New Night Marshals Assist In Over 200 Incidents On Brighton's Streets

New Night Marshals, introduced into Brighton's nighttime economy last month, have been proving their worth, helping over 200 people since they started on August 26.

Police say that during that time they have:

Helped 84 vulnerable females

Helped 51 vulnerable males

Helped 1 vulnerable child

Engaged with 83 members of public to offer help, advice or reassurance

Assisted with 13 medical incidents

Worked with partners in the city (Beach Patrol, Taxi Marshals, SafeSpace) on 12 occasions to offer their support

In addition to the above they have also assisted police directly 6 times, dealt with 13 public disorder incidents, 5 violent incidents, 8 assaults, 11 drug dealing incidents, 3 criminal damage incidents and 1 domestic incident.

On Facebook, Brighton & Hove Police told followers:

"We are very pleased to be working with them and our other partners and hope that you feel reassured knowing we are all here to keep you safe.

"Please report any crimes or concerns to police officers, Night Safety Marshals, bar staff or call 999 in an emergency. The help is there – we are here to protect you."

PC Jamie Botting, of Brighton and Hove’s Neighbourhood Policing Team, said last month:

“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.”

*The specially selected Pagoda Security employees with advanced training, high-visibility uniforms, radios and body-worn video cameras, have received advanced vulnerability training, allowing them to identify vulnerable people 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.