Christmas will soon be here and that means more people out shopping and partying over the next few weeks than at any other time of the year. To help ensure we all enjoy a hassle-free time, Business Against Crime in Leeds (BACIL) has employed a team of street marshals who will be out and about, in Leeds city centre and other popular retail destinations, helping and directing people at busy periods both day and night.
The daytime street marshals will patrol Leeds city centre and also Crown Point, Kirkstall Bridge and Colton Retail Parks every Saturday and Sunday in December, up until Christmas. There will also be night time street marshals positioned at busy hot-spots in the city centre every Friday and Saturday nights up until New Year’s Eve.
Sean Walker, BACIL Manager, comments: “We are delighted to have a street marshal team out on the streets of Leeds again this year. They will be wearing high-visibility BACIL branded jackets and be positioned at high foot flow areas and known ‘hot spots’. In previous years they have provided valuable help to lots and lots of people, including many who don’t visit the city very often and need directions, and of course to those who imbibe a bit too much festive spirit! Our aim is to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time and finds their way home again safely.
“Our street marshals provide a welcome and reassuring presence and the feedback about them in previous years has been fantastic. I’d also like to remind people to keep their possessions safe and out of sight and to be aware of what is going on around them, as shops, bars and restaurants can all get very busy at this time of year. The last three Christmases we have seen drops in the number of recorded incidents and we hope to continue the trend this year.”
BACIL is a crime prevention partnership, made up of Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police, Safer Leeds and over 330 businesses throughout Leeds city centre, from both the day and night time economy. Its goal is to keep premises, staff and customers safe by working together and sharing real-time information about any criminal or anti-social behaviour that everyone needs to be aware of. The BACIL team work closely alongside existing store and bar security teams and West Yorkshire Police and are connected via two-way radio and handheld tablets, should they need to call for immediate support.
