Security

In establishing the BID in 2016, almost every business told us they were concerned about the high levels of anti-social behaviour in the area. As a result, we introduced our Marble Arch Street Team in August 2016.

Our dedicated Street Team patrol the BID area six days a week, working closely with the Metropolitan Police and Westminster Council, supporting our members and their staff, customers and guests. They provide a visible, reassuring presence on the street, offering practical support to shops, restaurants, hotels, banks, schools, offices, cafes, and the emergency services.

The Street Team regularly support the Metropolitan Police in their activities, carrying out joint patrols, Project Servator campaigns, operations such as weapon sweeps, reassurance visits after terror attacks, help with a missing person/murder investigation and carrying out preparations for Eid to ensure restaurants are ready for the celebrations.

Between 1 July 2021 – 31 January 2022 the Street Team has:
— Tackled and reported 1,424 incidents of aggressive begging
— Checked or referred rough sleepers on 770 occasions
— Assisted emergency services 46 times
— Responded to 33 reports of theft, robbery and shoplifting

The Street Team patrol Monday-Thursday from 8am-10pm and Friday-Saturday from 8am-midnight. To contact the Street Team please email getinvolved@marble-arch.london or call 07825 750777/07852 566122. Remember, if a crime is in progress or in an emergency, please call 999. To report a crime that has already taken place please call 101.

Our membership on your behalf of the West End Security Group and Safer WestEnd gives us access to a wealth of crime intelligence, counter-terrorism support, protest updates and police communication, which we share weekly with our members in our security alerts.

We attend monthly neighbourhood problem-solving and Ward Panel meetings with Westminster City Council and the local ward Police teams (Hyde Park and Bryanston and Dorset Square). Here we raise business specific issues and provide evidence collected by our Street Team to tackle problems and lever in additional Police and Council enforcement resources, which proved instrumental in the designation of Edgware Road as a Community Protection Zone. This means that warnings can now be issued, and arrests made for begging and anti-social behaviour.

Since January 2020, the BID has funded a dedicated Neighbourhood Co-ordinator post at Westminster City Council, whose role it is to corral Council services, analyse data from problem issues and areas and commission multi-service and multi-agency solutions. The evidence collected from the Street Team feeds into this, with real-time data being made accessible, helping Council services to be agile and responsive on a daily basis.

Building resilience is a priority, with the BID taking part in table-top emergency planning exercises across the West End and helping businesses prepare for any interruptions to their operations.

We continue to work closely with Westminster City Council through our dedicated Neighbourhood Coordinator. Our Street Team regularly report anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping, and environmental issues to the council via ‘Report it’ and ‘Streetlink’, and our Neighbourhood Coordinator who can follow up internally on our members behalf.

Since April 2021 we have seen some significant results, particularly with the introduction of Section 60 notices on Park Lane and under the Marylebone Flyover which prevents rough sleeping encampments. This was a great win for the area, vastly reducing rough sleeping and associated anti-social behaviour.