Police boss 'right' to drop private security plan

The shelving of plans to deploy private security guards to patrol towns in Leicestershire has been welcomed by opponents of the move.

In May, Reform UK police and crime commissioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews said he was looking at spending £2m on 20 to 30 marshals, to provide a "visible and uniformed" presence to "improve community safety".

However, on Monday he announced instead an agreement to provide more resources to Leicestershire Police to carry out the patrols, which are set to start before Christmas and continue to May 2028.

Members of the Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Panel are due to discuss the £1.6m plan later this month.

Matthews' original plan was to offer contracts to private security firms using some £2m from his crime prevention budget.

The Leicestershire Police Federation said it was "entirely against" the idea and it was described as a "gimmick" by Conservatives who said the security staff would have no powers to prevent crime.

Tory chairman of the police and crime panel Les Phillimore said: "It's the PCC's budget to do with as he wants but I personally think he has made the right decision and gone with the police rather than private security.

"I think it will mean greater flexibility and the public will have more confidence in this.

"I look forward to seeing what the police and crime panel make of this."

Liberal Democrat police and crime panel member Michael Mullaney said: "I'm pleased he (Matthews) has made the U-turn.

"I've always been sceptical of outsourcing policing."

Loughborough Labour MP Jeevun Sandher said: "Security guards with no authority to arrest or detain were never the answer.

"This money needed to go directly into policing to protect our high street."

Matthews said his original proposal was never intended to replace police officers but that he had wanted to replicate a pilot scheme run in Melton Mowbray in 2025.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) said 16 PCSOs were being recruited in the autumn and 10 of them would be used for the patrols, which will cover Market Harborough, Hinckley, Loughborough, Coalville, Melton Mowbray and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Initially, it had been planned to include Oakham and Uppingham in the security patrols, but a spokesperson for the OPCC said the lower volumes of retail crime meant they would not be part of the new PCSO plan.

Money saved by the change of course will be spent on other crime prevention measures, the OPCC said.

Matthews, whose role is set to be abolished in May 2028, said: "I set the chief constable a clear challenge, and I am pleased that Leicestershire Police has responded with a practical and cost-effective plan that delivers the extra patrols local people want to see.

"I'm particularly pleased that this initiative will be up and running before Christmas, providing additional reassurance to residents and valuable support to retailers during one of the busiest times of the year."

Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, David Sandall, added: "We do understand that retail crime and anti-social behaviour can have a significant impact on our communities, and we know from our previous successful work and proven track record in effectively policing 'crime hotspot' areas that engagement, problem solving and working with partners can make a real difference."

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