Security officers are providing a reassuring presence in Salisbury city centre, as part of the nationwide Safer Streets spending, in this case funded through Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
The Night Wardens from Venture Security (pictured are David Lacey and Sally Ford) are patrolling the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights between 8pm and 4am. The aim; to tackle violence against women and girls, reduce antisocial behaviour and overall making the streets safer for all.
Paul Howe, MD of Venture Security, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner to introduce dedicated night wardens in Salisbury. Through our extensive work in city centres across the region, we know that a visible security presence can be a very reassuring sight and provide those who need support with an immediate point of contact to seek assistance.
“Our officers are trained in conflict management, they’re trained under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) and they’ve also had bystander training from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. They know what to look out for and how to provide support, when others often wouldn’t. We look forward to seeing the impact of the service, as it joins a collection of schemes working to foster a safer night-time economy in Salisbury.”
Since the wardens started their patrols in February they have developed relationships with the Street Pastors, the local council’s CCTV, the city’s BID (business improvement district) and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team.
Wiltshire’s PCC Philip Wilkinson said: “Our wardens will be a continual presence in the city centre, with a focus on safety and intervention based patrols, to ensure everyone can enjoy a safer night out but especially so women and girls can feel reassured and safe. The Safer Streets fund has also been used to fund four deployable CCTV cameras in Salisbury to specifically cover areas anti-social behaviour hotspots. These are intended as a preventative measure but will also provide high-quality footage, should it be needed.
“The package of interventions is contributing to making Wiltshire safer and is a positive addition which should encourage more people to enjoy our night-time economy in Salisbury and feel safer as a result.”
Background
Venture has been active in the district for some 16 years working for public and private sector clients. Its on-street patrolling for Salisbury council was featured in the January 2020 print edition of Professional Security Magazine. A similar service is provided by Venture in Swindon, Andover and Winchester. As featured in the March edition of Professional Security, the company was recently awarded a mobile security contract by Wiltshire Council.
About Venture
Based in Andover, Venture Security is a family run security company, which provides security services for corporate and residential customers based across central southern England. The company is a member of the ACS Pacesetters group of high ranking Security Industry Authority (SIA) approved contractors. Visit www.venturesec.co.uk.
