Essex County Council has announced plans to spend £150,000 on security guards in response to safety concerns over “daily gatherings of asylum seekers”. The Reform UK-controlled authority said the “operatives” would be introduced to town and city centres in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford to deter anti-social behaviour and reassure residents.
However, the personnel will have no more power than other members of the public to take action against crime, and law enforcement will still need to be led by local police.
Government plans to expand Wethersfield
Government plans to expand the use of the former RAF airbase Wethersfield to house asylum seekers, some of whom travel to surrounding areas by bus, have been heavily criticised by the local authority. Essex council said there was “anecdotal evidence” that “the presence of this community of asylum seekers creates a fear and perception of a risk of crime”.
The move to deploy trained security personnel could help provide “intelligence” to local authorities and reduce anxieties, an executive decision paper for the council published on Saturday said. But it acknowledged the “security staff will have no more powers to take any action than a member of the public, and they will need to be visible without intruding upon anyone’s lawful activities”. The paper adds: “Any need for law enforcement will need to be led by Essex Police.”
Cost and trial period
The move is expected to cost £150,000 drawn from a community improvement fund for a three-month trial, with further investment required if the plans are extended over a longer period. Ministers are facing local opposition to their plans to fill 1,245 bedspaces at Wethersfield, up from a cap of 800, after pledging to end the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
Council leader Peter Harris said the induction process at the site was “woefully inadequate”, especially on the introduction to British culture and “expectations we have of acceptable behaviour toward to women and girls”. He added: “Concerns for community safety are clearly there, particularly among women and girls, because of the daily gatherings of asylum seekers – gatherings which will increase in number and size as the facility expands.
“I have voiced these concerns directly to the Home Office, which now runs a fleet of 17 minibuses to the three nearest towns and cities on a daily basis. You would have to question whether daily trips to the nearest town and cities are justified given the comprehensive nature of what is provided at Wethersfield. This is an issue I will be returning to with the Home Office as a matter of urgency.”
Political reaction
Liberal Democrat MP for Chelmsford Marie Goldman accused Reform of stoking division over the plans and urged them to support police rather than “handing over wads of taxpayer cash to a private security company.” She said: “Instead of stoking division in our community and handing over wads of taxpayer cash to a private security company, Reform UK should be giving the much needed resource to our local police force who are fully trained and have the power to enforce the law.
“We have a system of policing by consent in this country, and the public will be rightly concerned to see Reform handing their money over to an unaccountable private security firm to monitor the area. Essex Police are already under funding pressure, and we should be equipping them with the much needed resources to continue doing their job protecting the local community.”
The county council said it was in the process of contracting a security company. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites. We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, engaging with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities. And we are reducing the burden on taxpayers, with asylum costs down by over £1 billion since the general election.”
