My Local Bobby, the on-street patrollers, have been a London phenomenon. Now, the Milton Keynes city centre’s Business Improvement District (BID), MyMiltonKeynes, has hired a pair of red-capped My Local Bobbies. The BID says they’re to reduce retail crime and antisocial behaviour.
The BID has introduced a Radio Link membership scheme. The handheld radios will enable businesses taking part to maintain communication with each other, the My Local Bobbies, the public space CCTV control room, Thames Valley Police officers on patrol and other security personnel. The BID has a new Alert information-sharing platform, for businesses to report and receive updates on local crime incidents, and share intelligence.
Jill Farnsworth, Chief Executive of MyMiltonKeynes BID said: “The launch of the My Local Bobby initiative is a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance safety and security in Milton Keynes city centre. We listened to our local businesses and, in partnership with Thames Valley Police and MK City Council, are delivering practical solutions to address their concerns. With the presence of My Local Bobby, supported by the handheld radio scheme and the Alert platform, we are confident that this initiative will make a real difference to our businesses.”
The BID funds nine Tap to Donate machines around the city centre, as run with the MK Community Foundation. These machines encourage people to support homeless prevention services by donating electronically, rather than giving money straight to beggars. For more about the BID’s work against business crime and for personal safety – such as the numerous locations around the central boulevards of bleed control kits – visit https://www.mymiltonkeynes.co.uk/crime-safety. The BID proposes to launch in early 2025 a Best Bar None accreditation scheme.
Background
For the Thames Valley PCC (police and crime commissioner) Matthew Barber’s centralising of public space monitoring previously done by local government, including in Milton Keynes, see the June edition of Professional Security Magazine. For the public space patrolling by the Colmore BID, in Birmingham city centre, see the July edition.
About My Local Bobby
The firm recently took on similar work, via the Safer Business Network, for Vauxhall One, the BID for Vauxhall in south London; it already does such patrolling for the BID in Fitzrovia, in central London, pictured; and for the Heart of London BID, around Leicester Square. My Local Bobby’s founder, the former Met Police man David McKelvey, has been featured in Professional Security Magazine as one of the contributors to the Channel 5 documentary series Shoplifters at War with the Law. Visit https://mylocalbobby.co.uk/.
