Romford BID Appoints My Local Bobby to Improve Safety in the Town
I wanted to say that we have just had our stock loss result in for the end of our financial year. This was the best result we have had in a long time at -1.83%. This is a fantastic result especially in the current climate and the stores’ location. This has been helped no end by the work that you have done in the town along with My Local Bobby – uniform and under cover teams. The town has been brought together to battle crime and anti-social behaviour. Long may this continue. - Ian Woolley, Primark Store Manager
Romford Business Improvement District (BID) is pleased to announce that following its successful ballot result in May 2023 and in line with their new five-year plan, they have signed a contract with My Local Bobby, who will start patrolling the streets of Romford and making it safer for visitors from 1st August 2023. All the wardens, known as Bobbys, will work with the BID and local businesses to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour and shoplifting and offer help to residents and shoppers.
Since MLB have been employed in Romford, we have had extra support as a centre from them, they attend when necessary and help our security staff assisting with crime in and around the centre. Everyone on site has built up a fantastic working relationship with them and we are truly grateful in the support to fight crime around the town. - Jon Guerriero, Soft Service Manager, The Liberty.
My Local Bobby will provide a reassuring presence throughout Romford with regular patrols and will be proactive and direct in dealing with issues when they arise. Romford’s two main Bobbies will be Chris Levy and Khan Hunter. They will maintain regular contact with BID members to manage and reduce threats, anti-social behaviour and other matters that disrupt business activity.
One thing in retail is trying to keep yourself and your staff safe. With MLB about, you have that secondary back up if needed. As a solo guard I can't thank them enough and I appreciate them daily. MLB are shutting down the theft and violence at a steady pace. - Wez Smith, B&M
Collecting information and gathering evidence to provide intelligence to TM Eye, the Police Services and Havering Council will be key and enable persistent offenders to be tackled. The Bobbies will have access to DISC – the crime reduction app that the BID will be rolling out throughout the town later this year. DISC is an online information-sharing system that local businesses can use to submit incident reports so this information can be shared with the police and used to identify prolific offenders.
The organisation was co-founded by former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent David McKelvey in 2016 and operates public realm security services across numerous destinations within London and elsewhere in the UK. All the wardens, known as Bobbies, must be accredited by the Security Industry Authority. This involves being trained by an approved provider before going through a criminal record check and vetting. The Bobbies also undergo additional training in trauma response, duty of care, and how to make citizens arrests and safely use handcuffs.
MLB have not only made an impactful change regarding crime (even violence) in Romford, they have become an integral part of Romford's Safety and Security detail. From recovering stolen items, to protecting Sports Direct staff from violent shoplifters, they continue to keep Romford safe with the utmost professionalism. Thank you guys. - A B Bisiriyu, Sports Direct.
Romford BID also funds the Street Triage team in Romford town centre. The team, consisting of two first responders and a security officer with a rapid response vehicle, offer support to injured or unwell people on nights out in the town centre. They act as a first response for police, pub staff, restaurant staff and street pastors and work hard to keep the town centre safe during weekends. The Triage team work on a rotation sequence in Romford every Friday and Saturday between 10.00pm to 4.00am.
Can we pass on our thanks to you and the MLB team Chris and Khan. We had a violent male in the centre on Tuesday last week, the team at the liberty had to restrain the male and assistance was requested. Chris and Khan were first on the scene and helped to calm the situation, police did attend, and the male was arrested and was believed to have left prison a few days earlier. From a personal point Chris and Khan are an asset to the town, and their presence can have a calming effect to any situation, if you could pass on our thanks to them. A brilliant idea to introduce them to the town. - Tony Allerston, Operations Manager at The Liberty Shopping Centre