Night Safety Marshals launched in Brighton and Hove

A new team of Night Safety Marshals will make Brighton and Hove an even safer place to enjoy a night out as part of a new scheme from Sussex Police and its partners.

The highly trained team will be deployed at specific locations around Brighton’s night-time economy to offer an additional visible presence, identify issues before they escalate and protect vulnerable people.

The force already works in close collaboration with multiple agencies across the night-time economy, including security staff and the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), to keep people safe.

Night Safety Marshals extend that partner working, providing a group of specially selected Pagoda Security employees with advanced training, high-visibility uniforms, radios and body-worn video cameras.

The team has received advanced vulnerability training, allowing them to identify vulnerable people in the night-time economy and signpost them to support services.

Linked in with the police via their mobile handsets, the marshals can escort people to a safe location, take them to a Sussex Police taxi marshal at a taxi rank, enlist the help of St John’s Ambulance or request assistance from police officers.

They will also identify incidents as they occur and report them to the police for escalation, while capturing vital evidence on their body-worn cameras to assist with the prosecution of offenders.

The Night Safety Marshals are in addition to the extensive range of measures in place between Sussex Police and its partners aimed at keeping people safe in the night-time economy.

As well as police officers conducting dedicated patrols around the night-time economy, we work closely with venues via the BCRP to raise awareness around safeguarding and regularly hold briefings with security staff.

Officers also conduct unannounced licensing checks throughout the night, help operate Safe Space in West Street, work with street pastors and Beach Patrol to protect vulnerable people and employ taxi marshals to make sure people can get home safely.

PC Jamie Botting, of Brighton and Hove’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Security staff have long been an essential part of keeping people safe in the night-time economy, acting as eyes and ears on the ground with proven experience of spotting issues before they occur, de-escalating situations and helping to catch offenders.

“This collaboration extends that partnership, providing an extra level of protection for vulnerable people in the night-time economy.

“Everybody has the right to enjoy a night out in safety and the Night Safety Marshals are another important resource in our commitment to keeping the public safe, safeguarding vulnerable people and reducing crime.”

Lee Craig, Managing Director at Pagoda Security, said: “Pagoda Security are both proud and honoured to be trusted with such an important role, providing what is a vital and necessary safety support service in the city.

“With the main focus on reducing violence and vulnerability within the night-time economy and being part of a multi-agency approach to improving community safety, our Night Safety Marshals have been carefully selected and provided with additional training in readiness to deploy onto the streets.

“They will without doubt make a positive impact, all the while working closely with the BCRP, Sussex Police and other vital partners in the night-time economy such as the taxi marshals, Safe Space and Beach Patrol.”