from 2012 to ensure the streets of Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne remain safe and secure. The Officers deployed on behalf of Mercury are all locals of their respective areas and offer a fantastic presence and reassurance to businesses and retailers of the area.”
For more information on Mercury Security & Facilities Management Ltd please visit our website, www.mercurysecurity.biz or contact the team on +44 (0)28 9262 0510 for a free survey of your property.