A new patrol team has launched in Bradford after business bosses called for improvements to safety, security and cleanliness in the city centre.
The move is designed to help combat anti-social behaviour including rough sleeping, substance misuse and street drinking, to make Bradford a destination city for shoppers to visit.
It's a scheme run by the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID) which represents almost 600 businesses.
Jonny Noble is the Chief Executive of the organisation and told GB News: "We see low level anti-social behaviour such as begging and people asking for money, people potentially looking like the sleeping rough or the homeless, so they are reported through routinely.
"It's making sure that the reporting issues that come across that will have a negative impact on the city centre. With anti-social behaviour, it's reporting to the relevant people generally, the police, to be quite honest, street drinking to the Council for the Public Space Protection Order and the police.
"So it just depends on what the issues are and what the problem is. They have no powers of arrest, you know, that kind of thing. But seeing somebody walking around with a radio on a body cam, potentially with a direct link through to CCTV, it really reassures and it gives businesses that confidence that there are people out there that are looking after the place on their behalf."
The patrol team keeps a watchful eye over visitors to the city centre
GB NEWS
The patrol team keeps a watchful eye over visitors to the city centre and help to bridge the gap between police, the council and businesses.
Talking to GB News during a patrol, Afy Amin, of BID Patrol Team, pointed to a man sheltering in a shop doorway and said: "You've got someone sitting there potential begging for money off people, or maybe they could be potentially harassing people.
"So, we'll be looking out for things like this, engaging with them, seeing if they've had any help, any support, or if we can signpost them to the right people.
"If there's any anti-social behaviour, anything going on, any shouting will engage with that and any loud music.
"We'll engage with people, you know, doing stuff that, you know, just attracts the attention of the public visiting the city."
The Turls Green pub in Centenary Square, Bradford, has already seen the positive impact of the patrols.
Tom Mitchell is the Shift Manager at the Turls Green spoke to GB News about the Bradford BID patrols.
He said: "It just makes you feel a lot safer - not only are our customers and our staff safe, but kind of the whole city centre of Bradford is a lot safer when you've got people like these guys coming in and checking on us and making sure everything's running smoothly.
"You can see fights, you can see like drug use quite frequently, although it does get dealt with. It's sometimes something that isn't really welcoming for Bradford."
With shoppers feeling the financial pinch, this scheme aims to increase more footfall in stores.
Catherine Riley is the Centre Manager at Kirkgate Shopping Centre and told GB News: "It's tough everywhere throughout the country. You know, there's a cost of living crisis and people are hard pushed with utility bills, their mortgages, their rent payments.
So we have to make it easy for them to come here, not more difficult."
The BID Patrol Team is in partnership with leading industry experts, Argenbright Security Europe Limited (ASEL).
Peter Fisher, ASEL’s Director of Risk & Intelligence said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Bradford Business Improvement District to represent them and their levy payers as their ‘boots on the ground’ patrol team.
"We are also looking forward to working with all Bradford BID stakeholders and making a significant and real difference to shopworkers and visitors across the city centre.
"We believe our new ‘integrated’ and collaborative approach to urban centre safety and security is industry leading, genuinely bridging the gap between local policing, city centre businesses and other Bradford City stakeholders by combining highly skilled and well trained resources with appropriate technology and data, ensuring Bradford BID has the right people, in the right places at the right time to combat crime including violence and antisocial behaviour.”
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) operate by raising a small levy on businesses who join to pay for additional services which support improving trade and footfall.
Bradford is the City of Culture 2025 and its hoped these patrols will encourage more people to visit in the run up to next year.