Security Guards Deployed over Fears of Town Centre 'Migrant Gatherings'
Six guards will patrol Braintree, Chelmsford and Colchester daily for three months to deter anti-social behaviour and reassure residents, the council said.
- Essex County Council launched Operation Vanguard, deploying six private security guards—two each in Braintree, Chelmsford, and Colchester—for a three-month trial costing around £118,000 plus VAT.
- The initiative follows resident concerns about gatherings of male migrants transported from the Wethersfield asylum accommodation centre, which currently houses up to 800 asylum seekers with plans to expand to 1,245.
- Operating seven days a week from 10am to 6pm, security guards aim to deter anti-social behaviour and reassure residents, while focusing primarily on areas where migrants are dropped off.
- Labour county councillor Lee Scordis told the Press Association that council reports and police show 'no evidence of any rise in crime from asylum seekers,' calling the decision 'clearly driven by prejudice.'
- A council report acknowledged no evidence linking the centre to increased crime, though residents reported 'fear and perception of a risk,' and Migration Observatory research found foreign nationals in England and Wales face conviction rates similar to British nationals.
14 Articles
14 Articles
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Essex County Council said six ‘operatives’ will patrol several towns for a three-month trial period. A Reform UK council’s decision to deploy private security guards to town centres has received a mixed reaction, with some saying it made them feel safer, while another called it a waste of money. Essex County Council said that six...
Braintree & Witham Times
Security guards deployed over fears of town centre 'migrant gatherings'
Essex County Council have deployed six private security guards within the county, as part of its new Operation Vanguard initiative.
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