Operation Vanguard has been launched in Essex this week, deploying private security guards across three town centres following concerns about groups of male asylum seekers being bussed into the area.
Six uniformed operatives - two each in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester - will patrol agreed routes, including locations where anti-social behaviour has previously been reported. They will operate seven days a week, between approximately 10am and 6pm, during an initial three-month trial.
Launching the operation, Reform UK leader of Essex County Council Peter Harris said: “Today, Operation Vanguard moves from words to action.
“Six trained security guards, two each in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester, will provide a visible and reassuring presence on our streets, particularly for women and children.
“Our message is simple: the safety of Essex residents comes first.”
The initiative follows confirmation that the Home Office will increase the capacity of the Wethersfield asylum centre from around 800 residents to 1,245. The council previously said the former RAF base could potentially accommodate as many as 1,700 migrants.
Up to 17 minibuses travel from the centre to Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester each day.
When announcing Operation Vanguard last month, Harris described it as “a positive and proportionate response to the concerns residents have been raising for many months now regarding the daily bussing of asylum seekers from Wethersfield”.
He added: “Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers - gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.”
The patrols are being delivered by private security provider My Local Bobby. They are not police officers, meaning criminal matters will remain the responsibility of Essex Police.
“At Essex County Council, we prioritise being proactive over being reactive and that is exactly what we are doing with Operation Vanguard”, Harris said.
“We cannot and will not wait for an increase in anti-social behaviour and crime before acting.
“The safety of Essex residents is quite simply not negotiable.”
Six uniformed operatives - two each in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester - will patrol agreed routes, including locations where anti-social behaviour has previously been reported. They will operate seven days a week, between approximately 10am and 6pm, during an initial three-month trial.
Launching the operation, Reform UK leader of Essex County Council Peter Harris said: “Today, Operation Vanguard moves from words to action.
“Six trained security guards, two each in Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester, will provide a visible and reassuring presence on our streets, particularly for women and children.
“Our message is simple: the safety of Essex residents comes first.”
The initiative follows confirmation that the Home Office will increase the capacity of the Wethersfield asylum centre from around 800 residents to 1,245. The council previously said the former RAF base could potentially accommodate as many as 1,700 migrants.
Up to 17 minibuses travel from the centre to Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester each day.
When announcing Operation Vanguard last month, Harris described it as “a positive and proportionate response to the concerns residents have been raising for many months now regarding the daily bussing of asylum seekers from Wethersfield”.
He added: “Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers - gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.”
The patrols are being delivered by private security provider My Local Bobby. They are not police officers, meaning criminal matters will remain the responsibility of Essex Police.
“At Essex County Council, we prioritise being proactive over being reactive and that is exactly what we are doing with Operation Vanguard”, Harris said.
“We cannot and will not wait for an increase in anti-social behaviour and crime before acting.
“The safety of Essex residents is quite simply not negotiable.”
