In Liverpool, the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series’ event on the weekend of 23-24 October saw a full and half marathon, 10 and 5k runs and a one-mile run. The routes let thousands of runners pass the Liver Building, Liverpool Town Hall, The Beatles statue, The Cavern Club and Penny Lane; Everton Football Club’s ground at Goodison Park and Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium and its Shankly Gates, the Kop Stand and the Hillsborough Memorial.
It meant wide-scale diversion and access routes north and south of the city, this was another high-profile opportunity for Paramount Stewarding and Security to use its staff accredited with police powers granted by Merseyside Police under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS).
Road closures were in place from 6am on both days on a rolling basis to allow police and traffic management teams to begin work on the 26-mile marathon course. Roads were only reopened after the last runner had completed the course when materials and traffic management infrastructure were removed.
With bands and DJs along the routes and an open-air concert at the end of the day, the Rock ‘n’ Roll running series is a global enterprise that seeks to provide a ‘distance for everyone’ and ‘infuses music with running to keep you moving for miles’ as well as help turn running into a team sport.
The contractor Paramount reports a long history supporting the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series and a working relationship with race directors and local council.
The event required a traffic management plan to keep the city moving and maintain access for residents, which involved Paramount working with Merseyside Police Road Traffic Unit and the Traffic Management Team.
Clare Rogers, Operations, Paramount, said: “Our specially trained CSAS staff maintained a proactive and flexible role throughout to make sure the two-day event was safe and successful.
“We managed and dealt with residents and road users in a calm manner, provided clear direction, competent advice and diffused any incidents that had the potential to escalate. Our staff were also ready and available to act and deal with medical emergencies and unpredictable incidents.”
Clare added that the company’s local knowledge of the area was vital. “We had staff in Event Control working directly alongside the Emergency Services and providing invaluable support to the Road Traffic Management Team.”
For four days in October 2020, Paramount deployed their CSAS accredited staff to redirect traffic as film giants Warner Bros Studios turned the City Centre into Gotham City during four days of filming for the globally-awaited, Hollywood blockbuster simply called ‘The Batman’. Examples of the firm’s pre-covid work include stewarding of Bonfire Night firework displays; and Southport Air Show.
The Paramount staff have been accredited with some police powers under CSAS, a voluntary scheme, as contained in Section 40 of the Police Reform Act 2002. Police CPI Compliance Manager, Ken Meanwell, who leads on CSAS, said: “This is an another excellent example from Paramount of how CSAS powers can assist private security companies reduce disruption to the general public, assist the local police force, and help ensure the smooth and successful running of major events.”
About CSAS
Assessing private sector companies seeking approval to run a CSAS scheme is carried out on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), a police-owned company that works on behalf of UK police on such crime prevention schemes as Secured by Design.
Police CPI carries out checks to establish whether companies are ‘fit and proper’ to exercise CSAS powers and then recommends to Chief Constables in the area the scheme will operate. A Chief Constable in England and Wales decides in each force area whether to accredit employed people already working in roles that contribute to maintaining and improving community safety with limited but targeted powers.
Police CPI has assessed more than 120 private sector companies seeking to run a CSAS. The scheme besides reducing low level crime and disorder may assist police by easing demands on their time and resources. Visit https://www.policecsas.com.
