Harrogate Borough Council will fund a further 6 months of night marshals in Harrogate.
Night marshals work in conjunction with the local police, CCTV camera operators and venue door staff. They provide roaming patrols in the town centre on a Friday and Saturday evening, often dealing with incidents that they are directed to by the CCTV operators or called to by the door staff.
The Home Office funded the night marshals from 2011, but this funding ceased in 2015. Funding since then has come from the Safer Harrogate District Community Safety Group – which is made up of key partners from voluntary and statutory agencies including Harrogate Borough Council.
Julia Mulligan, the Police and Crime Commissioner has declined to cover the costs for the marshals from her budget.
Harrogate Borough Council have said that they need to monitor the effectiveness of the marshals and if there are alternate ways of funding.
Julia Stack, Harrogate Borough Council’s Community Safety & CCTV Manager said:
Harrogate Borough Council have set aside funding to ensure that Harrogate town centre’s much valued Night Marshals service will continue for the next six months. Since the Night Marshal scheme was introduced in November 2011, two Night Marshals have patrolled the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights supporting police officers, providing a reassuring presence on the streets and intervening when necessary to prevent alcohol-related violence and antisocial behaviour.
Close relationships have been forged with the licenced trade, police and other partners, and the service has had a significant impact in deterring inappropriate behaviour, thus ensuring that we have a vibrant and safe night time economy.
The council’s Overview & Scrutiny Commission on Monday 11 April agreed to establish a Task and Finish Group to examine the success of the scheme, and options for the future. The Night Marshall service makes a real difference and we are pleased to be able to ensure it continues to provide such a worthwhile service.
